Category: Dog Art Photography

Downloading the Rijksmuseum: Masterpieces for Everyone

Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1642

After ten years of renovation, Holland's Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam will reopen its doors on April 13, 2013. The national museum, built in 1885, is home to thousands of works from the 17th Century Golden Age of Dutch painting, including many renowned Rembrandts . But, according to Wim Pijbes, General-Director of the Rijksmuseum, their 21st century vision for the museum is to be modern.

To that end, they launched Rijksstudio, a groundbreaking online initiative featuring 125,000 high-resolution images available for download, printing, and manipulation for free. Knowing that unleashing this toolbox onto the public might overwhelm, they strategically partnered with (and linked to) innovative on-demand print companies like ixxi (wall art), eeeeFUN (electric scooters), colormyinterior (wallpaper), and designskins (smartphone skins).

And, to get the creative juices flowing, they asked leading international artists, designers, and architects to play around.

VW Van

Tattoo by Droog Studio

My favorite is this video (yes there's a dog in it)….

"Part of a Bigger Plan" by Christian Borstlap (click here to view)

Mother Task by Pieter de Hooch, ca. 1658 -1660

Inspired, I downloaded Binnenkamer met een moeder die het haar van haar kind reinigt, bekend als 'Moedertaak' by Pieter de Hooch.

Translation: Mother Task, Mom Picking Lice from her Child's Head.

It's a wonderful painting of Dutch domestic life. But perhaps a little dark, no?
And, I really liked that dog. What's he up to? Watching another child go off to school? Waiting for Dad to come home 'cause he's loose with the table scraps? Maybe, he just doesn't doesn't want head lice.

I made this…

Dutch Dog manipulated by Moira McLaughlin, 2013

It, too, is high resolution, available for framing, wallpaper, t-shirts, etc.
But, to me, what's really neat are the other images my new "painting" recalled…

Falling Star by Romare Bearden, 1979

Dog with Couple by Vivian Maier, 1926- 2009

Dog in the Night by Chuck Rigg

Darby's Spot by Moira McLaughlin, 2011

I've decided Holland is the Oprah of countries, "YOU get a Rembrandt! And YOU get a Rembrandt! And YOU get a Rembrandt!"

Put another way, Rijksstudio is a Dutch treat.

Hat tip to reader Moniek Huizinga letting me know. Go make something.

March 6, 2013
Susan Clute: Roxie’s Mom Wins Knitting Book

Susan Clute and Roxie by Michael Clute (who's called Jack when he's on his motorcycle)

Full disclosure, I wanted Susan Clute to win the book Knit Your Own Dog: The Second Litter by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne.
Susan is my friend and neighbor. She has been knitting for over 50 years. She works at our local yarn shop, MeadowFarm Yarn Studio in Nevada City, California, where she teaches and connects with a talented group of fiber artists in our community. She owns a spinning wheel. She and her husband, Mike or Jack, give me heirloom zucchini seeds and taught me how to make pomegranate jelly. And, she has a gorgeous, brilliant, willful, funny Wirehaired Dachshund named Roxie.

But, this was an official contest. So I let the website Truly Random Number Generator select the winner.

Susan won!

Congratulations, Roxie's mom. It was meant to be.

March 3, 2013
Besotted Blog Feature

Besotted Blog Collage by Miss Tristan B.

This week, I was honored to be featured on Miss Tristan B.'s exquisite Besotted blog as part of her Pinterest Curator series. Tristan is the perfectionist force of nature behind the Besotted Brand LLC shop, purveyors of fine design, including stamps, inks, prints, parcels, and labels. Her shop and her blog are two of the most beautiful spots on the web. And, she is an evocative writer. So I was delighted when she captured in words what I had been visually cultivating over on Pinterest (yes, I've been moonlighting).

Here's her take:

The one thing I loved most about the about the boards is she allowed her
passion for Canines to be prevalent throughout her boards in a very
interesting and sophisticated manner. I dare say, one of the best
collections of dog imagery on the interwebs. Some of the boards that
knocked my socks off were – Dogs:Musicians + Muses, Dogs: Artists + Muses, Dogs: Writers + Muses.
You don’t need to be a dog (or animal) lover to appreciate these boards
(but if you are get ready to swoon). It’s a fine collection of vintage
images of dogs and their famous human best friends such as Picasso, Coco
Chanel, Charles Dickens and the list goes on. It’s a nostalgic visual
treat. Moira is a pretty prolific pinner so be prepared to lose yourself
in some rustic, bohemian, vintage goodness. (Read the full story.)

