Another Morning Collage

This one uses a magazine page as the background with layers of painted text and stripes, plus a rectangular scrap of one of my paintings. I love the neutral colors with just a little zing of color!

This and That

I don't know where the week has gone, but I've been busy. The collage above is this morning's warm-up collage. I couldn't resist incorporating the large "K" in a collage when I found it in a magazine, and the cheerful colors are a great start to the week!

Yesterday I was asked to photograph this handsome dog for the rescue. Harley is a boxer mix, and he is in perpetual motion. I spent about half an hour photographing him as he romped in the backyard, and both of his foster families said that I captured his true personality. I love his brand new collar (for the photo shoot) that says "Live Love Rescue"!

Friday was a bittersweet day for me. Maximillian is a mastiff mix in rescue, and he is truly a gentle giant. I fell in love with him the moment I saw him, and I am not usually taken in by big breeds. We could not find a foster home for him, so he was transferred to another rescue that specializes in big breeds and had an open foster home for him. While it was the right thing to do for Max, I will miss our walks through the cornfields that surround the shelter and his slurpy kisses.

Wordless Wednesday

Hands, Hearts & Paws

Sometimes the best photo is the unposed, unexpected one...

This is a little rescue puppy that arrived yesterday, very scared and clinging to the rescuer's hand for dear life! He is only 11 months old, yet he and his brother have been in 5 different places already. No wonder he is scared!

Roxi's Adoption

Roxi, Cindi, Keaton

Many of you will remember a yorkie puppy named Keaton that I was fostering last Spring. He was adopted 7 months ago by Cindi, and now she has added Roxi to her family.

It was instant love when I took Roxi to meet Keaton! They wrestled with each other; they chased each other in the yard; and they gave each other kisses and kisses. It was an amazing sight to watch --- and one of the best dog pairings I have ever seen!

This is the rewarding side of rescue work --- to take a dog that was picked up as a stray, get her vetted and groomed, and then find the perfect home for her. It doesn't get any better than this!

Wordless Wednesday

Zeke, the Model

Recently I was approached by an artist acquaintance who is offering a new line of fabrics for sale. She was looking for some people to make unusual items out of her fabrics, to help get viewers' creativity going and ultimately to sell her fabrics. I said I would make a couple of dog items, and Zeke graciously volunteered to be my model......LOL.

Zeke modeling his new collar cover

Zeke modeling his new bandana

Newsletter and Purple

I sent out my January newsletter yesterday. If you're reading this, and you're not a subscriber but would like to be, just leave me a comment or send me your email address. My newsletter is usually a mix of my life, similar to this blog.

Here are two new artist trading cards, experimenting with purple. The backgrounds are original photographs, tinted in purple, and then I collaged on top of the photos and added paint. These were made for a swap that I am participating in this month.

Wordless Wednesday

Roxi

Yesterday I took a road trip to rescue this little girl. Roxi is a one year old, female yorkie. She was picked up as a stray by animal control, and no one came to claim her.

So far, she seems like a perfect dog! She loves everyone, including all the dogs and cats that she has met; she appears to be housebroken; she did great at the vet and at the groomer; and she slept through the night last night. Doesn't get any better than that, especially for a first day with a new foster dog!

Gilligan is Home!

I fell in love with funny, friendly Gilligan the moment I met him. He is 13# of silliness in a super cute dog! He loves everyone --- people, dogs, cats, you name it. He doesn't know a stranger. If you're breathing, he wants to play!

Gilligan has been in rescue for 2 months, which just broke my heart. He is a fence jumper, which eliminated numerous good homes for him. But today, he found the perfect home. They have a tall enough fence, a little girl to play and cuddle with him, and an airedale terrier to keep him on his toes. They think he is perfect, and I could not agree more!

Wordless Wednesday

A New Year, A New Word

8"h x 6"w

$75

Each year I choose a word to guide the year that stretches ahead of me. For me, this works better than setting resolutions. In 2012 my word is "zen". It is a year to focus on a calm and peaceful life!

The painting/collage above is my first new artwork of the year, and I think the colors embody my new focus. It was fun to create, and I am very happy with the finished piece!

These smaller artworks all measure 3.5"h x 2.5"w and were created with the scraps from the bigger piece.

Happy New Year!

I love starting a new year! Wiping the slate clean and starting fresh with new possibilities, limited only by my imagination. I hope you have a year filled with family and friends, art and inspiration, love and hope!