Category: Dog Art Sculptures

Giant Sheepdog Joins Tour de France

The Tour de France cycle race is the largest annual sporting event in the world. It was established in 1903, and because of its global popularity, it regularly starts in neighboring countries.

This year, three stages run through England, including The Yorkshire Grand Départ comprised of two stages, Leeds to Harrogate and York to Sheffield, before moving south to Cambridge to London.

This giant sheepdog, part of the 100 Days of Arts and Culture Festival in conjunction with the Tour, represents the first piece in their Fields of Vision project. Located in the West Yorkshire village of Stanbury, it was created by artist Simon Manfield in collaboration with the Worth Valley Young Farmers Club. There is a shepherd calling the dog in another part of the field.

People wanting to see the land art are advised to use the best vantage point, which is the lay-by outside the gates of Haworth Cemetery in Cemetery Road.

Via Keighley News.

Visit Yorkshire Festival 2014 for more information. The Tour starts on Saturday, July 5.

April 28, 2014
Thoughts on Art and Money at Gwarlingo

Michelle Aldredge has a great post at Gwarlingo about artists and money entitled “If other professions were paid like artists.”

Origami dollar bill dog via Cool Pix.

March 3, 2014
Fox/Mouse/Belt by Mark Manders

Fox/Mouse/Belt by Mark Manders at a Venetian minimart, 2013

To clarify, I am not actually in Venice for the 55th Biennale. I’m scouring the Web. There are always interesting dog artworks there, like Vincent Leow’s Andy’s Wonder Land in 2007, and Steve McQueen’s Giardini in 2009.

So far, the closest I’ve come to dog artwork is a fox (part of the canine family) in Dutch artist’s Mark Manders’s Fox/Mouse/Belt. Like me, the piece is not actually at the Biennale. It’s on the floor of a mini-mart on the Via Garibaldi near the Giardini. (Via Adrian Searle’s Biennale review in the Guardian.)

Here is a close up of Fox/Mouse/Belt via MoMA. It’s a fox wearing a belt with a mouse stuck in it.

Fox/Mouse/Belt, The Museum of Modern Art, 1992

And here’s a Venetian “interacting” with the piece…

Fox/Mouse/Belt by Mark Manders, Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian, 2013

I guess Fox/Mouse/Belt was too literal (and material) for the jury this year. The Golden Lion (best in show) went to Berlin-based, British artist Tino Sehgal’s performance piece of two people moving around on the ground humming and beat boxing. I’m still trying to find a photo or video of it. Or even a name for the piece. How provincial of me…

Art critic Paddy Johnson is in Venice and has much to discuss.

June 3, 2013
Paul McCarthy’s Balloon Dogs at Frieze Art Fair

Workers Install Paul McCarthy's Balloon Dog, photo by Fred R. Conrad, The New York Times

Paul McCarthy's giant Balloon Dog will grace the front lawn at this year's Frieze Art Fair, which opens this weekend in NYC. The Randall's Island event will feature 180 contemporary art galleries from around the world. There's a terrific section on their website where you can view all the works here.

Todd Levin, doing a little Frieze recon, reports on Jerry Saltz's Facebook page that smaller, residential friendly versons of McCarthy's Balloon Dog will be available at Hauser & Wirth's booth.

P.S. Remember when Paul McCarthy's Complex Shit blew away in Switzerland? It recently made headlines again for deflating in Hong Kong at the Mobile M+: Inflation! outdoor art project. [via The Huffington Post via Rosanne Burke]

P.P.S. I guess Jeff Koons really doesn't own the balloon dog.

May 8, 2013
100 Geralds: Lazerian’s Paper Dog Sculpture Project

027 CheonWang No.4 by Goo For Brothers

Lazerian is Liam Hopkins' design workshop, founded in 2006, based in a former hat factory in Manchester, England. Gerald is Lazerian's mascot, part of a 2008 rebranding inspired by a Bracco Italiano, a hunting dog known for its devotion to its master, and meant to evoke the qualities of loyalty, heritage, and affection that Lazerian instills in its projects. The new image inspired Hopkins and 3D designer Richard Sweeney create "a blueprint for a free standing paper dog that anyone could make at home with a sharp knife, glue and a healthy degree of patience."

In 2009, the pattern was perfected and launched at the 100% Design event in London. The flat pack Geralds completely sold out. Hopkins and Sweeney then created customized Geralds, Dazzle and Pixel, that were also sensations. In 2011, Hopkins sent Gerald patterns to 100 of his favorite artists, designers, and illustrators around the world and the Gerald Project was born.

Now, each Gerald is a limited edition of 500 available for purchase for £20 ($30). There will be an exhibition, Gerald & James (of the British paper company James Cropper that produces the Geralds) and a book launch party at 60 READE in New York City, May 17, 2013 to May 19, 2013. Visit Gerald's website or like him on Facebook for more information.