Thank you, Miss Tristan B.

For more "rustic, bohemian, vintage goodness" follow me on Pinterest.

February 22, 2013
Lyndon B. Johnson Howls With Yuki

Lyndon B. Johnson Howls with Yuki While his Grandson Patrick Lyndon Nugent Looks On, AP Photo/Yoichi Okamoto, Jan. 6, 1968

Today is President’s Day in the U.S. Enjoy your day off, or have a good howl if you have to work.

Via Retro Campaigns.

February 18, 2013
Tousled Man and Wiggly Dog

Tousled Man and Wiggly Dog , Unidentified Photographer, ca. 1870

Inscription: (in pencil, inside case) "75" (label, pinned inside case, in ink) "ambrotype of touseled man trying to quite a wiggly dog for the picture-taking"

Via George Eastman House.

February 5, 2013
Dachshund Hugs Liv Ullmann

Dachshund Hugs Liv Ullmann

I don’t know the photographer or the name of the pup. But Liv Ullmann is a Dachshund lover. Last May, she talked to The Boston Globe about rescuing Chelsea, the new Doxie in her life.

Via Loverunway.

January 28, 2013
Hooray for Bo’s Dad

Bo and his Leash by the South Portico of the White House by Chuck Kennedy, March 3, 2010

Congratulations, President Barack Hussain Obama, on your second term. Have a wonderful day.

January 21, 2013
Neil Gaiman: The Power of the Dog. Cabal (2003 – 2013)

Cabal and Neil Gaiman Unconditional Love by Kimberly Butler

Earlier this week, writer and graphic novelist, Neil Gaiman, wrote about the death of his dog, Cabal. His journal entry begins, “Sometimes, these things are hard to write. And sometimes writing them saves my life. This is one of those times I’m glad I have my blog here, and it’s still so hard to write…”

Click here to read his post about “The Power of the Dog.”

January 17, 2013
Pentti Sammallahti’s Dogs

Varanasi, India, 1999

Here Far Away, a retrospective of Finnish photographer Pentti Sammallahti’s photographs from around the world, published by Dewi Lewis Publishing in England made many “best of 2012” photo book lists. I especially like Mike Johnston’s review at The Online Photographer. Mike threw out his originally published list when Here Far Away arrived in the mail.

Thank you, Dog Art Today reader Nicholas Von Staden for introducing me to Sammallahti’s work. He is a new favorite.

I selected some of my favorite Pentti Sammallahti’s photographs of dogs from various websites including Peter Fetterman Gallery, The Guardian, How to See, and Photo-Eye Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which is showing an exhibition of Sammallahti’s work until February 9, 2013.

Correction 1.8.13: I had heard of Pentti Sammallahti before. Austrian artist Petra Hartl featured him on her exquisite HundKunst blog in October 2012. See more Sammallahti dog photographs there, so beautiful, they hurt my heart. Click here for the English translation.

Untitled, 2000

Istanbul, Turkey, 1996

Solovki, White Sea, Russia, 1992

Solovki, White Sea, Russia, 1992

Solovki, White Sea, Russia 1992

Ulug-Khem, Tuvva, Siberia, 1997

Cilento, Italy, 1999

Petroham, Bulgaria, 2003

Hydra, Greece, 1975

Untitled, 2010

Co. Kerry, Ireland, 1978

Croagh Patrick, Ireland, 1978

January 7, 2013
My Word for 2013: Return

Tyler Foote by Moira McLaughlin, January 2, 2013

My sister, Sheila Cameron, told me that Molly Fisk, one of our local poets, doesn't do new year's resolutions. She picks a single word. Sheila follows the tradition. This year, I will too.

Sheila's word is focus.

Molly's word is fame.

My word is return.

Return to my art studio, my camera, my fire pit, my garden, my love seat, and a good game of stick with Tyler Foote.

What is your word?

after six months, I am ready to return to my art studio

my garden has been mostly neglected for a year

last year, I didn't light one fire in the fire pit

my love seat awaits (does that sound naughty?)

a return to portraits

a return to action shots

and a good game of stick with Tyler Foote

January 2, 2013