Dogs, Dogs, and More Dogs

This past weekend was crammed full of activities around these parts... dinner parties, brunches, family visits, graduation, and not least... Woofstock which took place on Saturday.

Woofstock was a fundraiser for the Forsyth County Humane Society and it was the kickoff for Art Unleashed, the project for which I painted the fiberglass cat form which became Scout in the Garden. All these dog and cat sculptures had their debut on Saturday, and wow! They were all beautiful and so very different. Here are some photos of the forms, the first includes Scout sitting between two very precious puppies.




I was happy to discover that Scout was featured in the Art Unleashed brochure! Also, each artist learned where his or her animal form would spend the summer before the exciting auction party in September. Scout in the Garden will spend her summer months at Associated Artists, which is the artist organization to which I belong. I was thrilled to learn that bit of news. That means I'll get to see Scout a couple times during the next few months!

Woofstock took place from 1:00 - 10:00 pm and there were many wonderful musicians who provided great music and entertainment throughout the day.

There were also animal-oriented booths such as artists whose work features animals, animal-rights booths, booths who sold animal treats and services, and booths who wanted to make the public aware of various local laws regarding animals. The Humane Society had a few of their adoptable animals on site, and making a big splash was the doggie pool! Sometimes there were two and three dogs in there, and sometimes just one while others patiently waited their turn at the edge.

There were dogs of all kinds and sizes everywhere, so for us dog-lovers, we were in heaven! Woofstock was a fabulous event for all who attended, it was well run, and I hope that it made lots of money for the Humane Society, a very wonderful organization run by wonderful folks who care immensely for the dogs and cats who find their way there, looking for a forever home.

My Kitty in the Garden!

She's done, she's done... with ten days to spare! I worked on the base today for my Scout in the Garden sculpture for the Art Unleashed fundraiser for the Humane Society. All sculptures are due on May 1 (the same day as a very wonderful arts / crafts / music show that always proves very successful for me!), so I knew I better get my ducks in a row and get out my One Shot enamel paints. Fortunately they take so little time to dry and the colors are amazingly vibrant too!

So here is Scout standing next to her base and among the flowers and cool season garden veggies growing in the pots on our deck.

And here she is on her base, looking very festive, bright, and cheerful... a happy kitty indeed!

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!

MY DESIGN WAS CHOSEN!

Yippee!! Time to celebrate! I posted back in September about the Art Unleashed fundraiser to benefit the Forsyth Humane Society. Click here to see that original post and find out about the fundraiser. I'd entered two designs this time around, and I just learned that one of them was chosen! They picked Scout in the Garden, and I am so excited! The design was based on my cat, who likes to lie around in the garden when I am working the dirt and weeding and planting, and on the flowers I grow and the scenery around my home. For the last fundraiser in 2008, I'd painted a dog sculpture, so this time it will be fun to do a cat... they are not quite as big either!

Here's the design I submitted and what I will follow once I pick up my form.



Forms and bases should be ready for pick-up in early January, so once the holidays are over, I'll be busy with this project. Stay tuned... I'll post images and descriptions as Scout in the Garden develops.