"Out of Reach" wins best wine label in sweepstakes category at the San Francisco Chronicle 2011 Wine Competition, the largest competition of American wines in the world. With over 5500 entries, this is a prestigious award!
and the painting which won the Mutt Lynch Winery wine label contest last summer:
Upon my request, clients who had commissioned two portraits from me, one for their Seattle home and one for their San Juan Island home (of two different dogs), graciously sent me photos they took of the painting at the island home while vacationing there over the holidays. Very beautiful setting for Curie the painting, while Curie the dog, looks on from the side. Curie the dog prefers the beach to the indoors, and is looking a little less frisky than when I originally painted her.
So many clever captions submitted on my facebook page that I cannot decide which one wins the box of Dog Art Greeting Cards. Here they all are:
LR- "The good life!" Pink Daisy - "Lifes a Beach!" HEF- "Life's a bitch on a beach. ;)~" JB- "Where is my pack? I fell asleep and woke up and they were gone." NP- "Stay is so hard!" NP- I have this wonderful print on my bedroom wall and I often think this obedient lab must be having a really hard time not racing into the sea. NP- "High Noon by the Dune" LMA- "A dream of distant places." NP- "Dune buddy. LBE- "Sometimes you have to relax and hit the "paws" button!" LBE- "Dog Days of Summer" LBE- "At the Canine, Canine Cabana! (sung by Barry Manilow, of course;)" LBE- "I wanna be where I don't need a WOOF over my head!" hahahaa SK- "Beach Bum!" DTG- " Happy as a Clam at High Tide!" BMcL- "Nothing is friendlier than a wet dog…" GWS- "Fido relaxes in the shade while on vacation,and thinks to himself where did I bury that bone? ... Ah screw it, I'll just bark for some room service.... Inside wish you were here..." JF- " Where is that dog from Ipanema anyway?" TS- "In my solitude."
Please feel free to express your opinion in the comments box (at the bottom of page).
How People Think Artists Spend Their Time- Theory vs. RealityI spend about 15% of my work time actually painting. Here is a pretty good diagram of where the other 85% goes. Photographers are artists too!
Tribute to Darby
I had errands to run today and work waiting, but I've set it all aside. My heart is very heavy from the loss of a dog, Darby, the beloved companion of friend Moira. I thought that news of the loss of Darby would be a little bird who dropped in then went along it's way, but this bird has come to spend the day with me. I decided to give up on trying to accomplish much of anything, and to dedicate the day to Moira and Darby.
The loss of Darby has enabled me to feel again that deep gash in the heart that one experiences at the loss of a dog. I know exactly what Moira is feeling right now. I can see Darby, hear the little pitter patter of her toenails, her breathing, her sighing. I know those companions of deep loss and grief:
To know that you will never hear those sounds again.
The hole in the chest when you encounter the empty bowl no longer needed, or dog hair under the sofa pillows, the smudges on the car window. How you never want to clean those things that remain as evidence of her life.
Moments of forgetting that your close companion is gone and expecting some part of your everyday routine to be on schedule, then remembering that it's no longer necessary.
The acknowledgement that an era in your life is over- the Darby era: the era of youthfulness, working for Kevin Costner, changing jobs, moving, starting a dog art blog, living the rural life, going on countless adventures.
The feeling that this pain will never go away.
Dogs become markers for our lives, and we grieve for the absence of the living/breathing being that shared so much with us. We also grieve for the end of those years, fully over and now marked by the dog's departure. Dogs don't let us maintain the illusion that things won't change, that life is a continuum without endings. Dogs force us to experience that gigantic truth- that everything changes, and we will eventually lose all that we hold dear including finally, our own lives. It's a harsh truth, we spend most of our lives avoiding it, protecting against it, or even closing our hearts so that the loss won't be so severe. Dogs make us look this truth right in the face and open our hearts to loving without restraint. They continue to give to us even after they are gone. It truly is no wonder that Dog is God spelled backwards. I consider them one of the greatest gifts of all.
Rest in peace Darby. Experience peace Moira.
To read Moira's writing about the loss of Darby, go to her blog, Dog Art Today.
And win a box of assorted Dog Art Greeting Cards!
Deer Santa.....All we want for Christmas is Peace, Love and Pawprints! Marjie Clark
Dogs love Holidays and Trucks! Carol H.
I like you but are you sure you can pull the sleigh??? Kate S.
We're over the top around here, all right- heads over tails. Teresa S.
Bless your bones this holiday season. Krista
HO, HO, HO........we're calling PETA! Sue W.
Yellow dog to blk dog, "just a few more minutes, keep smiling, we're sure to get a biscuit after this!" Inside card: May the holidays bring you lots of smiles! Wyler H.
We get a lot more cats during the holidays with disguises. Bob D.
The things we do for love. Tina L.
Faithful friends who are dear to us will be near to us once more. Teresa S.
Happy Holidays from two Happy Dogs with Happy Lives! Susan C.
Happy Holidays from our dogs to yours! Ron H.
Better than Labs??? Not to be outdone by the other extremely popular Retrievers, Golden's display their athletic abilities, equal dedication to service, and their "undeserved" reputation for not being the brightest bulbs in the box. In your opinion, which Retriever rules? Goldens or Labs?
