Dog Art Today

Tag: westminster dog show

  • 2011 Westminster Dog Show Starts Tonight

     

    2011_Westminster_Dog_Show_poster

    This is the first year the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show had a competition for their poster artwork.  The winner was Amber Sena with her submission Canon of Canine.  It is my favorite poster since 2004 when they first started incorporating art into their marketing materials.  You can order a copy of the poster here.  All proceeds will benefit the Animal Medical Center in New York City in honor of its 100th year as a national leader in animal health care.

    TV Schedule:

    NIGHT 1:
    Monday, February 14
    Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups
    8-9 p.m. (ET) live on USA Network
    9-11 p.m. (ET) live on CNBC

    NIGHT 2:
    Tuesday, February 15
    Sporting, Working and Terrier Groups, Best In Show
    8-11 p.m. (ET) live on USA Network

    Go Doxies!

     

  • Sadie the Scottie Wins Best in Show

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    Sadie ignores the paparazzi

    Sadie, the spectacular Scottie who entered the competition as the favorite having won over 100 best in show ribbons in her career, took home the top honors at the 134 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.  Looking for a good photo of her, I am once again reminded of the amazing skill of the pet photographers I feature here.  Daylife has a great collection of shots, many of which illustrate how difficult it is to truly capture the essence of dogs on film, especially black ones.  I chose this Reuters photo because I love the cool expression of this athlete who did exactly what she planned to do, dominate.  Congratulations, Sadie and handler Gabriel Rangel.

  • Westminster Kennel Club Best in Show Winner to be Picked Tonight

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    Jackson the Chow Chow by Timothy A. Clary of AFP/Getty Images

    Hopefully you didn't miss last night's first round of judging at The 134 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.  Tonight they judge the Sporting, Working, and Terrier Groups, and select the Best in Show.   The show begins at 8pm ET on USA.   But it is shown time-delayed at 8pm to West Coast viewers.  Visit the WKC website for more information and highlights of last night's judging. 

    Boston.com has an excellent round up of behind the scenes photographs like the one above, and they continue to update images as the event unfolds.  Hat tip to my cousin Clair "Answer Girl" Lamb for sending me the link to these great shots.

    P.S. Will a Dachshund ever win the Hound Group in my lifetime?!!!

  • Pamela Hall at William Secord Gallery

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    Party Animal by Pamela Hall



    William Secord     kicks off the frenetic dog art season of February in New York City (to coincide with the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show) with an exhibition of Pamela Hall's work entitled "The Comforts of Home."  The solo show opens February 13, 2010 and features over twenty paintings of popular breeds in domestic settings.  I think my favorite is Party Animal, but you can see them all online here and decide for yourself.

    William Secord, the premiere dog painting gallerist, will also be at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show exhibiting nineteenth century and contemporary dog art works at Booth 126 opposite the benching area at Madison Square Garden February 15-16.

    Visit William Secord Gallery for more information. 

  • Bonhams Dog Art Sale: Puppies Triumph as Dow Plummets

     

    James_barenger_springer_spaniel 

    Bounce by James Barenger, 1811, sold for $45,750

    With reports that the economy had taken its toll both on ticket sales and the number of dogs competing at this year's Westminster Dog Show in NYC, it's exciting to hear that at Bonhams' Dog Art auction sales were up.   The fact that Bonhams was the only dog art auction this week might have been a factor, since Doyle, the other auction house that usually competes with them this week,  pushed back their annual dog art show until March 24 when the weather is better and the dog fanciers will not be torn between the championship finals and the art.  But, given that the hammer went down at Bonhams on $810,000 total sales on the same day the Dow tumbled 381 points on news of Treasury Secretary Geithner's bailout plan, the power of dogs in art appeared indisputable.

    The fact that they had many of the superstars of dog art helped too, with dog art lovers able to invest in excellent examples of works by blue chip artists.  The pack leader was John Emms's Hounds and a Terrier on a Bench which fetched $218,000.

    John_emms_hounds_and_a_terrier_on_a_bench

     

    Hounds and a Terrier on a Bench by John Emms, 1882, sold for $218,00

     

    Other highlights included:

     

    Percival_leonard_rosseau 

    Bob Finds a Covey by Percival Leonard Rosseau, 1920, sold for $42,700

     

     

    Maud_earl_panel 

    Rough and Smooth Basset Hounds on Oak Screen by Maud Earl, 1863-1943, sold for $26,840

     

     

    Herbert_thomas_dicksee 

    Old Bridge Bob by Herbert Thomas Dicksee, 1938, sold for $17,080, above its top estimate of $12,000

     

     

    The surprise of the day was the fierce bidding over one of the prettiest pictures, William Bruce's White English Terrier (below).  It fetched $17, 080, more than double its top estimate of $6,000.

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    English White Terrier by William Bruce, 1903, sold for $17,080

    With the heights reached by Bruce's painting, it may be surprising to note that another sweet-themed painting, the auction's "cover girl," John Elsley's One at a Time failed to find a buyer.  But with an estimate of $300,000 – $500,000, the painting was perhaps too sentimental for such cold, hard cash.
    John_elsley_one_at_a_time

    One at a Time by John Elsley, 1901, still needs a home

     

    Overall, Bonhams was very pleased with the final numbers.  Director Charles O'Brien stated, "Even with a difficult and selective market, this year's sale brought more than $810,000, a higher total than the previous year, and proved that dog art is an endearing field of collecting – one in which we hope to continue to excell."   The sales total for last year's sale was $716,256.

