Tag: nepal

Tihar and The Festival Dogs in Nepal

photo by Katarina 2353

Michelle Page, the one-woman dynamo who's revitalized the dying art of Nepalese dog sign painting through her Danger Dog website, writes from Kathmandu that yesterday was the 2nd day of Tihar, the festival of lights. That means it was the day to celebrate dogs. All dogs, even strays, are adorned with marigold garlands and red paint. Emphasis is put on breaking down man-made boundaries like good and bad or pretty and ugly, and viewing all of nature as one. I think it is a beautiful concept and I found some photos that capture it.

photo by Renata T.M.

A holy man begins the festival early by feeding strays. Photo by Michelle Page

Gyanu and Romi by Laura Maker

Marigold garlands also adorn doorways. Photo by Globalism Pictures.

photo by Renata T.M

Nepalese police dogs are feted too. Photo via the Sydney Morning Herarld

Also, Michelle Page is still taking orders for custom Danger Dog signs of your pet (cats, goats, chickens, horses, and turtles are welcome). You can email her a photo and she will have the signs home in time to deliver by Christmas. Put in an order. There is no up front payment or obligation to buy. Visit her blog for more information.

Click here to view Nepalese Danger Dog signs of my dog Darby. I highly recommend.

November 5, 2010
More Danger Darby Signs from Nepal

Seriously, how am I going to pick just one…

Jake, Macguffin, Lucy, and Darby by Nara.

Darby and Ferdinand by Sabala.

See the first Danger Darby sign here. Order yours today at Michelle Page's blog.

Please leave a comment and let me know which one do you like best.

July 21, 2009
Dog Art Calendars

Day 3: Calendars for dog lovers. Order one for yourself too.

One of my favorite calendars this year is the one I helped create. It is a collaboration with Michelle Page and her Nepalese dog sign painters. They provided the vibrant, humorous, and totally original artwork and I put it together and made it available for $19.99 at CafePress.

I am so pleased with the way it came out and that it continues to publicize these artists who were being replaced by computers, giving them new outlets to sell their work to customers around the world. See my earlier post about it, including images of all the dogs/months here.

The Emancipe+ 2009 Pet Calendar features the original artwork of three artists, Heather Christofero, Tim Kerr, and Pat Falconer. Emancipe+ is an Austin-based organization dedicated to preventing animal homelessness and putting an end to euthanasia as a means of population control by providing low-cost or free surgical sterilization of dogs and cats. All proceeds from this lovely calendar go towards Emancepe+’s mission. (Note: some cat paintings included.) Click here to order yours.

Linda O’Neill’s 2009 Dog Desk Calendar is super sweet. With 12 of her wonderful pups it will brighten up any dog lover’s day (and desk). Avaiable at her Abby Creek Etsy Shop.

If you know someone who loves Boston Terriers and Mid Century Modern furniture, here is the perfect gift, Lili Chin’s Boogie On 2009 Calendar. It features her Boston Terrier, Boogie, on famous designer chairs from Eames, Aarino (below), Panton and more. I just love it! Order yours here.

December 4, 2008
Danger Dog Art Calendar 2009

I am pleased to announce my latest project. Michelle Page, who has turned her love for Nepalese hand-painted “Beware of Dog” signs into an international pet portrait business, and I have collaborated to create the 2009 Danger Dogs of Nepal Calendar. She provided the art and I created the design. We both picked the dogs, which was challenging because she has over 800 photos and each one is as charming as the next.

I was going to just show you some highlight pages, but I ran into the same problem. I love every dog. So here are all the months featured in the calendar:

The calendar is available for $19.99 plus shipping at our new Danger Dogs of Nepal store.

Visit Michelle’s website to see more Danger Dogs and commission a portrait of your pet (cats, horses, chickens, etc are welcome.) Also, visit Michelle’s blog to follow her adventures in Nepal. She is there right now working with the artists and discovering new ones to add to her network. It’s fascinating!

P.S. email me if you would like any of these images added to a t-shirt, mug, or print. I am happy to put these images on other products for free if you are interested in purchasing them.

Related links:

Danger Dogs in the New York Post

Danger Dog Art from Nepal

November 7, 2008
Danger Dogs in the New York Post

Jerry Lee by Sabala

Congratulations, Michelle Page, global dog art entrepreneur and Dog Art Today reader. Michelle's Danger Dog Pet Portrait business was featured in the New York Post last Sunday.

Julia Szabo writes:

"Page found these colorful, no-two-alike pieces of folk art on her first visit to Katmandu more than 20 years ago. The signs literally warned people about dogs, but in a graphically dynamic way that seemed to qualify as bona fide art. On subsequent trips, however, Page noticed that the signs started to become an endangered species: They were disappearing in favor of boring, mass-produced, plastic signs. So she began collecting the old-school signs, scouring shops for fine examples, eventually amassing an impressive collection." read more

Now, Michelle employs 55 Nepali artists who do commissioned artwork for pet lovers all over the world. Simply send Michelle a photo of your dog, (cat, rooster, or horse), and she will have several artists render your pet in the classic Nepali hand-painted tradition. You choose your favorite sign and she sells the others. Signs cost $100 – 300 plus shipping.

Jerry Lee, original photo

Jerry Lee by Punam

Jerry Lee by Hari

Jerry Lee by Asha

If I was Jerry Lee's owner, I think I would take them all. To learn more visit Michelle's website.

Related links:

See my original Danger Dog post with more wonderful signs here.
A Danger Dog by Birju also makes a cameo in my Dogs in Art film.

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October 1, 2008
Danger Dog Art From Nepal

Michelle Page is an assistant film editor, a world traveler, and a dog art entrepreneur. Her burgeoning business started in 1986 when she first traveled to Nepal and fell in love with the hand painted "Beware of Dog" signs she noticed everywhere.

As she returned over the years, she realized these wonderful pieces of outsider art were beginning to disappear, replaced by computer generated images with much less charm. So she started collecting the "Danger Dog" signs and then tracked down the artists who painted them. In June, she brought back 100 signs to L.A. (where she lives) and they sold out immediately. In December, she went back for 300 more signs and set up her own website to promote them, along with displays at the Santa Monica Museum of Art and the Craft and Folk Art Museum.

I think the most brilliant part of her business is that you can the commission a "Danger Dog" sign of your own. Simply send Page a photo of your dog and chose the style and wording you like, and she will have 3 artists render your dog in the Nepalese tradition. You pick your favorite and she sells the rest. Each piece costs $200. And, she is in Nepal right now taking requests. This would be a terrific Father’s Day gift. Visit her online photo album to see dozens of examples of dog, cat, horse, and parrot art from Nepal. Really worth a click. Here are some of my favorites:

Here’s a classic of farmers and feminists…

Beyond the lovely, cheeky, vibrant artwork you receive, you also have the satisfaction of knowing you are contributing to artists who find themselves competing with new technology and dwindling sales, that is until Michelle Page came along. Be a global dog art patron and order yours today!

Read more about Michelle Page in Bettijane Levine’s Los Angeles Times article.

April 29, 2008