July 30~ Beans!

Wow. It is already July 30th. I am SO not done painting dogs yet... but I am getting a hankering for more trees, and a few Maxes too. So here is our 30th Dog, little Beans, who has a sibling named Frank that we were supposed to be doing together. I mean, how cute is THAT? Frank n- Beans, the Weiner Dogs. And this is such a great puppy shot~ I love the little shoulder hunchy bit, and there was a stick in his mouth but I took it out because I didn't want anyone worrying about the puppy's safety. No actually I removed it for the composition, but that's a better story.

And here is a shot of my studio space as it looks right now- I am preparing all the dogs and getting them ready for their outings to the public this weekend, with hanging wires and signatures and dates and all that official stuff.


And I also included a Max from Grand Marais that I finally finished and like~

AND I don't know who I will paint tomorrow, so if you asked to be on the waiting list, stay tuned because it could be YOU!!!!

xokat!

July 29- Ms. Garcia

THIS was a very fun dog to paint! What an incredible face! I didn't get to meet her in person, and this in an example of a great selection of photos to choose from~

Really fun to paint~

July 28- Papillon #1!

And today we have my friend Mel's Papillon, one of a pair, but I can't remember which one, so I think I will have to do the other too~ Actually, I'm pretty sure this one is Rupert... this is what Mel sent me to help me tell them apart...

"Rupert Fritillary Cathcart is the larger one with the bigger ears.
Che Comma Cathcart is the smaller one with the less fancy ears.
Fritillary and Comma are types of butterflies (a lot of butterflies have been named after punctuation marks).
Papillon, of course, means butterfly in French."

And for a punctuation mark, you couldn't ask for a better exclamation point than these dogs! We had a really fun photo shoot in Mel's front yard, with Max running after the dogs and Mel lifting their ears up to show how they SHOULD look- Dogs are SO great! I'm going to try to paint Che now... we'll see~

July 27- Marq

Marq has been really satisfying to paint- all those golds and purples! I love the long elegant face, the nose and sleek cheeks~

So good to be able to paint in the morning! A lot more relaxed this way. And don't think I'm just sitting around with nothing to do, either! Already this morning we went over to the Birchwood to rehang the two pieces I had to take down so they could put up their big screen tv for the Tour De France, and the big ol' metal rack that the tv sat on would NOT come off the wall, so Duane helped Jason man-handle the monster off. I had been wondering why there were such huge holes on the wall there, and THAT was why. So we'll see what I can find to cover those holes with when I get to hang MORE stuff there next month!

And now I am thinking about sweeping the floor and doing some yoga... and then maybe painting some more...
...if Max will let me...

xokat!

July 26- Penny!

Penny is a beautiful german shepherd. This is what her owner has to say about her~

Penny Beer Night (b. 1996 - ?), known to many by simply “Penny”-

Penny entered my life – unwillingly at first – in 1997 at the Vanderburgh Co. Humane Society in Indiana. She has been an amazing influence in my life every day since. While she was untrusting and scared at first, flinching at the slightest movements, I finally earned her willing and unbreakable loyalty. She loved learning new things in those early years, even hand signs for basic commands from 50 yards away, and enjoyed a long life free from the restraints (and fashion hazards) of a collar or a leash. Her long-time partner, “your-boyfriend-Riley,” moved to Chicago a few years back, and has since passed away. Her love for him was grounded in one of their first encounters – when he taught her how much fun a mud puddle could be! (Riley’s mom and I are still good friends.) She was supportive of my move to Minnesota – especially when she discovered that every fall would promise a fresh season of endless beautiful white stuff on the front lawn available for snacking on all winter!

Good life for a dog~

July 25- Max

This is Max, the sweet yellow lab~ owned by Pastor Jim, a friend of my uncles', they dropped by one afternoon with Max along and he posed very regally in our backyard by the gate and I hope Nick doesn't mind that I chose this photo despite the wide selection he offered me!

It really is the darks and the lights that interest me the most in painting, finding the edges between the contrasts and outlining them, and looking for the actual color, not the color I think is there but the REAL TRUE color that my eyes see. My brain often has to be coerced into letting someone else do the driving.

And yes! I will be showing the dogs twice this next week, first on Sunday August 1st at Wet Paint during the "Paws On Grand" Event from noon to 3, and then on Monday August 2nd at the North Loop Dog Grounds from 5 to 7! If you have commissioned a piece, you can come and pick your dog up there! But just come to see all of them together and to celebrate with me!
Yay!

July 24- Nikka!

