Puppies Rule

I wanted to photograph a piece of artwork this morning, and as it has stopped raining decided to go outside.
As I passed the puppies, ever watchful Rosco (name change from Remy/Basil) spotted me and stood up. As we are trying to house train them I picked him up and took him with me. He was well aware that would happen and I am sure he sleeps with one eye open, so he looked very self satisfied.
This morning it is very wet and windy in Yorkshire, although it wasn't actually raining when I went out. I thought the wind might scare him, so put him down in the shelter of the Conservatory, wrong, he immediately climbed into a trough of flowers. I rescued him from there and he did his best 'I rule the world' stand, a show dog in the making I hope.

I am completely puppy orientated at the moment so I completed a new ACEO last night, this time of a border collie puppy from a litter I visited a couple of years ago. It is all coloured pencil on Arches Hot Press Watercolour paper and has been listed on eBay. I think my next small work will have to feature Rosco, I'm sure he's going to pose for the camera.

rough collie puppy

Pooch in Boots

It is my birthday tomorrow and my cyber chums from our Fine Line Artist group have sent me an early present.
Although the present is for me, it actually involves Juno, read on and I'll explain.
I have been known to comment, on how white paws and black mud don't mix when we go to the winter dog shows.
We leave home for the show with Juno having four sparkling white legs and feet. If it has been raining we usually arrive to find a large expanse of churned up black sticky mud. We sit in the car and start the great debate. Can we pick our way through the mud or has my long suffering husband to carry Juno.
We usually start with Juno walking, but what you have to realise is that when Juno arrives at a show he usually needs to announce his arrival by jumping around. During the course of the jumping he spreads the mud far and wide, up his legs, onto his white tummy, and onto Bryan (I've usually moved out of the firing line as I need to stay clean to go in the ring). Then we decide to pick him up, this of course spreads the mud even further up Bryan as Juno struggles to get down, complaining loudly that Rough Collies do not want carrying.

So, my friends have bought me a set of very nice black waterproof boots for Juno. I tried them on him yesterday and he was absolutely horrified. First, he tried to walk without his feet touching the floor, then when he picked himself up, he lifted his legs up as high as he could, then he sat down and refused to move.
I am sure that at the next show Juno will arrive with clean legs, but I'm afraid that Bryan will be no better off, except little black boots will spread the mud rather than white paws.

New Beginnings and Nearly Finished

Roma's pups are now looking less like little rodents and more like puppies, not yet Rough Collie puppies but getting there. So here are Roxy (Glenspey Heavely Star) and Remy (aka Basil, Glenspey Shooting Star)


The pups are beginning to develop personalities now, Roxy is more confident in the house, but when we made the most of yesterdays sunshine she collapsed in a heap at her first taste of the great outdoors. Basil however wandered about quite happily in a short sighted blundering way.
Roxy gave her first bark yesterday and frightened herself, she hasn't repeated the experience yet.
The first photograph is 'Roxy', the second 'Basil.
























I have been working on my Juno painting and have almost finished. I found the background was starting to come forward a little so I airbrushed some very pale blue over it all.

It's a Dog's Life

I've decided it's time that I got back on track with my dog paintings, having been side tracked by cats for some considerable time.
Roma's puppies are now doing well enough to be left sleeping in their box for short periods of time so I can go large again.
Puppy photo's will be coming, when they look less like small rodents and more like collie puppies.

After spending so much time watching my own collies over the last few days I decided to launch my new series 'It's a Dog's Life' with my own Juno.
I posted the photo in my blog earlier this year and have been meaning to paint it ever since. I am trying to move away from simple head studies to setting the dog in a background, to portray a slice of its life.
This is on drafting film, approx 20 x 18 inches, I have used an airbrush for the background, but Juno himself is all coloured pencil so far.