Emily Wagner has been a child TV star, a club hopping teen, an art student, an Ivy Leaguer, a white female rapper, a DJ, a hip hop promoter, and a screenwriter. Now, she is a working actress (paramedic Doris Pickman on “ER” and star of her brother’s film “The Talent Given Us”), a mother, a yoga-dance teacher, a blogger, and last but c-e-r-t-a-i-n-l-y not least a dog artist! (And a certified Diva.) Emily, I’m in awe…and a little exhausted. Love your work!
For Brett Rhodes Neal, idle hands are the artist’s tools. Upon finishing his bronze and silver painted sculpture, “Beagle in Boots,” he was bored. So he decided to make a painting of it…cover in Picassos. Absolutely brilliant!
Check out Brett’s new series, “Ultra Power,” of 1960’s Kitchen Aid Mixers reflecting other artists’ work. Commission one, and you get to pick your favorite artist. His only request…make it challenging. Remember, Brett hates to be bored.
Artist Christine Merrill started out as an architectural painter. Then, in 1987, she began including homeowners’ pets in the foreground, and her career took off. One look at the majestic and homey “Cool Breeze” (pictured below) and you can see why. She exquisitely renders what we hold most precious, house and hound. View Merrill’s work at the prestigious William Secord Gallery, specializing in fine 19th and 20th century dog art.
Below is my collage of our beloved family dog, Rhett, in front of our former home inspired by Merrill’s style. I call this piece The Gent because, although Rhett, a Wirehaired Dachshund, could be precocious, he was always a little gentleman, exactly like his namesake Rhett Butler. To see more of my work visit my DreamDogsArt Store.
The shockingly dense design*sponge is always a thrill to visit. Victoria of the dreamy design blog, sfgirlbybay, guest edited last week for Grace Bonney and she posted this darling print, “Doglove,” from FrauMathildaArt she found on Etsy, a beautifully designed website to buy and sell handmade goods. You could spend all day surfing these sites, and your whole life redoing and re-redoing your living space. Drop by their blogs to be endlessly inspired.
When Michael Newton’s “Black Dog” popped up on my computer screen, I gasped. It was a visceral response and exactly what the Manchester-born artist intended. Michael, who likes to explore aspects of melancholia in his work, says that in this painting he attempted to “render visible a force that is invisible and draw the viewer into the painting to experience that force.” Mission accomplished, Michael, very powerful.
Readers in the London area, you can see “Black Dog” and six of his other paintings (including “Almost Seen” pictured below) on exhibit at Boundary Gallery April 27 – May 12. Meet Michael at the opening night reception April 26, 6-9pm. To enquire about his work contact his representation at The Brick Gallery.
Back in March, when I started this blog, artist Linda O’Neill was the first person to email me encouraging words. It meant a lot. I visited her Abby Creek Studios online and learned she was talented pet painter and the owner of a gorgeous rescue dog named Abby. Since then, I’ve featured her on my site and she’s become a faithful reader and welcome commenter. This meant more than a lot. I was remiss in not reciprocating. Then, yesterday, I visited her blog and learned of Abby’s passing. She had been ailing and then, it was time to say good-bye.
Linda, I am so sorry for your loss and I am inspired by your ability to start painting again while your heart is heavy. I love the Abby artwork you share with your readers on your blog, and I’m posting some pieces here in honor of your beloved dog…your muse and your friend.
Abby as ringbearer at Linda’s wedding.
Made by 5-year-old neighbor Julia Saltz. The smile is perfect!
A digital painting by Linda made several years ago.
Last night, I attended the brilliant Off The Wall 3 art opening. Since 2004, founder Peter Schulberg has been turning used billboard vinyl into stretched “canvases” for artists to use. To date, he has diverted 2 tons and over 15,000 square feet of PCV vinyl from the waste stream. This year, he mounted an exciting new component, a drive-by companion art show. Full-scale original paintings on actual billboards will be up for public viewing throughout Los Angeles for the next month. On a single day 250,000 people will view these works. By comparison, the Getty attracts 4000 visitors daily.
Two of the most talked about pieces (of course) featured dogs; Dawn Von Flue’s evocative “The Tower”
and LeeAnn Goya’s “Chillin’” (at least I think this is a dog.) 4.26.07 (Update from the artist: she’s not sure what this creature is either. She tells people it’s more of an energy, but she didn’t seem to mind me referring to it as a dog. Its name is Poquitos.)
Both capture essential parts of L.A. life in completely different terms. Actually, the whole show reflected this dynamic and made it an exciting experience.
Schulberg has plans (with the help of the billboard companies CBS Outdoor and Van Wagner) to display recycled art year round across the city. He’s also working on an eco-logical art and green vendor event and organizing weekend “eco-inventor” workshops for kids. You can help him continue his non-profit creative contribution to a greener planet by sending him emails of enthusiasm or (for any deep-pocketed corporate-types) sponsoring the display of an original billboard.
Also, I must congratulate my friends graffiti artist Kyle Thomas, who had two super-cool pieces in the show and was interviewed for a documentary about the Eco-logicalArt Gallery, and James Panozzo (who told me and I told Kyle about the show in the first place) whose Lawrence Asher Gallery had an wonderful show of large scale abstract works by Philippa Blair and Steve Hampton last night. Turn out was great at both spots — hope you guys made some sales.
Sky magazine calls his style “Andy Warhol meets Matisse.” I don’t disagree, but another apt description for Ron Burns’s work might be “Man meets dog.” For, as Burns states, “Brilliant, saturated colors are the only ways I can begin to capture what each of us experiences with the dog and cats that nurture us.” Anyone with a pet knows that euphoric feeling, and knows Burns has somehow captured it with acrylics. Now that his work has become “extremely collectable” it might be time to invest. If that’s not in your budget, dress up your coffees table with his gorgeous book The Dogs of Ron Burns
Colored pencils always seem like the least interesting option to me when it comes to arty endeavors — the pale, bland alternative to magic markers, paint and even paper. But Brooke Bradford Churchill’s “Dog Days of Summer” make me reevaluate my bias. These dogs are spectacular! Got to go find my pencils…
Wood carver Stephen Huneck started out as an antique furniture picker. That experience gave him an eye for good design and a love for woodworking. But, it was an accidental fall and subsequent two-month coma that inspired him to create his series of woodcuts of his Black Lab, Sally. Starting with “Life is a Ball,” Stephen carved out a name for himself as a premiere dog artist and New England celebrity. Visit his site to see more of his life-affirming work and learn about his visionary Dog Chapel, “A place where people can go and celebrate the spiritual bond they have with their dogs.” Amen!