This has been a VERY busy day and it isn't over yet! I started Nikka this morning and just finished her now- Duane and I are taking an Encaustic Class this weekend over at the Grain Belt Brewery Building with Jeff Hirst which is a first for both of us, neither of us ever trying out this medium before. It is really incredible, basically painting with wax from a hot surface so the was is melted and wet and then dries almost instantly so you can work really fast with it! We are having a HOOT! It's kinda a date thing too, since we are OUT OF THE HOUSE without MAX! Not that we wouldn't love it if he were along too, but you know... some privacy is a good thing.

So Nikka is a black lab and this is a photo from her puppyhood, I think- I do love painting black dogs with all the refracted light from their pelts!

And below is my first encaustic piece! We'll see what happens tomorrow!

Oh and there's an art opening tonight at Frameworks in Highland Park from 7 to 9 and they just hung a pile of my stuff up too, so I may swing by there for a minute after the Art Car Parade which is starting at the Rose Garden over by Lake Harriet at 6:30 and we need to leave very soon for that- the car is full already and Duane is planning on walking around the lake with Max since he may not sit still for the full parade....

More Later!
xokat~

July 23- Alex My Mechanic's Boxer!

This winsome sweetheart is the resident dog at Cedar Avenue Repair and belongs to my favorite mechanic, Alex and her name is Rylie! Alex had to hold her so I could snap a few shots when Max and I were there back in June for an oil change and she is quite the active little booger! I didn't paint in Alex's hand holding her collar... but I highly recommend these guys for any car stuff at all~ I used to go see Alex's dad over North Loop but he's retired now and great engine doctoring runs in their family!

So fun to get that fuzzy, wrinkly, schnuffly muzzle in there!



And today I feel like painting so here is another version of Sara Belleau's beautiful Borzoi, Calypso. I just couldn't resist that profile! Man, what a face~

And make sure to come see me at Wet Paint on Sunday Aug 1st during "Paws On Grand"- I'll be there with four other artists doing FREE pet sketches from noon to 3, and I will also have as many of the 30 Dogs as I can bring!

July 22- Mary & Kevin's Daschund with his Mom

I have the incredible honor to actually paint from one of Mary Ludington's photos of her daschund~ this was a bit trickier than the usual snapshot since the photo is already a work of art, and all I can do is attempt to translate it into my vision. And actually, this is kinda funny because I had just bought Mary's new book, The Nature Of Dog at Corazon a few weeks ago and was thinking of seeing if I could get in touch with her somehow since I was aware that she and her partner Kevin (Kling!) were dog-owner/lovers and I thought it would be nifty to paint a portrait for them (since Kevin had done a gorgeously hugely generous favor for my former boyfriend but that's another story) and when I got home with the slick new book and checked my e-mail there was a note from Mary asking if I would be interested in painting their dogs!

Doncha just love universal righteousnessiness...?

And I may try another one of another view of their basset, but not tonight...

And I am FOR SURE having a one-night-show at the North Loop Off Leash Dog Grounds on August 2 from 5 to 7-ish of ALL THE DOGS! Possibly the only chance I'll have to display them all together since some are going away~ so mark that on your calendar!

Painting "Calypso" July 21, 2010 Video

so this is the second try... the music comes in a little loud...

July 21- "Calypso"

Yay! Another white dog! This is Sarah's Borzoi Calypso, a graceful, intelligent, crowd-stopping dog. Sarah says anywhere she goes with Calypso people have to stop her to talk to her (at her?) about how gorgeous her dog is and I have to agree. It was difficult to decide which photo to choose from for this dog! There is still a profile I may do when I have time, maybe during Max's next nap...

This was just incredibly satisfying to do, maybe because it is morning and I am not wiped out and exhausted. I did a video of me painting this too which I will attempt to post if I can figure it out.

I also worked on a couple more previous dogs- here is a redo of "Henri and Friend" from July 14th-

The shape of Henri (the darker dog)'s head is better, and the position of his eye, as well as the background colors are toned down a notch. See how different the time of day is? It really affects my work. I mean, back in the day I wouldn't start painting until after 10pm, with the fortification of three to six beers, and then I would continue as late into the night (or early morning) as I wanted. Of course at that time I was also going out most nights, and sleeping late, and just generally being a little ol' fun-lovin' gal.

I am so much more serious now.
xokat!

