One more day! Darby, my Longhaired Dachshund, hopes for change. He hopes the polls are right and Barack Obama will be our next president. His mom hopes her hopes won't be dashed like the last two elections. Go vote! Go Obama!
Order a Darby Hope print from my Etsy shop. Or t-shirts, mugs, note cards, and journals from CafePress. Email me to create a hope poster for your dog.
I probably should have saved this until Easter, but I couldn’t wait. It’s an Italian ad for OIPA, the Organizzazione Internazionale Protezione Animali (the International Organization for the Protection of Animals). Notice that there is only human, Judas. The copy reads: “One of you betrays us 150,000 times every year.”
I am assuming that is the number of dogs put down in Italy every year.
Advertising Agency: Remember, Milan, Italy
Art Director: Fabio Anzani
Copywriter: Massimo Mariottini
Illustrator: Stefano Delli Veneri
Published: October 2008
Somehow there is a gaping hole the size of Canada in my art history knowledge. I know absolutely nothing about Canadian artists of all eras. So it’s such a pleasure for a know-it-all like me to discover new works by Canadian masters.
Early May at Qualicum Beach by E.J. Hughes (1913 – 2007) is one of my new favorites (click on image for larger view). It will be up for auction on November 19, 2008 in Toronto at the Heffel Fine Art Auction House. Estimate is $250,000 – $350,000 CAD. Read more about the painting here. Read more about the auction here.
The big news about the exhibition Picasso’s ‘Marie-Thérèse’ at Acquavella Galleries in NYC is that it is the first time Le Rêve (The Dream) will be viewed since Steve Wynn put his elbow through it in 2006 and blew a $139 million sale. But I would also like to see the photographs of Marie-Thérèse, Picasso's teenage muse and lover, like the one above with her mother's dog, Dolly. Via the NY Times.
Le Rêve with Photoshopped hole where actual tear occured. Via Never Yet Melted
BTW, Christopher Knight of the LA Times writes about Le Rêve:
"What makes the painting so exceptional is its exalted place in a hallowed tradition that includes Titian's Venus of Urbino, Caravaggio's Triumphant Cupid, Courbet's Origin of the World and many more. Le Rêve is an exquisite Modern sex painting."
Holland Cotter of the NY Times calls it kitsch. What do you think?
Show runs until November 29, 2008. Visit Aquavella Galleries for more information.
It's not too late to bid on the chance to have Baltimore artist, Gil Jawetz, paint a portrait of your dog. Gil has graciously donated his time and talent to Maryland SPCA Shop-A-Paw-Looza online auction. All proceeds go to help homeless dogs and cats in the Baltimore area.
Sounds like a win/win. You get Gil to render your pet in his bold, energetic style and the SPCA gets much needed help for the animals as the cold starts to clamp down on the east coast. Current bid is $295 for painting that goes for $450. Auction runs until October 28, 2008 9pm EDT. Go bid!
In honor of the start of the World Series tonight, here are some fabulous dogs from Seattle artist Nancy Schutt’s Play Ball series.
I think a slideshow of her work would be perfect for the pre-game pep talk in the Phillies or Rays locker rooms this evening. These paintings illustrate the fundamentals of baseball: stay with the ball, concentrate, relax and have fun. In terms of unbridled passion and going “all out” every single throw, no animal on earth can match a dog with a ball. But for a major league player, it sure would be inspiring to think about such a creature as you head onto the field. Go team!
Sadie and Milo
Chloe
Morgan
Bart
Chaco
Visit Nancy’s website to commission a portrait of your pet. And stop by her store to purchase her beautiful dog art on note cards, posters, prints, magnets, t-shirts and more.
Jennifer Davis is one of my all time favorite contemporary artists. Her stunning work is only surpassed by her breathtaking output. It’s always exciting to visit her blog of available art because I could fill an entire virtual shopping cart with her works.
Also exciting is her new partnership with Bath, UK based super cool print purveyor Fine Grime. She has three limited edition pieces available. My favorite is Liberation, but they are all wonderful.
And, if you’re in LA, stop by the Cerasoli:LeBasse gallery where several of her pieces are also on display.
I flipped when I saw John T. Unger’s interpretation of Pompeii’s famous “Beware of Dog” sign, Cave Canum. It is so vivid, and beautifully laid out. Look at the special attention he gives to the dog’s curved hind leg muscles, and compare it to the original:
Cave Canem, Pompeii, c. 50 A.D.
I also love his desire to match the text with the image. Unger felt like the dog looked too happy to be a threat. So, after much research and Latin word play, he came up with Lupus Ludi, which to him translated into “playful wolf.” A Latin scholar left a comment on his blog explaining that the exact translation would be “Wolf. Games.” She suggested, “Happy Puppy’ would be ‘Laetus catellus’ (lit. ‘joyful puppy’). [or] Playful wolf would be ‘Lupus ludibundus.”
But I think Unger is correct. Artistically speaking “Lupus Ludi” is just right. It also reminds me of the Italian expression for good luck, “in bocca al lupo,” or “in the mouth of the wolf.” I have no idea where the saying comes from, but a good luck dog sign is a nice idea too. After all, isn’t every home with a dog a lucky home?
Here are some more Cave Canems (pl?) to enjoy:
Cave Canem by Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1881
Close up of the Cave Canem sign from Gérôme’s painting above
Visit John T. Unger’s website to see more of his wonderful artwork. He also is the TypePad guru at TypePad Hacks, where he shares tips about going under your blog’s hood and tweaking it to your heart’s content. Very cool.
There actually was one piece of dog art at TarFest last night, and it was absolutely stunning. Blind Howl by Ellen Jantzen, a digitally manipulated photo print. Click on image to view larger size.
