Back up...

Well last week's computer problems reached crescendo on Friday...I lost every email written and sent Monday-Thursday and everything I did (including an art fair poster design, pet portrait sketches and photos) poof! gone. Rich was my Mac hero all weekend, he got everything back running and revamped so it sort of feels like I have a new computer. It could have been much worse so I am playing catch up.  Luckily I emailed the sketches to the clients so they were able to send them back to me and at least I have somewhere to start from. We've been taking lots of walks with all the great weather so today I just leave you with some fun photos of Alice & Izzy...who by the way is doing so well!! She even started snoring again, maybe she's going Benjamin Button on us! I hope you are having a lovely and LUCKY spring week wherever you are...

 

 

 

Bob the Dog with a Blog

Bob lives in Virginia, he has a blog and it appears a very talented photographer named Bev Hollis...Did I mention Bob has a crush on Alice? He is quite a handsome boy, pretty fancy with that brindle coat...Alice is a lucky girl!

Kongs for Christmas!

I recently sold 2 paintings to a wonderful new customer who happens to work for the Kong Company. As many of you know I've included Kongs in my dog paintings for many years now so I was thrilled to connect with Laura. Ironically, the day the UPS man came to pick up the painting I was shipping to her, he handed me a big box first. It was Canine Christmas here...a box filled with all kinds of Kong products and treats, some we had not seen before like the Wubba, which unfortunately is now over the fence in the neighbor's yard (probably until spring)! The best part was seeing Izzy so excited and engaged with her new Senior Kong and Treats for inside...Thank you Laura!!!  xo Izzy & Alice

these girls love UPS delivery surprises...this is the best they ever received

notice Izzy licking the box of treats in the bottom right photo

I spoke to soon...

Guess she's still got a ways to go towards growing up...(see previous post)

4 Legged Love...

 
Lounging Canines...Izzy loved the Open Studio weekend, I think having company energizes her spirit. Alice not so much as she spent much of it in locked up in the bedroom...but then she received an unexpected present:

This wonderful gift from my very good customers and friends..the Skiersch family. It has squeakers...she LOVES it! In the past she would have ripped this thing to shreds by now..maybe she really is growing up?

Smiling Alice & Winking Izzy...the 14+ year old wonder dog! and her comical side kick.

C'mon...throw it already! Yes, I'm head over heels with my pups...

My Pumpkin with her pumpkin

Happy Halloween! I'm glad to report that Izzy's biopsy came back negative. We added more drugs to help with the arthritis and she seems so much more comfortable. Thanks to Dr. Gaspar, she is a very sensitive vet who also does acupuncture on dogs and cats. We see her at Roscoe Village Animal Hospital where Izzy also sees Dr. Rovner, he is on the board of Chicago Canine Rescue Foundation and was treating all the fosters when we were first got Alice as a pup...we were very impressed with his attentiveness and knowledge and immediately switched Izzy and Oliver to his office. Of course Alice is the only one who likes going there...! She's the only pet I've ever had that likes to go to the vet, but she is happy anywhere she can get attention.

Picture 3

and Alice too (on the left)...like the upside down head?

Picture 4

Dogs Rule Art

Picture 14

This was the secret project I blogged about the other day...I was asked by Jill  Beninato of www.sitstaysmile.com to be part of a 'fat book' called 'Dogs Rule'. "Fat books" are small books of a certain size that contain pages created by a pre-determined group of artists. They are called fat books because the pages are often embellished with ephemera that make the final book fat when it is bound. Embellishment is optional... Since I was really stretched for time I couldn't take the risk of trying something new...instead I stuck with what I do best. That's Alice with my 14 pages...all original paintings on matte board, a lot of work but it was fun! There are 13 other amazing artists who will contribute, we each get a book filled with pages from one another and the 14th one will be auctioned off on ebay with the proceeds going to artist Bernie Berlin's charity A Place To Bark please visit her links to find out about the amazing work she is doing to save homeless pets, rehab them and find them homes (she is a remarkable human being and artist). Stay tuned for more info on the auction & finished books!

Canine Muses...

Picture 22

And you wonder why I paint dogs...this photo is a perfect example.

If you don't have one (or more)...I encourage you to adopt one as soon as possible. Not only will it make every day of your life that much sweeter but there are a tremendous number of homeless pets waiting in shelters at this very minute. Yesterday alone, Chicago Canine Rescue (Alice's Guardian Angels) received over 200 requests to take in destitute animals throughout the Midwest. Many are coming from the flood zone, animal hoarder situations, and from Tennessee where the HSUS seized over 700 animals from a puppy mill. They desperately need adopters and foster homes so they can help more dogs. Wherever you are there are animals waiting for homes and you can find them quickly at PetFinder.com. This little gal could be yours, she is waiting for you at Chicago Canine Rescue: