Scout in the Garden

It seems to be a cat week for me. I finally had the energy and motivation to finish my cat sculpture for the Forsyth County Humane Society's Art Unleashed Fundraiser. She's been sitting on my table for several weeks, untouched from a few earlier painting sessions, while I dealt with more pressing matters. But today, I decided I'd work on her as the breeze (and pollen) blew through the open windows and doors. And work on her I did... until I was satisfied that she was done. All that is left to do is the base on which she'll stand, and that means primer and enamel paints. But first, I have to decide what to put on the base... I'm leaning towards a big bumblebee and some flowers... but I'll give it some more thought before I begin.

Two New Members of the Household

Today we welcomed two new members to our household. Well, one is not so new, having been here plenty of times before. Empi, our grandpuppy, returned for a 5 or 6 week stay while her dad goes off to snowy Ohio and then to sunny Florida and then back to Ohio for photo shoots for his job. She is always welcome here; she's a fabulous little pup to have around, and our dogs accept her as one of their own... they are very gracious.

Our other new guest is a very large cat! She will become Scout in the Garden, a process that will take about 3 months before she is transferred to her summer home through the Art Unleashed Fundraiser for the Humane Society of Forsyth County. We picked her up this morning and loaded her in the car before heading off to Greensboro to pick up Empi.

Here she is in her bare white beginnings, standing like a sentinel on our table, where I most likely will paint her.

She is pretty darn big; her head is almost as big as mine! She stands 27 inches tall at her head, 32 inches at her tail, and is 29 inches long from head to tail... much bigger than my own Scout, and even bigger than Empi!!

Because of her size, I think she will remain in the house rather than my studio. She'd take up so much room there that my canvases might get squeezed out!

I don't think the cat forms are as nice as the dog forms, but they all improve when color is put over the white base. Scout will turn gracefully into a joyful cat as the weeks progress, adorned with a variety of colors and flowers. Stay tuned to watch her progress!

Art for the Animals

I have spent a good portion of the week on designs for the upcoming Art Unleased 2010 fundraiser for the Forsyth County Humane Society. This event connects artists with the organization and the local community as a way to raise money to support the Humane Society, its programs, and the care of the animals who reside there while they wait for a new home. My daughter volunteers there once a week; she visits with the cats and she walks the dogs. She keeps me posted on all the sweeties and when they find homes. Though I live in a neighboring county now, I used to live there, 45 minutes away, and of course I have always supported this organization and others who work so hard as advocates to neglected or homeless animals.

I first got involved with Art Unleashed during their 2007/2008 event when my design was selected. There were approximately 60 designs chosen out of about 280, I believe. Each artist received a cat or dog fiberglass form to paint, decorate, or enhance in whatever way their design called for. It was amazing to see the beautiful work that came from the project and how each artist had such a different vision. Each artist and his/her dog and cat had a sponsor and the forms decorated various locations within the city during the summer months, many sitting outside the front door, some sitting inside. After being a part of our home and sitting at the table (where I painted him) for three months, my dog, "Dogwood", graced the floor at Windsor Jewelers, an upclass jewelry store. You do get somewhat attached to your critter, and it was hard to let Dogwood go, but he had a mission to accomplish! At the end of the summer, an auction was held for supporters and community members to bid on the animals... both a silent and live auction. What a fantastic night that was... about $58,000 raised... and so much fun!



This year will be a little different. Only 10 dog forms and 10 cat forms will be created, but artists are encouraged to submit designs for original art, such as a painting, collage, 3-D work, and whatever else they can think of. I'm sure there will be some fabulous work made! I will be submitting a dog form design and a cat form design. The deadline is coming soon, and notification will be towards the end of the year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that one of my designs will be chosen, but I know that Forsyth County and surrounding areas house amazing artists, so competition will be stiff. And whoever gets chosen... well, it's of course the animals who benefit!

Dogwood now belongs to a wonderful husband and wife eye-doctor team. To create the base, I thought about my own dogs and how they are so faithful and loving, such wonderful companions in all seasons of life. So they inspired the words I wrote and painted around the base of the sculpture: "I will fetch the sticks you throw into blue-dream skies. I'll carry your cares, sing them to the moon, lay among dogwood petals, waiting patiently at your feet."









And here's a photo of Dogwood at the kick-off parade...