Today is my wife's 30th birthday. She wanted a portrait of our dog, Molly. I've done a few pet portraits in the past and I love trying to capture a pet's personality. If you're interested in having a pet portrait painted, contact me at toledo.mel [at] gmail.com.

Some "healthy flavors" from the kitchen.

7"x 5"
On sale now through Sunday evening on my ebay shop: http://tiny.cc/MelvinToledoSaltandPepper

   

   

My wife and I enjoy exploring the different hiking trails and state parks around the Atlanta area. In September, we went to Arabia Mountain in Lithonia (www.arabiaalliance.org). It reminded me of Stone Mountain without all of the people and without the view of the city. The view was spectacular, however, and once we reached the top we could look out across the rolling hills and down to a small lake. It was a great afternoon.

As the weather turns a bit cooler and we start to see the changing leaves here in Georgia, I increasingly look forward to fall. This past weekend, we went to a farm in north Georgia to stock up on pumpkins for carving and soup making. I hoped to capture the spirit of this time of year in my Small Works Series with Still Life with Pumpkin.

   

Oil on canvas 7 x 5 in.
Outer Banks, NC.