July 20- Bella

This is Bella on the couch~ She's a sweet, shy, rat-obsessed border collie~

And again it is late, and it has been a rather long hot day, full of potatoe flings and skyping my sister in England and showing her Max in his element. This time he was digging into the bin of wax candles, trying them out for taste. I DID accomplish much in the way of paperwork things that MUST be done in the absence of a chair-climbing, bright-object grabbing, pen-chewing toddler. Of course, he is also a sneezing, projectile-boogering baby on the move... it is amazing how viscous flem actually is. I wonder if there is any research being done on the possible benefits of flem to society.

Okay, I am going to BED. Maybe.
xokat~

July 19- Cami's Collie!

This is Cami's friend's collie, I don't know the name, and I just finished it so again I am taking the photo at night under artificial lighting and I included both of the "good" shots so you can have an idea of the actual painting... man. It is just really hard to get the real image across in a photo. And I am tired. Still. I know. Other people can handle marathon weeks of working with other people's children all day and coming home to a toddler and preparing for a weekend art show and then actually DOING the art show and having a parental anniversary in the mix... yup. Just life, in the big city.

But it is a good life. Maxie has a bit of a cold and I was tired all day so I napped when he did but he woke before I was ready, so you know, mac-n-cheese distraction, junk drawer fall-out, pull all the boxes out from below my desk and excavate the materials (mostly old printmaking stuff, mostly non-toxic so don't worry), but STILL he has energy so dad comes home and sneaks up on us as I am trying distraction-tactic-# 35-"GO OUTSIDE" and Duane pitches green walnuts and carries Max around the block and Max loves the ramp at a neighbor's house on the opposite side of our block and walks/runs up and down it six times while Duane is inviting the neighbors over for the National Night Out (August 3rd! Come on OVER! 6-9!)-

Anyway, that is my glorious doggified life~
stay tuned for more~

xokat!

July 18- SURPRISE GUEST DOG!

...painted this one out at the Woodbury Lakes Art Faire this afternoon and I am not quite sure about him yet...
His owner doesn't know I have this photo of him, and I didn't tell her I was going to do him either, since the person I had scheduled for today didn't send me any images. So if you THINK you know who this dog is, and who his owner is, let her know and tell her to e-mail me. If I hear from her within the week, she gets this painting FREE!
How about that for a challenge?
And here's a hint- the photo was taken last summer while this dog and his lovely owner were at our house to work with Duane on a project...
Hee! I LOVE challenges!

And the part of his face that concerns me at this point is the snout and shading on the left side (above his little paw...)

Tired now. Time for bed.

xoxoxokat!

July 17~ "Glacier!"

Life does move by incredibly fast, and we hadn't seen Pat and Mary Laurel in forever so we agreed to meet at the Mayday for breakfast a couple weeks ago and they brought the charming Glacier along for a photo shoot on the sunny sidewalk out in front. She's known for her crossed-legged pose, I took a lot of shots to make sure I got the best examples and honestly this is a great looking dog! There may be a couple more versions of this pup.

And the day out at Woodbury went well~ it was hot as heck but the generous folks who put the event together actually put up tents for us, complete with covering sides and all, big giant water barrels tied to two sides for wind anchors. So all I had to do was show up with Duane's truck that HE loaded expertly for me this morning with all my stuff, plus whatever he thought I might have forgotten. He's really good at that.

And I had so many compliments about my work, people walking past on the mall getting sucked in by the dogs' eyes... it was great! And packs of young women jumping on the pile of FRANKEN-T-Skirts and trying them on! One young woman actually tried on a couple FRANKENSWEATERS! I mean, CASHEMERE in 100%.... wow~

And THEN my mom showed up to help me, so I got to paint Glacier out there, and THEN the storms started coming so they let us head out two hours early! Yay! I got to get home and watch Max trot all over the backyard sandboxes and swingsets in his diaper before I fed him and bathed him and read him stories and tucked him in~

I just gotta say, this LIFE I have somehow been blessed to live just keeps giving me more things to be grateful for. Like right now, Duane is sitting behind me in the chair, just back from playing guitar across the street with our neighbor, feeding me the occasional spoonfull of ice cream while we watch Katherine Hepburn and Carey Grant in "Bringing Up Baby" on TPT.

I love Minneapolis!

July 16- "Bella"

...and here is Bella! It is 10pm on friday night and I DID IT! She's FINISHED! I like her eyes, and her posture, and the color combination was fun to figure out- picture quality isn't the best, but it is hard to take good photos when you are tired and there is really bad lighting and you are hot and sticky...

