Friday, May 30, 2008

Art Dogs

Art Dogs


Meet Gracie, my older Springer Spaniel.

Isn't she a sweetie?


She loves her soft beds. And rearranging her furniture.
(Hmmm. Decor
ator dog...)





Here is
another picture of Gracie, from when we first got her:


She was hiding behind the chair from Halloween costumes.
Springer Spaniels are VERY visually oriented and sensitive.
She DID NOT like ghosts and ghouls.
(Or Snowman sleds either.)





Gracie was adopted.

This is her adoption story:

Our doggy, Isabelle, had just died. We were so sad. I was in graduate school so I couldn't look after a puppy during the day just yet (we waited for Lilly) and we were looking for a magic dog, a grown dog to adopt.

I had been haunting the humane society, but every dog that I had a connection with had another connection going.

Then I had to go to New York City on business.

While I was there, I went to a private art gallery and opening party in the East Village. While other artists seem to carry their slides with them. I also carry pictures of my family and my dogs. I showed my pictures of my dear Isabelle to my friends around the table while we were eating Chinese hors d'oeuvres.

Just then, a couple came into the party with a very pretty black and white dog all dressed up for the party with a red kerchief around her neck.

I leaned over to the woman I was talking to and said, "Now there's a dog I would adopt on first sight, if only she were available."

A short while later, I made my way over to the man who had the dog on a leash. Turns out, he was trying to find a home for her. Turns out, he was a film set maker from Philadelphia who had just relocated to New York. Turns out, since I learned he was a film set maker from Philadelphia that he not only knew my sister-in-law (who helped make film sets in Philadelphia), but was her best friend. Turns out he had no idea I was married to her brother-in-law.

"You'll never guess what I got at an art opening," I told my husband on the telephone that night form the Gramercy Park Hotel.

And so, a few days later, home in Michigan, we drove to Ohio, half-way from New York and rendezvoused to pick up Gracie. She climbed into the back seat of our car and sat down in our daughter's lap and never looked back.

She came home and ate pizza in the basement with our daughter and told us to stay away, this was her own child, but then agreed that we were pretty cool too. Since we were her third home, I taught her to sing Hank Williams and some Blues. We are an expressive clan and it seemed fair enough, given her history of broken homes, and she had a lot to express. Turns out she had a flair for music and she has never quite been quiet since.

Have you ever heard of a more magical dog!

Our daughter was very sensitive to Gracie's adaptation to her new home. As well, she has always been quite innovative and artistic. So, shortly after Gracie came to live with us, she studiously sat down and created a portrait of her doggy.

When she finished it, she hung it over her kitchen doggy bed, right at doggy height.
(Now you know where Gracie gets her decorating flair.)

This is the work of art, the picture my daughter drew, A Portrait of Gracie:



















Now, is that Cool Dog Art or what???

We think so.

Send us in your dog art and stories too.

We would love to hear and see!

-Bobbi

Thursday, May 29, 2008

The Dog Clarification

This is Maggie May.
Isn't she cute, posing for the camera like this?
She is a FOF (friend of the family).
She concurs with Lilly on the below clarification.


Clarifying The Dog Days of Summer

OK, I realize, that, technically, the dog days of summer are defined by people as the middle of the summer, when it's too hot to do anything but lay about. However, Lilly has informed me that a dog's idea of their days of summer is more accurately described as when their peeps are out of school and/or feeling more frisky due to all the nice weather and activities available in the summer and so there is more romping time in the world, and our doggy buddies get to go on more fun outings. Woof!

-Bobbi

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Dog Days of Summer Are Here

Hello.

I decided (with the help of my pooch, Lilly, a bona fide Border Collie) that, in the interim,
I would declare that the Dog Days of Summer have officially commenced.

So, in celebration, I hereby open the celebration with one of my favorite things:

Dancing Dog Videos!

Dog Dance:



(Happy Happy Days!)

Styling!!!

-Bobbi

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Time For New Blog Direction

This is my doggy, Lilly.
She is wondering where we are going to go?

In the past, this blog held the place of our company website.
But now it feels like the right time for the blog not to just talk about our prints and designs, but to shift a bit.
What will that look like???

I'm not sure.

But perhaps it will meander around as it considers the options.

It will still offer prints (any on this site are still buyable from this us or one of our galleries or online representatives), but perhaps also offer prints that appear here ahead or that are different from those offered on other sites.
It may still announce events or news.

But not just these things.

Maybe some days it will just wax poetic or silly or just pull up with a cup of tea and chat.

Contributions are welcome. And suggestions.

-Bobbi