The dog on the left is Sammy, he has been at our house for less than a week.  We got him as a companion for the previous adopted dog, Buddy, who has too much energy for a couple of old people.  Sammy has been at a local shelter for seven years.  SEVEN YEARS!  That's a lot of dog years, and we were told it was because he has such a retiring personality that he is always overlooked.  So far he has scooted quickly from bed to couch to bed to couch and runs away if you look at him and hates to have to go outside to pee, but we will outlast him. don't know if he will be much help in using up Buddy energy though.  I did an old master of him in a Zubaran painting of St. Francis. This small (9x11) painting on a wood panel has chalk paint gesso, a charcoal drawing and white highlighting with a bit of color glaze. 

chalk paint.  material of the day.  This is a pricey wall paint that is perfectly flat and covers walls in one coat.  I bought a quart in this light blue green color and rolled it on some 1/4 " hardwood plywood panels.  It makes a great gesso!  The technique here is a pencil drawing on the matt surface (or charcoal) and then the lines are set in place with acrylic glazing liquid.  After that the drawing is highlighted with white and then a bit of color glazing.