Tag: wendy brandes

Wendy B’s Wegmans

Jewelry designer and blogger Wendy B left a comment on the William Wegman post that she was "lucky enough to have Wegman take our dogs'
picture!" And added her impression of Wegman's interaction with her pups. "He was very good with them and knew exactly when they'd had
enough. If anyone was annoyed it was me — by my pooches' bad behavior!" OK, further evidence that the famous photographer is not abusing the animals by putting them in stress positions.

Wendy has graciously shared her custom Wegmans of her Pekingneses, Gigi and the late Chubbs, with us. She scored the session with Wegman at a charity event in 2004 and took the shots at his studio where "various Weimaraners were wandering around the studio and they seemed like calm, happy dogs."
The frame photo was created by holding the dogs behind a painted image on black paper with the middle cut out, and sticking the heads through the opening. Clever.

Excuse the strange perspective. These are large photos hanging in a very narrow hallway. Thank you for sharing Wendy. Oh, and don't forget to visit Wendy's wonderful blog where she writes about medieval history, feminism, dogs and anything else that inspires or annoys her. Her caustic take on all of the above is thoroughly refreshing. And I adore her jewelry, especially her rings.

May 4, 2009
Su-yeon Kwak: Dog Says…

OK, it seems to me that Korean artists are producing some of the most interesting dog art in the world today. Su-yeon Kwak's solo show Dog Says… at Erl Gallery in Seoul looks spectacular!

Notes from the show (translation is a bit funky, but you'll get the gist):

Kwak Su-yeon's work features dogs to reflect human aspects, naturally addressing social issues through their external appearances. Designer handbags and perfumes inserted implicitly into folk painting display the current tendency of consumerism and materialism, conveying an unpleasant truth that such dogs reflect our own looks and images. The truth also presents the irony that the relations of humans with dogs are reversed.

The artist joins in the stream of change in oriental painting through her witty, humorous representation of the animal dogs, lending social meaning to them. Strictly speaking, what the artist presents through her paintings, such as the relations of humans with dogs and a slightly prickly truth concerning dogs turn eventually to human stories. Kwak Su-yeon continues her evolution as an artist and expresses her regrets about the severance of human relations implying that dogs did not evolve as they were supposed to and humans also gave up on evolving as the way they should, using the medium of the dog, which is her own way of picking up a quarrel about such an irony.

Part of the reason I am ga-ga for these paintings is that several years ago I was hired to write a script about Queen Min, Korea's last queen. Along with reading dozens of books on Korea's history, I got to travel there and experience the culture myself. I absolutely fell in love with it and feel a kindred spirit to the country still.

Look how perfectly I fit in…

Speaking of Queen Min, fabulous fashion blogger and jewelry designer, Wendy Brandes was inspired by her incredible story to create this ring.

When my movie gets made (one day), I will buy the ring as a celebration gift and wear it to the premiere.

P.S. Su-yeong Kwak's show Dog Says… runs until September 30, 2008 at Erl Gallery. Via Merry & Happy.

September 15, 2008
There Will Be Beagle T-shirt

I created this t-shirt in honor of Uno the champion Beagle at the 2008 Westminster Dog Show and the most talked about movie of the year, There Will Be Blood. Celebrate your own Beagle star with this design from DreamDogsArt in men’s, women’s, plus, maternity, and children’s sizes.

Click here to see more Uno Beagle T-shirts from other designers.

The fabulous jewelry designer and blogger comedienne, Wendy Brandes, gave me this idea for a dog t-shirt There Will Be Blood Parody. Genius!

Order one for your maniacal pup today.

February 21, 2008
Yay Me: Moira McLaughlin Receives Thinking Blogger Award!

We interrupt this regularly scheduled dog art blog to announce that the fabulous Melissa Langer of PugNotes has tagged me with the Thinking Blogger Award. Melissa states ” I always learn something new about art and the world when I visit Moira’s wonderful blog.”

Thank you so much Melissa. That means a lot coming from truly one of the most creative and inquisitive minds I’ve encountered in the blogosphere. Really, if it’s crafty, Melissa has done it or is about to take a course next week. She blows my mind!

Here are the rules attached to these awards:

1. You must write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Acknowledge the post of the award giver.

3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award” with a link to the post that you wrote.

4. Tell the award winners that they won by commenting on their blogs with the news.

The Five Blogs That Make Me Think:

1. Answer Girl – makes me think I will never read as many books as my cousin Clair Lamb has already re-read. And it makes me think, I will never be without a good book, since Clair’s recommendations are always 100% excellent!

2. Wendy Brandes Jewelry – makes me think blogs are better when you truly express all facets of yourself. Jewelry, fashion, Medieval Queens, dogs, party pics, SEO strategies, and curious obsessions with fish feet, butt bows, and CoCo, Ice-T’s wife all co-exist seamlessly in Wendy’s world. If you stop by her blog be prepared to become one of her peeps. Her writing is completely addictive. (Wendy is excused from having to tag 5 more bloggers because she is continually being tagged and I know she’s already won the Thinking Blogger’s Award, probably more than once.)

3. Post Secret – reminds me how complex, clever, and creative people are. Each post card could inspire a great short story, novel, indie film, psychoanalytical dissertation or air tight restraining order.

4. Ping Mag – Makes me think I have Japanese DNA in my system. I can lose myself there for hours. Everything is beautiful at Ping!

5. FFFFound! – Agggh! I think I’ve been meaning to join this brilliant site for months. Description: “FFFFOUND! is a web service that not only allows the users to post and share their favorite images found on the web, but also dynamically recommends each user’s tastes and interests for an inspirational image-bookmarking experience!!”You must visit it to get the full experience. Truly genius!

(Above Photo: Me the night I won the Father Gallegar Athlete-Scholar Award in eighth grade, 1981. Yeah, I still like to brag about it.)

January 19, 2008
Wendy Brandes: Queen Isabella She-Wolf Necklace

Dog Art Today goes primal with the gorgeous new Queen Isabella She-Wolf Necklace from Wendy Brandes Jewelry . Since wolves are dogs’ ancestors, and I’m a huge fan of Wendy’s royalty inspired designs (and hey, it’s my blog) it seems more than appropriate to feature a wolf design.

Queen Isabella was a much maligned 13th century French princess who married King Edward II of England when she was only 12. At that point she was known as Isabella the Fair. She got into trouble for not graciously accepting Edward’s preference for the company of men (although she did bear him 4 children.) She ultimately escaped back to France had a torrid love affair, mounted an invasion of England, and executed her former husband’s lover in a gruesome hanging/evisceration.

So, the Brits found her a bit aggressive and called her a She-Wolf. Wendy envisions her infamy as a sexy fanged wolf-head with a single diamond. It comes in gold or silver. I love it!

Also love the happy dog bounding out to greet Isabella in the medieval painting above. Note the jaunty blue cape it’s wearing. Clearly dressing up your dog is not a new craze.

P.S. You may remember Queen Isabella from the movie Braveheart, played by the beautiful Sophie Marceau.

October 7, 2007