July 31- SECRET GUEST- FRANK!!!!

Can you believe it?!? I DID it!!!! I painted 30 Dogs In 30 Days!!! Of course, there has been a lot of help and encouragement, and the fact that Max is still napping twice a day for at least an hour or so, which gives me time to get started, and then there's the amazing Duane... what more needs to be said?

So this is Frank, who is the sibling of Grey Girl (7-2-10) who came to the top of my waiting list. Don't worry if you are on it- I will get there now. I have a show at the Birchwood from the end of August to October, and then another show with my mom from September thru October at the Women's Building in St. Paul. I have a few paintings I want to get done.

We're watching "Moonstruck"- I'm signing and wrapping cards, and Duane is attaching rafia wigs to four giant heads for the Specs window display he always does~
Max is crashed out-- he had an incredible time at our great family dinner- get-together in Rosemount at our Aunt Bobby and Mark's~

See you later~

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~