    But my favorite comment to sum up the day comes from Sharlene Spingler, one of the auction house's clients.  She wrote:

    "What is interesting to note about [the] Best in Show sale is that it occurred on a day when the stock market sunk by 381 points!!!!!   Yet the enthusiasm for puppies did not fail. Rather it triumphed over economic adversity and the beautiful creatures were impervious to the temporal fluctuations of the stock market – leaving such fiscal ponderings to the minds of mere mortals!"  

    Or to put it another way: Dogs rule!

     

     

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  • Westminster Dog Show Original Artwork On Ebay

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    Westminster: There's Only One by Trish Biddle, 2009

    Doyle New York, is auctioning Trish Biddle's original artwork used for The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show 2009 poster on Ebay. The oil painting entitled Westminster: There's Only One depicts breeds from all seven dog show groups, plus the 2008 Best in Show winner, Uno, the champion Beagle. In the background is New York’s iconic Empire State Building lit in the Westminster colors of blue and gold.

    The painting is estimated to sell for $3,000 – $5,000.  Right now the bidding is at $1,525.  The auction ends on February 12, 2009 at 9 PST. 

    If the original is not in your budget you can purchas the poster for $35 at the Westminster Kennel Club online store.  Learn more about the artist at her website.

    2.13.09 Update:  The painting sold for $2,275.00.

  • Westminster Dog Show Starts Tonight

    Westminster_dog_show_photo

    Don't forget to watch The Westminster Dog Show, the Super Bowl of dog shows, tonight and tomorrow.

    NIGHT 1:
    Monday, February 9
    Hound, Terrier, Non-Sporting and Herding Groups
    8-9 p.m. (ET) live on USA Network
    9-11 p.m. (ET) live on CNBC

    NIGHT 2:
    Tuesday, February 10
    Sporting, Working and Toy Groups, Best In Show
    8-11 p.m. (ET) live on USA Network


    Stop by the The Dog Show Poop blog for an insider's view of the dogs to watch.

    Image of woman handler at the  1948 Westminster Dog Show by Gjon Mili for LIFE Magazine.

  • There Will Be Beagle T-shirt

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    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!

    I_eat_milkbone_dog_t_shirt

    Order one for your maniacal pup today.

  • Westminster Dog Show and Dog Art Auctions Round-Up

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    Uno and the “ah-roo! heard ’round the ring.”
    AP Photo

    Uno, the perfect 10 Beagle, won the Super Bowl of dog shows this week with his precociousness and precision. The crowd went wild, chanting his name as he made his final lap before the judges. And when judge J. Donald Jones stood before the contestants and asked for the Beagle, Madison Square Garden erupted with cheers and gave Uno the show’s first standing ovation. If the Longhaired Dachshund, who came in second in the hound group (I was devastated), had to lose, I’m glad it was to “the people’s dog” who went all the way. Congratulations, Uno, you are just perfect!

    The New York Times has a great behind-the-scenes fashion slide show. Here are some of my favorite shots.

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    Megan Fracrik, a handler, with her brushed-out Tibetan terrier.
    Photo: Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse – Getty Images

    Dog_show_old_english_sheepdog
    Mariah, an Old English sheepdog, with Jeff Yutzy.
    Photo: Michael Falco for The New York Times

    Dog_show_miniature_schnauzer
    Geri Kelly with Buddy, her miniature schnauzer.
    Photo: Lucas Jackson/Reuters

    Dog_show_cocker_spaniel
    Vincent, an American cocker spaniel, is ready to be shown.
    Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

    Dog_show_otterhound
    Mary MacQuiddy caged with Louie, an otterhound.
    Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

    In dog art news, Katya Kazakina of Bloomberg.com reports on mixed results. The John Emms 1889 Foxhounds and Hunt Terriers on a Bench, which also featued some perfect Beagles, was the top lot at the Bonhams’s Dog Art Sale going for $66,000, just over its low estimate of $60,000. But 33% of the lots failed to sell.

    Over at Doyle New York’s 10th Annual Dogs in Art Auction, one of Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s famed “dogs
    playing poker” paintings entitled Only A Pair of Deuces sold for $193,000 well above its high estimate of $80,000.

    Another surprise was the bargain Lynn Florian found at Bonhams, where she picked up the five pug collars previously owned by the Duke of Windsor for $1,680 below the presale low estimate of $2,000. No word as to whether she will frame them for display or let her two English Cocker Spaniels wear them. Lynn, please send me a photo of your pups in the royal collars if you do.

  • The William Secord Gallery: 19th Century Dog Paintings Exhibition

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    Brindle French Bulldog Head Study With Collar by Monica Gray

    The William Secord Gallery, the premier gallery specializing in fine 19th century dog and animal paintings is holding a special exhibition to coincide with the Westminster Dog Show. Nineteenth Century Dog Paintings opens on February 9 and runs until March 22, 2008. If you can’t make it to New York, view the wonderful paintings online.

    Here are some of my favorites.

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    Boubus by John Emms

    Samuel_fulton_best_friends
    Best Friends by Samuel Fulton

    Gordon_setter_frank_paton
    Gordon Setter by Frank Paton

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    Jumbo, Cherie, Salembo, Chloe and Topsy by the British School

    Nellie_r_brown
    Nellie by R. Brown

    Ludwig_voltz_dachshunds
    Dachshunds At Rest by Ludwig Voltz

    William Secord is the world authority on nineteenth century dog painting and the author of three excellent books on the subject; Dog Painting 1840-1940, Dog Painting, The European Breeds, and A Breed Apart, The Art Collections of The American Kennel Club

    For collectors, read what Smart Money and Country Living say about The William Secord Gallery and the hot dog art market.

    Information:

    William Secord Gallery
    52 East 76 Street, New York, NY 10021
    212.249.0075