Hat tip to Rosanne Burke for letting me know about Gerald via Laughing Squid.

100 Geralds

029 Peggy by Grande Dame

018 Argos by David Bowcutt

034 Sirius by Jack Hughes

006 Woof, Grrr, Yap by Andy Smith

021 Roofus by Design By House

022 Bad dogg dogg from the hood by DR. ME

April 29, 2013
Knit Your Own Dog Book Giveaway

Border Terrier

Dog artist and creative knitter Sally Muir sent me a note about the recent publication of her new book (with co-author Joanna Osborne), Knit Your Own Dog: The Second Litter, and asked if I'd like to share it.

Absolutely, I told her. The 2010 feature I wrote about Sally and Joanna's first book, Knit Your Own Dog, is one the the most popular posts I've ever run on Dog Art Today.
Since you loved it so much, I asked Sally's publisher, Black Dog & Leventhal, if they would sponsor a book giveaway. They graciously agreed.

To win a copy of Knit Your Own Dog: The Second Litter leave note in the comments section below before midnight PST on Tuesday, Febrary 26, 2013. The winner will be selected randomly and be announced on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. This contest is only open to U.S. readers.

Purchase a copy of Knit Your Own Dog: The Second Litter here.

Here are some of my picks of the litter.

Airedale

Staffordshire Terrier

The Greyhound

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Yorkshire Terrier

Wirehaired Dachshund

Photographs by Holly Jolliffe.

February 21, 2013
Kent Ambler’s Dog-Shaped Paintings

Kent Ambler has over 100 dog-shaped paintings installed at the Art & Light Gallery in Greenville, South Carolina. Via Design * Sponge. Hat tip to Patti Haskins for letting me know.

January 9, 2012
Patti Haskins Offers Free Shipping for Plushies

You don’t have to be a plushie to get free shipping (what you do in your private life is your own business). You just have to pick a plushie dog, cat, fish, or pig from Pattie Haskins’s etsy store and enter coupon code “dogart.” Patti is a self-taught artist from Dallas who crochets these soft sculpture animals without using patterns. I think that gives them each an individual character, just like every animal you ever met. My favorite is the apple green and brown striped Dachshund. His Doxie expression is just perfect.

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about the fibershed movement, people attempting to clothe themselves using textiles sourced within 150 miles of their homes. It would be interesting to combine the stuffed animal market with the fibershed folks and bring back the locally-sourced toy. Just try finding a sock mokey that isn’t made in China. Until then, visit Patti’s etsy store, website or blog for homegrown American plushies.

Patti also offers custom crocheted critters. You send her photos like this…

And she makes this…

Darling…omg…am I a plushie?!

December 1, 2011
Michael John dePierro Offers Free Shipping on Dog Sculptures

Beagle

Until the end of November, artist Michael John dePierro is offering free shipping on any of his pet portrait sculptures. He has many breeds available or he can create a custom hand-painted wood relief portrait of your pet from a photograph. The sculptures are approximately 10″ high and 3″ thick. The width varies depending on the pose, and the art is designed to be hung with basic picture hook.

A custom pet portrait takes appoximately two to three weeks to complete, so order now. Visit Michael Jonn dePierro’s website Parts of a Larger World to commission one of these darling, soulful works. I think his ability to capture the individuality of each dog is extraordinary. Mention you saw his work on Dog Art Today to receive free shipping. Thank you, Michael.

Great Dane

Basset Hound

Golden Retriever

Springer Spaniel

November 9, 2011
Art From Ashes Remembrance Tennis Ball

Art from Ashes Tennis Ball Remembrance by Bob Burch

Art from Ashes, the company that creates glass remembrances using the ashes from loved ones, has added a new sculpture to their repertoire, a tennis ball. The piece was inspired by Java, a 12 1/2 year-old Border Collie, who recently passed away. Java's owner requested a keepsake that would honor what Java loved doing the most, chasing his favorite tennis ball. Bob Burch, the Art from Ashes resident artist, incorporated Java's ashes into the core of this remarkable tennis ball sculpture, then added the seam and left it roughed up, unlike the sleek, polished style of his other pieces. The result is an authentic, "slobbery" sculpture that is a comfort to hold. I just love the wit and originality of this piece. It's a new template for honoring those sporty dogs we all know who never sat still in life and don't belong sitting static on a mantle as a memory. Beautiful job.

Java and his Beloved Tennis Ball

Glass Remembrance Tennis Ball by Bob Burch

Mixed with the Real Ones

For more information about this remembrance visit Art from Ashes.

Try to break away from the 10-year memorials of 9/11 this weekend. I know I have trouble doing it, and then wonder why I can't stop crying. Watch some US Open tennis or toss the ball to your pup. Every year I still can't believe the attacks really happened and, in a weird way what's more shocking is how we have moved on…how the unbearable becomes bearable.

September 9, 2011