I do see a few spots I may go back into and play with, when I am a bit more calm next week and have actual time to do this. I do prefer painting in the morning and getting it accomplished and out of the way, and then if I have time to paint in the evening, I can do that too! But I really don't like to have to cram it in at the end of the day. Max is still teething, and although he will sometimes sleep in til 6:30, he usually wakes at 6 am for the day. My lifestyle has drastically changed. No more reading novels til 3am.

So I will be in Woodbury tomorrow at the Woodbury Lakes Art Faire and hope to get Glacier painted there... we will see. It is a HandmadeMN event, and I will have "Franken-T-Skirts" and some "Frankensweaters" but I really don't think many people will be in the mood to try on wool...
I am a bit pooped after this week and now have this weekend to get through yet before I can "rest" next week when I take over the childcare again so Duane can get back to working on his house. Whew! But if you are free, come on out and see me! Just check on highway closures first... I believe 94 from Chicago Ave to 280 is closed. I'm planning on taking Shepard Road to see how that does.
What a hoot!
Oh and sunday is another "Surprise Guest"! I am open to bribes if anyone is just dying for their dog to be done!
thanks all!

July 15- Matilda!

This one has been a while in the making- I actually painted the FIRST Matilda a couple years ago, after meeting KelliRae, Matilda's owner, up at the Art Colony. She was the first one who saw my dogs and jumped on their potential~ thank YOU so much!!! So here is what I am told about Matilda~

"She is thick and bold like a glass of root beer. She has great power with her sense of humor. I DO LOVE her!"

And how could you not?!

And wow. One more day of this camp. The kids are FABULOUS! It always amazes me how people are so COOL when they are small! and so many great ideas! And even when they get older, they still have great ideas! They just really need the structure and arena to learn and express themselves within. You can't have great kids if you don't have great adults to model them on!

Anyway, here is the glorious MATILDA!!!

July 14! I got off a date somehow- Henri!

This is the SECOND one- it's still wet~and it IS the one I like- the other one is getting gessoed....



Okay- this was one of the trickiest yet, and I know it is because I am having a tough week. I am used to getting up at 6 and then working from 8 to 3, and then getting home and goofing around. This week I still get up at 6, get to Articulture by 9, and don't get home till 4:30. And teaching summer classes is often a lot more planning than regular teaching since I did it last year and just reframe the concepts to fit the students, plus I know where everything is and what I have available. I mean, we are having a gas there and all, but it is a LOT of work. And it is like 108 degrees today. I am SERIOUS those of you who aren't in this state!

So this was a hard one. And it is actually difficult to put two dogs into one 10x10 area. I need to charge extra for these. So the First one I really don't like and it will get gessoed over. The second one is a little better, but probably will need some more work when I am cooled down and not overly heated up and can actually think.
Oh and I apologize for getting the dates screwed up! Can't believe I did that...
see, and THEN I have this craft-fair thingie this weekend in Woodbury- I'll get a link and attach it when i HAVE TIME. Sheesh.

July 14- "Panchan" in Yorkshire!

... and THIS is Panchan! Which means "Potluck" in Korean, is that right Andy? This is Andy and Kathy's dog, our friends in England- we were honored to be at their wedding in 2006 with Bingo, our lab mix, and they both have been looking for a dog that would fit their creative and intense lifestyle and they've found him!

In their own words-

"Panchan is a rescue dog from Manchester Dogs' Home. We chose him because he was lying on his back, relaxing, with his feet in the air, while all around him was a great cacophony of barking, frenzied dogs....he was so COOL. Since living with us, he's become a seasoned theatre dog. He comes with us to our workshop when we make shows and travels with us to all our performances; he's even been with us to France and Italy, where he was known by the locals as "cane piccolo".

"He's enjoying the new neighbourhood he's moved to, opposite the park, where he still loves to play with his rubber ring (you'll remember this, Kat, from our walk to Hardcastle Crags) but is also developing new interests such as meeting dozens of new dogs a day, and making sure the squirrels are kept tidily in their trees!

"He's about five years old, and his favourite treats are yoghurt, corn on the cob, and the end of the Indian take-away containers.

Just at the moment he's lying on the bed in familiar pose......on his back with his legs in the air."

