Tag: painting

  • Carole Bayer Sager: Late Blooming (dog) Artist

    Carol_bayer_sager_self_portrait 

    "Me" by Carole Bayer Sager, Oil on Canvas

    Singer and songwriter Carole Bayer Sager has a fascinating article in the Huffington Post about how she became a late blooming artist.   My sister Sheila Cameron forwarded me the piece and then we had a conversation that went something like this:

    Sheila Cameron:  No fair.  Doesn't she have enough fame, fortune and talent in music?!

    Moira McLaughlin:  I just looked at her work.  She is REALLY good.

    SC:  Yeah.

    MM:  No, I mean she is REALLY good. 

    SC:  I KNOW.

    MM:   But I didn't read the article yet.  Do other people realize she is that good? 

    SC:  Oh yeah.

    MM:  No, I mean, she's not just a singer who decides one day to paint a bouquet of pretty flowers, and then call herself an artist.  These are really great.

    SC:  I know.

    MM:  Does SHE know she is that good?

    SC:  Yes, everybody knows!  She is collected and she has shows and she has studied with mentors and done the hard work of making herself better when she didn't start out that great, but she is really super talented too.  That is what I am saying!!!

    MM:  She reminds me of Lucian Freud, one of my favorites, and one of the greatest portrait artists living today. 

    SC:  Yep.

    MM:  And I love the dogs.

    SC:  Thought you would.

    Steven_spielberg_carol_bayer_sager 

    "Steven Spielberg – Work in progress,"  Oil on Canvas

    Vegas_dog_carol_bayer_sager

    "Vegas," Oil on Canvas

    Carol_bayer_sager_bob_daly_portrait

    "The Clicker (Bob Daly, my husband)," Charcoal on Paper

    In her HP article, Carole asks readers to share their own stories about their second careers blooming late. Or you can send her a note at her website where you can see more of her work, including her abstracts, which are equally as accomplished as her portraits.

    P.S. Her journey into painting also reminded me of late blooming artist, Kimberly Merrill, another of my favorites.

  • Ziggy the Pekingese Dog Painter

    Ziggy_pekingese_painter

    Ziggy, Elizabeth Monacelli's 3-year-old Pekingese, is an accomplished though somewhat temperamental abstract painter.  I am a fan of his work.

    Read more here.

    Photo courtesy of Barcroft Media.

  • George Rodrigue’s New Blue Dogs

    George_rodrigue_blue_dogs

    Waiting for the Cajuns to Arrive, 2009

    George Rodrigue has just released a new limited edition silkscreened print entitled Waiting for the Cajuns to Arrive.  It is an intriguing blend of his early Cajun-Louisiana landscape paintings and his beloved Blue Dog.  90 signed prints are available on his website.  $1,500 each.  Lovely!

    Related Links:

    George Rodrigue: Beyond Blue Dog
    Falling Back in Love with George Rodrigue’s Blue Dog
    George Rodrigue Retrospective at NOMA

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  • Dachshund Self Portrait by Ken Bailey

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    Ken Bailey is one of my favorite dog artists.  This new, cheeky original painting that every Dachshund owner can relate to is available on his website for $245.  Love it!

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  • Happy Thanksgiving!

    The_First_Thanksgiving_Jean_Louis_Gerome_Ferris

    The First Thanksgiving painted by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris, early 20th century.  You'll notice it's all about the dog!

    I am taking the rest of the week off.  I hope everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving!  I'll be back on Monday with some great gifts for dog lovers for the holidays.

  • Marjorie Weiss: Black Dogs at Chestertown

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    Joe's Black Dog

    Mastering silhouettes is the sign of virtuosity.  An artist must confront the challenge of featureless black space and rely solely on composition and color to pull off a successful piece.  Marjorie Weiss's black dog paintings are a perfect example, deceivingly simple yet profoundly executed.  Like other favorite silhouette artists, Kara Walker and Joseph O. Holmes, I am in awe.

    After a career as a photorealist painter, in 1997 Weiss created this painting based on an old advertising postcard: 

    Black_dog_chestertown

    Black Dog in Chestertown

    Artistically something obviously clicked for her and she has gone on to paint dozens of images in her Chestertown dog series.  Look closely and you can appreciate her ability to use acrylics to achieve bold hues and delicate, almost watercolor-like softness.   Many of my artist readers will know achieving watercolor-like softness even with watercolors is a feat.  Weiss's deftness with color and brushstroke is inspired

    Lady_with_spaniel

    Lady with Spaniel

    Chestertown_shore

    Chestertown Shore

    DayIn-DayOut.400

    Day In, Day Out

    Show_day_chestertown

    Show Day in Chestertown

    WallyWinsAgain

    Wally Wins Again

    Visit Weiss's website to see more of her work, buy and original painting, digital print, or greeting card.  She has many dog breeds including Pointers, Dachshunds, Labs, French Bulldogs, Westies, Jack Russells, Scotties, and more. 

  • Danger Dog Art Calendar 2009

    Danger_dog_calendar_cover

    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:

    Danger_dog_calendar_january

    Danger_dog_calendar_feb

    Danger_dog_calendar_march

    Danger_dog_calendar_april

    Danger_dog_calendar_may

    Danger_dog_calendar_june

    Danger_dog_calendar_july

    Danger_dog_calendar_aug

    Danger_dog_calendar_sept

    Danger_dog_calendar_oct

    Danger_dog_calendar_nov

    Danger_dog_calendar_dec

    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

  • Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec the Dog Artist

    Speaking of French dog artists (see previous Bonnard post), I've been meaning to post this sweet painting I discovered at the Hammer Museum in LA…

     

    Toulouse_lautrec_touc_seated

     

    Touc, Seated on a Table by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, ca 1879-1881

     

  • Bonnard’s Dog Art Still Needs a Home

    Pierre_bonnard_les_boutiques

    Les Boutiques, boulevard des Batignolles by Pierre Bonnard, 1911

    Carol Vogel of the New York Times reports last night was a bleak night at Christie's in both sales and prices.  It seems the economic meltdown has hit the auction season. She writes:

    "In a hushed salesroom at Christie’s on Wednesday night, works by a wide range of artists, from Manet, Cézanne and Renoir to Rothko and de Kooning, failed to sell, and prices for things that did find buyers often went for far less than what they would have a year ago. " (more)

    One of the pieces that failed to find a home was Pierre Bonnard's Les Boutiques, boulevard des Batignolles which was estimated at $1,000,000 – $1,500,000.  Given the anticipation for the Metropolitan's January 2009 exhibition, Pierre Bonnard: The Late Interiors, it may be surprising this "Japonized Nabi" vertical painting did not sell. 

    Christie's calls it "muted," but I think it is just too muddy for a million dollars.  In these bargain basement times, I would wait for a Bonnard late interior (1923 – 1947) when he was painting in the dazzling light of southern France, not winter in Paris.  And, of course, I would wait for his Dachshund to make an appearance!

    Pierre_bonnard_dachshund

    Pierre_bonnard_the_bathroom

    The Bathroom by Pierre Bonnard, 1932

    Speaking of the dazzling light of southern France, descendants of Bonnard's second cousin, the late Robert Saums of Hoepwell, New Jersey, recently introduced a new line of paint inspired by their famous French family member.  It is available through their store Saums Interiors.

    Pierre_bonnard_color_palette

    They also offer copies of his work and design advice to help you create a Bonnard interior in your home. Brilliant!

    Related Links:
    Pierre Bonnard's Dachshunds

  • Dogs’ Last Supper

    Dog-last-supper

    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

    Via the fabulous Nag on the Lake who discovered it on eternallycool.net.