FOR THE LOVE OF LABS
Even if you don't have a Lab, with their dedication ot service, desire to fulfill our every request, and goofy enthusiasm for whatever project is at hand, you gotta love 'em!
(All images are available as limited edition prints!)
"Being an artist is not a bad way to waste one's life." I am quoting an artist friend who said this one day when we were walking our dogs together. He prefers to go unnamed (though he is of considerable stature and success as an artist). I have been pondering this, and what I have arrived at, is that one could fill in the blank of "Being a _____ is not a bad way to waste one's life", and it would be equally true. Or maybe, "chasing after balls is not a bad way to waste one's life."
An artist friend told me that what he does to generate images for paintings is a crosshatch exercise, where he draws lines vertically across the paper, then horizontally, then diagonally- and stares at the results until images begin to form before his eyes. He then smudges the charcoal on the paper to further define the images. Finally, he draws a sketch of the images that he has implied on the paper. A friend and I tried our own versions of his exercise. It did work for generating images, and it also worked for breaking through the intimidation of a blank sheet of paper.
Spent the better part of two days cleaning the studio. Best therapy ever for clearing out the old and bringing in new ideas- do it on the physical plane. TA DA! may not look sparkling, but it makes a big difference! Next, organizing the computer and the sock drawer.
Studio Clean! pretty much...
Studio exterior with last of the cherry tomatoes, dahlias, and sunflowers gracing the walkway. Frost last night indicates that winter is upon us, and summer is most definitely over.
I went to First Thursday for the Fay Jones show, as always, I find her images to be intriguing, color intelligent, compositionally intent, and very importantly- they make me want to paint! It's affirming to see art being appreciated... and selling.
This is the final version of the painting I did in 2010 of Bob and Fay Jones at home with their pup Polo. I have been on a Fay Jones theme on facebook for three days due to her new show opening at Grover Thurston Gallery downtown Seattle. While chatting at the opening, Fay remarked that the portrait I did of them captured her when she was still sporting her trademark auburn hair. Now her hair is nearly as white as Polo's.
It was an honor to be able to portray them with their beloved Polo, whom Fay calls "a sweetheart of a dog".
Come celebrate Dog Days of Summer with Mutt Lynch and other Sonoma Wineries on August 6! Everyone and their dog is invited!
Three Sedras Sedra 1
Sedra 2
Sedra 3
Sedra, whose story is here, was not available as a subject when I was painting her portrait so I had to rely upon photographs, which is always more difficult and requires more participation from her person to help me portray the essence of Sedra. The first attempt to capture Sedra was from a photo taken just days before her death, and I think the somber mood and unwellness of Sedra shows. The next attempt was to portray Sedra in the woods which held her favorite walking paths, and squirrels! For this I used a combination of a photo of Sedra's face with the body stance of the earlier portrait. Paulette, Sedra's person, was very happy with this version, but I wanted a more direct Sedra and a background of livelier colors, so I painted a third version of Sedra in Volunteer Park near her home. She isn't a ball dog, but the ball was necessary for the sake of the composition, so Sedra merrily complied and pretended to be one.
In honor of Folklife at the Seattle Center last weekend, I am posting my howling hound. Altogether now, join in!!!
"You ain't nothin but a human!"
(R Henry)
Thank you to all who opened my newsletter and clicked on the links to vote for my image! Thanks to you, I made it to the first level of finalists, then was chosen for the label. I am thrilled! Going to California! Here is the article from the wonderful blog, DOG ART TODAY:
Yes indeed, this is an opportunity for your vote to count! Mutt Lynch Winery and Dog Art Today are sponsoring a wine label contest- all dog art! and I have submitted a painting to the competition. The theme for the label is "naughty", although I really have NO IDEA why they think that word relates to dogs. To see all entries and vote, click here.
You can see them all and vote for your choice, or just go directly to the voting page and choose the lucky number 13, pictured below.
Voting ends Saturday, May 21, at midnight PST.
Out of Reach
"I am Master of the Universe. You will do my bidding. Resistance is futile." Pablo, owner of Nancy Schutt
TRIBUTE TO ROGER
Roger dog, beloved friend of Greg and many other humans and dogs, passed on Monday, April 18. He was just shy of 16 years, an approximate age since Roger was a street dog in Dallas as a youngster when he chose Greg as his human companion, so no one really knows his actual age. He had a long and lovely life, and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to get to know him, and be included in his circle of friends. There are two tribute paintings to Roger, the first is Roger in his younger days, when I first got to know him. He was such gentle guy, except to rodents! Rest in peace, sweet man, and know that you lived on this planet with love. We miss you.
This is a second painting as a tribute to Roger, and all the dogs he had as friends, gathering in the same park on Lake Washington. In Greg's words:
"It’s such a wonderful vision of what peace might be for all and for dogs on earth or elsewhere in spirit. Roger lived that spirit so much of his life."
"Sunday in the Park"
Read Roger's story here.
"Don't let the uniform scare you. I'm just a regular guy underneath."
Unchain the dogs! By far, most are lovers not fighters, even the scary looking ones.
nancy@dogloverart.com 206 941 9663