Can't wait to get back there and see him again!
oh, and you guys too!
xokat~

July 13- "Gussie"

...and THIS is GUSSIE!!! This is Jeff's fluffy white dog with the winsome tilt to her sweet little face as she stands by the delicate but effective gate in her backyard~ what a fun and well-loved little fluff-pot!
Honestly though, white dogs are REALLY hard to paint- you wouldn't believe how many times I had to redo this one... and I am STILL not sure it's finished... i'll wait to hear from Paul on that one~
and this is the crazy week I was warning you about, when I am working at Articulture teaching crazed small children about the joys of animals, especially our familiars the cats and dogs~ not that I've painted a cat series yet, but my loyalties were much different when I was a subdued and sulking adolescent. I mean, who better fits the loner ideal? Who shows attitude and snubs your every effort at play and connection? Hmmmm. That sounds really bad, especially when the two felines sharing our household aren't really like that. Well, Madison maybe for a while when she was being feral in the basement after just getting here from Virginia and all, but Jeebo has always been a big mushy pile of affection.
ANYWAY this is about dogs, so I'll let Gussie stand magnificently white and toddle off to bed and hopefully be able to be coherent and educational tomorrow~
thank you!

July 11- Kenai

oh what a pleasantly cool morning, to be painting a dog in the snow! Whew~ maybe the snow paintings are harbingers of less exhausting weather. So many people I talked to last night at 801 agreed that they have been just TIRED lately. Being Minnesotan, I do believe it IS the humidity.
So this is Kenai, a gorgeous mix who lives in our 'hood, though I have yet to meet him, or his owner Peggy! Sorry that I didn't do the rye field, Peggy, that one may happen later but this one drew me in with his eyes. And that thick shiny coat of fur! Maybe that's just his winter coat and he's probably a shedding, panting monster right now, but this was just too beautiful to pass up. Thanks for sending him to me!
Enjoy the weather!

July 10- Finn!

I LOVE meeting the owners of these lovely beasties- I mean, I've known Brenna for a while, and I think everyone who knows Brenna sees her energy and her spunk and her openness and ability to really listen to you and make you feel like the most interesting person around~ well, her dog Finn is very much like Brenna! What a fun personality- and just like Brenna, Finn had a tint of henna in his fur~ it was a beautiful morning when I buzzed over to take these photos and Finn was eager to pose in many different attitudes~ this one seemed to capture the spirit of our endeavor the best~

Thank you Brenna!

July 9~ Secret Guest!

So this is my work area- also known as a Dining Room. That's the Table my Stuff is on. To the right is the Desk, where paint waits to become useful and various works in progress linger and fuss.

The person I had put down for today never got back to me with any images, so I picked a photo from my waiting list and got to work. This is much later than I usually like to paint, but my mom's Birthday Party last night got to be way more involved than we'd expected, and a lot more fun, and I had handed my watch to Max in his car seat earlier in the day which meant it was buried under baby debris in the back seat somewhere and I didn't have it on last night to tell me the time... consequently, we had WAY too much fun and sat up talking too late and today was a day of running around trying to catch up.

So anyway, the brown dog is Homer and he's running on the ice with his pal, playing tug-o-war on a dishtowel, it looks like~ This is for my sweet dear best friend in Wisconsin! It was kinda fun painting ice on an 85 degree day...

July 8! Cricket~

Hi all! This is Cricket, the Pekingnese... did I spell that correctly? It looks okay. The first Cricket didn't look okay. I am a bit happier with this one, especially the floppy-muppet feel of her front feet~ And I always like painting dogs on wood floors. I may go back into her eyes though. They look a little red and demonic. Or is that a part of the breed?

I may need to paint a cow tomorrow. We ran up to Duane's sis' place in Becker this morning to drop off some bolts from his brother in Brainerd and they have cows and sheeps and lovely shepherdy dogs, so there may be a couple extras soon~

Thanks for following! I am loving the e-mail comments I'm getting. It hasn't been too hard yet, but I have been more faithful to this than I have been to yoga lately. It is amazing~ I like painting every day... whodathunkit?

July 7- Tighe, The Bloodhound

I was impressed by Tighe's size and the depth of his barks when Max and I went over to Karen's house for lunch one day. What a big soft velvety pile of skin he is~ and goofy and noble at once. I love his ears~ and his soft squishy wattles...
His eyes were tricky, getting the proper amount of sag and the right color combo so they don't feel too droopy or red...
Karen is a former colleague of mine, and is a great spirit and a free thinker. I always loved her ability to speak her mind at staff meetings, to lead to the truth by her example. Of course she would own a dog who also leads by example.

