Alex by Yvonne Chapman Brooks

Yvonne’s Artwork

0466 467 153
0466 467 153

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A family of Greyhounds and Galgos

In 2016 I was asked by a Greyhound rescue in Germany, if I could do some artwork pieces for a calendar they were thinking of getting printed.  I submitted a couple of pieces and they liked them so much that the whole calendar consisted of my artwork.  There were a couple of pieces from artworks I had done previously, for “Saving Wilma” auctions in New Zealand, and a couple of other portraits I had done, Daisy was one of them.  From then on I was asked to do all the dogs owned by German couple, Wolfgang and Jutta Hey. Over the years I have painted several pieces that now hang in a group on their wall.  All these dogs were rescued, the last being senior girl, Nouri from Galgo’s Del Sol The calendar looked spectacular, very bright and colourful, with my portraits on show in one place. I was gifted some of the calendars to donate for rescues.  Wolfgang continued to keep in touch, and each time they had a new member to their family, a portrait was commissioned.  With such an impressive selection of portraits it was lovely to see them arranged on the wall of Wolfgang’s home.  Their newest addition is Nouri, an elderly girl of 11+ who was signed over to “Galgos del sol” with 2 others.  These dogs had been kept for years in a dark room, no home comforts, and no attention or love. Nouri (GDS name was Diana)  was the more outgoing of the three new arrivals. Not everybody wants to adopt a senior dog, but for Wolfgang and Jutta, this was a decision they made easily. Nouri, meaning Light, is now part of the “Hey” pack and has been welcomed by her siblings. What a wonderful end to a sad story. Nouri was one of my last portraits for 2025. Here she is obviously impressed by her portrait.  Here is how the portraits look in their gallery.  Valiente/Valiente – May/May, Finn, Rani, Ciroy, Fagy, Vallino.(Nouri not yet added) To see my artwork being treasured and enjoyed like this is wonderful. Thank you Wolfgang and Jutta, for your passion for Greyhound/Galgo rescue and for choosing me to capture your beautiful family. 

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Happy New Year

Happy new year to you all, I hope 2026 is a great year for you. This last year has been very productive, with commissions  and artwork for Art prizes, I have been kept busy. I am currently working on a textile piece for the Cossack Art Awards this year, I have painted in Watercolour and Acrylic  in the past for this  Art Award, and decided this year to try something a little different. When it is finished I will publish the steps and finished work for you.  Meanwhile, let’s take a look back at some of the work I have produced in the last 12 months.  “I have your back” was a large Acrylic and Oil on Canvas for the Pinjarra  Rotary Art Award, depicting 2 of my friends horses, Llewella and Persia. The owner of these horses bought the painting which hangs beautifully in their home. the Incognito Art sale was a wonderful exhibition and sale to be part of, and all in a good cause, with thousands of art works on sale. Over $200,000 was raised for programs that support artists working with disabilities.  I painted 3 paintings in watercolour, all three sold in the first week.I painted some gorgeous Greyhounds in 2025 too, including Griffin,  Nouri, Leo, Chickey and Bandit,  Mike,  Morrison, CJ, Herb and Charlotte. The final one for the year was Daisy as Santa’s little helper, for this years Christmas card design. “Peaceful slumber” was my portrait of Shadow and Charlotte,  in one of their usual poses.  They are a huge presence at my feet while I paint.  There is definitely no missing them.  “White horse“ was a painting for Vineyard 28 Cellar door. A lovely boutique winery in Harvey WA, where my work can be seen on their cellar walls. I have also designed their logo and a couple of wine labels for them.  If you like award winning Italian variety wine, Vineyard 28 is definitely worth a visit. Mishka was a stunning white Samoyed with the request for a bright pink background. Charlotte, “Butter wouldn’t melt”. A study for a Paint your pet workshop, I try to demonstrate with a white subject and a black subject to show how the watercolours work, and what colours can be used. “The Old Swan Brewery, Perth WA” was a different commission, Acrylic on canvas  for an Anniversary present,  a memory of where they were married.  The client wanted bright colours, something I could definitely offer, and this painting was certainly colourful.   “Stand alone” was another colourful Acrylic for the Kondinin Art Award. I had fun working with the bright colours in the Acrylic medium. Usually with Acrylic works I tend to go natural colours.  “Griffin“ was a small portrait in water based oils on canvas. I love the background colouring on this one, it sets off Griffin’s colouring perfectly “Luna” an Acrylic commission of a well loved girl Luna.  Four Greyhounds Summer, Blake, Sox and Ravens from a regular client of mine, wo is building up quite an impressive collection of my work.  Finally,  one cat, Chook,  made it to my easelAll have been an absolute pleasure to paint.  So I wonder what 2026 will bring? And finally, in memory of “My Little Bird, Daisy”  always in my heart. 

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Going Incognito for a great cause

This year was the first year I have entered the Incognito Art Show. An amazing 20,000 pieces of art were submitted this year! three of them were mine. Every piece of artwork is A5 in size and is sold for just $100. Profits raised go towards funding programs, supporting artists working with disabilities.  There are some very famous prize winning and very well known artists in this show, but that’s the beauty, you don’t know whos art you have until you have bought it. “Our mission… To support arts organisations / To provide emerging artists with professional pathways / To inspire and develop a new generation of art collectors and supporters. The Incognito Art Show is a not-for-profit organisation supporting Australian artists. We run Australia’s biggest and most inclusive art show. “   Give it a go! With this in mind I was eager to have a go. I realised that with so many art works on show, in one place and online, the art had to be bright enough to stand out on first glance, be a recognisable subject that would appeal to a wide audience, be well executed, and a good example of my individual style. So my subjects were easy. Firstly there had to be a greyhound, as greyhound lovers tend to be drawn to art with a greyhound on it, and why not!So my first image was Otis in his sunny spot.  Being A5 in size the detail was important to me. I used watercolours,  gouache and pen on my finished Image. Second was a Tiger. I love painting tigers, their colours and markings are so beautiful,  and they also appeal to a wide audience.  I have painted this close up tiger face before on an A2 size.  This time I added splashes of gold Alcohol inks to catch the light. With this intense stare it is a hard image to ignore. Thirdly, “The head tilt” a beautiful brown and tan Kelpie. Kelpies have a wide appeal in Australia,  the ultimate working dog and loved family pet. Their keenness to work and eager to please attitude makes them a firm favourite. I have painted many kelpies in the last decade or so, some examples were prize winners for me too, so third choice was an easy pick. This one also had that splash of gold alcohol ink to catch the light. So, how did I go? Otis and “The Sunny spot” sold on the first day! My other two sold in the first three days. I was thrilled to be able to contribute to this show and ecstatic they all sold for this great cause.Next year I will encourage more of my students to enter and get a “group pack”. My process will be the same, bright and well executed artwork, plus an appealing well known subject.

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