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!

Tuesday's Treasures: For the Love of Dogs

We have been dealing with our sweet hound dog Bruschi and his seizures for about 15 months now. On Friday we had a very bad morning with six seizures between 5:15 and 7:30 am. These, of course, wore him out, but us as well. He wasn't able to get up on his feet for another three hours, and even then he was quite wobbly and had lost the ability to see, or at least the ability to process what he was seeing. He spent Friday afternoon through yesterday evening at the vet where she could monitor him while increasing his meds. He had a relaxed evening last night here at home, though it seems he is having to reacquaint himself with his surroundings and the routine. This morning he is resting comfortably on his dog bed, not far from the woodstove.

Since my focus of late has been on our sweet dog and the love and trust found in the bond between human and dog, this week's Tuesday's Treasures focuses on canines. As usual, you can click on the link to go directly to these Etsy shops. Hope you enjoy!

Black Lab and Angel Watercolor by watercolorqueen....

A very cool sculpture by Middleburg...

Retro modern print "Be Good While I'm Away" by kerrybeary...

One in a series of Shelter Dogs photographs by susansabophotography...

And finally, another cool sculpture, "Spirit Dog" by Kuzniart...

Until next week, hug your dog, cat, spouse, or friend often... and remember to buy handmade, shop Etsy!

It's Never Too Late for Tuesday's Treasures

Yesterday I was away from the computer for most of the day, heading into the city to help set up for an opening reception for a festive Holiday Showcase at Associated Artists, a wonderful gallery and organization of which I am a member. I have two paintings in the show and will post them later in the week.

So Tuesday's Treasures was postponed, but better late than never, eh? Today I am posting some fabulous work in time for gift-giving. Hope you enjoy these animal-themed pieces and check out the links to some great Etsy shops!

First, by one of my favorite sellers... peaceofpi... three birds new in her shop. These are sold separately, but together they make a great flock, don't they? I just love them!


Sweet snails... the cutest ones I've ever seen... by joojooland...


An earthy strand of animal flags... love it!... by WindsparrowStudio...


A fabulous family of partridges in a lightbox... by GooseberryLightBoxes...


Tree Wolf, an 18 x 24 painting by Toivi49... just gorgeous!


Until next week, remember to BUY HANDMADE for the holidays, and SHOP ETSY!

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...