July 6th~ Tony Dhurei Fire

I was getting a little concerned because I hadn't heard from Elizabeth yet, and I had lost her phone number when I washed my cell phone two weeks ago, and her date was TODAY!
Last night I was really tired when I got home- we had an incredible dinner at our friend's house and picked up my "Autobi DOG raphy" show, so now there is art leaking out of every possible crack in our house. But I was pooped, and trying to figure out how to get in touch with Elizabeth somehow, when my phone rings and guess who it is! Yes, and she came over with some fabulous photos and a great story of an amazing dog.
In her own words~

"Tony Dhurie Fire was a white standard poodle with pizazz. You should have seen him prance like a circus horse high stepping when we walked on a windy day (he loved this) or on a snowy day (he loved this more). He was also a hilarious dog, very acrobatic, and also had strong opinions, which involved eating anything really meant for humans. He ate a whole cake from the counter, once he ate a whole dish of butter, yech, he threw up bright yellow butter in the snowy backyard.

"When our first grandbaby came to visit, age 1 to 2 weeks, mama put her on a blanket and Tony carefully went over to sniff her. He snuffled her head. He carefully sat down next to her and became guard dog.

"Tony was a deeply gentle dog and quite meditative. He could bring quiet to a room, yet any intruder type would also receive his attention with big deep insistent barking, so LOUD.

"He had a friend who was a huge, giant black doberman. They would run together all around the parking lot of the Calhoun Greek Orthodox Church. Those dogs were the Royal Ballet, black and white, round and round; watching their playful leaps I thought (feared!) that the doberman would knock Tony down but he never did- they met noses sweetly, they were good friends.

"At 11, Tony was blind. At 12, he died. It was so so sad. Toward the end he became very quiet- not exactly quiet, more like solemn. I thought he was listening to God, probably. He was getting ready, maybe. He was definitely tuned in.

"Then- gone!"
Elizabeth Erickson

July 5th!

Yes, our internet was down last night and I was exhausted but I DID get Nala painted, I just wasn't able to post her until NOW~
SO I apologize for not being able to show her to you yesterday, since Tony is due today, and I am getting right on that as soon as our little imp is taking his nap.
Tini, thanks for sending the extra photo, but I really fell in love with her expression in this one.
This was a surprisingly fun one to paint. At first, I was frustrated and couldn't figure out how to really have Nala's beautiful grey fur and delicate spots show to their best advantage, and also be sure to include the darks and the lights from the door illuminating her chin. But I am really happy with this one! Especially her eyebrow and her gaze...
stay tuned for Elizabeth's Tony!

2nd on the 4th! Gurdy!

Struggling with color on little Gurdy here... beautiful dog! And the lighting and the collar and those eyes...
Something about a dog's eyebrows as well, seem indicative of their personality somewhat. Gurdy's are flexible and obvious...
Of course, she... wait, I am assuming she's a she... darn this not knowing~ but I think she's got a good sense of humor, from observing the smaller painting I did as a study.
I just thought the exaggerated facial expression on this wouldn't be as believeable as a painting. It works well as a photo, and shows the fun personality of the dog, but as a painting, I think it's a little goofy...

July 4- "Warren"

Alrighty! Happy Fourth of July! Wahoo~ This is Warren, what a great face! I love painting shadows as well, nice darks and lights in this one~
Really, I am having a total gas! Warren's owner asked me to do two of her dogs, and seeing as we aren't doing a whole heckuva lot today, I may try to toss in Gurdy as well... we will see~ somedays just painting one dog isn't enough. I get into the mood and the paint is glistening and the Pogues are singing (yes, i know, not very patriotic. I will listen to some Bruce Springsteen later...) and I just don't want to stop!
I have taken a video of me painting, altho I don't think it is very good. Duane has promised to help me later, since I don't know how to get it off the camera and onto this blog, but that's part of why I took this project on- to LEARN new skills~
...and it is working~
Stay tuned! You may get double-dogs today!
xokat~

Dog for July 3- Sasha!

...and here's day number 3! Meet Sasha, a lovely sweet young Viszla~
it was a mite tricky traipsing everything (well, not that much, really, just some paint and panels and a laptop, oh AND a toddler and his accoutrements...) up to Brainderd where we stayed at Duane's brother Denny and his wife's home, but where we didn't realize about eight other people were staying as well, and ALSO celebrating a birthday...
hmmm.... communication~
and there is a bit of a glare off this, I will be taking a clearer photo for the webpage~
yay! All is going as planned, so far- mwahhahhahahh! World takeover SOON~
kat~

July 2- "GreyGirl!"

And here is GreyGirl, a lovey greyhound with a whimsical face-- I love it when I open someone's photos and say, "Oh! What a great face!" and this one definitely did that to me~ She's in the snow and wearing a snuggly neck warmer, lucky dog~
Now we are heading up to Brainerd so we'll see how it goes, painting on the fly!

Dog for July 1! Dog #1~

Hi all!
Here is Cody, a sweet fluffy white Bichon who resides it the Longfellow 'hood~ white fluffy dogs are notorioudly tricky, what with the white and the fluff... and I have at least two more to do this month!
Max's napping was a little trickier this morning- He didn't want to go to sleep, of course, on the first day of my big project! Ack~
And I just got word that I will be granted a show at the Birchwood Cafe from the end of August through to Oct 3rd! So some of these pups will have a place to hang!
Yay!

30 Dogs in 30 Days List!

All right!!!! We are all set to get started tomorrow morning! Here is the list of Dogs and their Owners and their DATE of creation!!!

July 1- Bob's bichon Cody
July 2- Ruth's greyhound, Grey Girl (and Frank the Pug will happen too!)
July 3- Megan's viszla, Sasha
July 4- Bethany's short-hair pointer (I think) Warren and maybe Gurdy too
July 5- Tini's great dane Nala
July 6- Elizabeth's standard poodle Tony
July 7- Karen's bloodhound Tighe
July 8- Kelly's pekingnese Cricket
July 9- Janis' whippet
July 10- Brenna's Finn
July 11- Peggy's shepard mix Kenai
July 12- Paul & Jeff's Gussie
July 13- Andy & Kathy's Panchan
July 14- Katherine's long-haired dox Henri
July 15- KelliRae's retriever Matilda
July 16- Jennifer's golden Bella
July 17- Pat & Mary Laurel's Glacier
July 18- Kate's portuguese water dog
July 19- Cami's collie
July 20- Liz's Bella
July 21- Sara's borzoi
July 22- Mary & Kevin's dox and basset
July 23- Alex' boxer
July 24- Tanya's mom's black lab Nika
July 25- Nick's retriever Max
July 26- Jean's german shep Penny
July 27- Susan's mini-greyhound Marc
July 28-Mel's papillon, Rupert Fritillary Cathcart
July 29- Kathy's terrier Garcia
July 30- Ginna's daschunds Beans & Frank

I have a waiting list forming as well, and will see if I can fit these additional dogs in! As it is, there ARE 31 days in July, so someone will probably be popped in at the last minute. Also, I am talking to the Minneapolis Parks about having an evening showing of the works on August 2 somewhere. As soon as I know, it will be posted HERE!

Stay tuned for more caninine FUN!!!

Pre-Painting 30 Dogs...

Okay, here is an example of a piece I really can't stand. Some of it works, but really, I've spent too much time on it and can't fix it, so it is being gessoed over and started again. I am painting about a piece a day at this point just to get into shape for my marathon month coming up next week here! A few will be posted for your viewing pleasure...






and if you are wondering what bugs me the most about this one, it's the sweet peke's eyes- they are just not working. And I am afraid the problem is the photo was taken with a flash so the eyes are funny-
here, I should just include the photo too.

and i can see i made the head too big too~ ah well~ if at first I don't suceed, I gesso it over and do it again! Just like Underdog-
kinda~

PREPPING for "30Dogs In 30 Days"!

This is the ever-cheerful, squinchy-faced pug named Millie-Pig, painted from my friend (her owner)'s Facebook page~ I have requested a larger photo so I can do a larger painting. This is a 7x7. She is VERY squinchy.
And my "30 Dogs" are chosen for the "30 DAYS"! I am FULL! Wow~ I can't believe how fast that happened- I thought I'd have to beg people to let me do their dogs, but no, I have to put a couple close friends on hold for a bit so I can do some lovely new dogs~
Oh the joy of the shape of a dog! My favorite bit is honestly the hindquarters, the shape of the haunch. I just love the curve of the back, to the tail, to the back leg sliding into the more delicate bones of the ankle to the point of the nails~ ahhhh~

Okay, here is a link to my "30 Dogs In 30 Days" website- I am trying out some of the new things I'm learning about the internet, the first rule of which is "R.T.F.M"- Read The F#@ing Manual"- so I am learning... although I do believe a blog works as well for a website... we'll see~

I've been getting lovely pooch photos in the mail (web-mail...) and some visits from local dogs too! This is going to be fun~

Wow~ my brain is RINGING! i just had an excellent workshop from the Creative Capitol people at the Loft all day, and then walked outside and WHO WAS WAITING FOR ME but MAX and DUANE! they'd biked in to bike me home~ and so after putting Max to bed (over and over again- he was would up, perhaps after falling into the bathtub he scared himself...) I got onto my e-mail to check on my "30 Dogs In 30 Days" project and WOW is this generating a lot of interest! I am having a GAS checking out dog photos that people are sending me! My list is filling up FAST!

So a brief explanation, as more details will follow as I figure them out- this is way bigger than I thought!
I want to really commit to a daily painting practice because I have found over the past year, after Max's birth, that I CAN be a mom and an artist too, and that I can find the time to do this if I make it important enough to ME. SO, I have decided that 100Dogs In 100 Days is a bit too much at this point, not that I doubt I could do this, I just don't want to stress my new young family (Duane especially) too much... so I am going for "30 Dogs In 30 Days" and am selecting July as my month. I will be doing one 10x10 unframed acrylic painting a day, on a black-gessoed panel, using my favorite Golden acrylic paints. Each piece will be posted as it is finished on this blog, perhaps along with pithy comments and maybe a video or two of me working, since that sounds kinda fun too~
So stay tuned folks, and spread the word!
Oh and I am looking for a space to display the finished work for a brief time in August, since some are commissions and I will be wanting to get them to their owners- so if you know of a space or have any clever ideas, please let me know!

Just finished a lovely Corgi commission, name of Fortinbras, which reminded me of course of "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madeline L'Engle, in which the main family has a large black lab named Fortinbras- but I was told that THIS Fort is actually named after the Shakespearean Fortinbras in Hamlet~
which is lovely too and allows me to practice making links on my blog which is really actually quite fun!!!
It is now officially summer and I am quickly forgetting what day of the week it is, which is one of my favorite parts. Max's nose is almost healed from his meeting with the WPA sandbox at Powderhorn Park last friday while we were playing kickball with a giant yellow excersize ball for Chris's 30th Birthday~ yay!
And now I think we're gonna walk to Scotty's studio for a shiatzu and maybe a chai on the way- I don't think Scotty has a website up yet... oh yes he does and it is excellent! check out the link! This is really fun!
And one last thing- I am hoping to do a "Thirty Dogs in Thirty Days" project beginning in July, so if you or someone you know has a hankering for their dog to be immortalized by me, let me know! Slots are filling up fast!

...late paintings~

These are from earlier in march, I think- "Standing In The Sun" is another lovely large one- it will hopefully go to the Birchwood...

and "Looking" is the companion piece to "Listening" that I posted earlier...
man~
when Max naps, I try to catch up, but we'll see how often I actually have to NAP!

Grand Marais again~

Every year since 1990 (or maybe 1989?) mom and I have gone up to the Artist's Colony in Grand Marais MN for a week of painting and writing and thinking with Elizabeth Erickson. It has always been an amazing experience, and I usually spend the first day in fear of the white canvas, quietly freaking out and snapping at anyone who comes close. It is that uncomfortable factor of knowing it is up to me. No one can tell me how to do this, how to put the paint out, what color to choose, where to put it on the canvas, what kind of mark to make. This is absolutely terrifying. All sense of the falseness of my attempts comes to the front of my skull, and the fact that I have no idea what I am doing is screaming at me. Everyone else is so confident and sure of what they are doing. Who do I think I am? man.
and i mean, EVERY YEAR.

So somehow, I pick up the brush and choose a panel, paper, canvas, choose a color, and begin.
Since I am no longer the most important person in my world all the time now, this past year and this year weren't quite as terrifying. There was still this sense of what am I doing? but by now I am more accustomed to the NEED of this time, and the exploration into myself, and also the fact that I've been trying to paint pretty regularly gave me confidence that this wouldn't be the last time I paint for months.
And so I didn't paint any dogs.

I painted whales.

And Max and Duane.
The whales came because of the oil spill in the Gulf, I think. They are the first things I painted back in 1989 at CSB. I loved those. Still have a few.

And the paintings of Max and Duane came about like the dogs originally started- because I love the beings and the spirits of these beings, and so I want to get them down in color with my eye and hand. These pieces felt really vulnerable and intimate to me, to do them. I am very much aware of the fact that Duane and I are older than the usual idea of parents, and I am protective of our time with Max and want to enjoy and hold onto everything I possibly can, for him and for us. The delicacy and limited time span of a life are somehow very in my mind these days. I am incredibly grateful. And I hate it when I feel petty and obsess with inane material things, like trying to get shows or worrying about who will like my work, or whether we will have enough money to live on...
life is so sweet and rich and full right now, I am constantly tearing up at my own joy~