Dog Portrait Winner

Shelley won the drawing sponsored by Training Collar Source for a dog portrait painting. All that was required for one's name to be entered in the drawing was to click on "like" at the business page of Training Collar Source on Facebook. You can still do that and who knows what exciting things may happen.....

Because Shelley has two dogs, I decided to paint both on separate canvases. They are Wire-hair Pointing Griffons and Mother(Frost) and Daughter(Bailey).

Frost
12" X 12" water-based oil
Joanne Osband

Bailey
12" X 12" water-based oil
Joanne Osband

CONGRATULATIONS SHELLEY!

Art Speaks

Have you heard of HeARTs Speak?

It is a non-profit organization of professional artists who use their artistic gifts to raise awareness of and promote adoptions for homeless and unwanted pets.

Lisa Prince Fishler started HeARTs Speak in January, 2010. She was overwhe.med by the number of adoptable animals euthanized each year - more than 4 million in the U.S. alone. Lisa set out to find a new way to encourage people to adopt from a shelter.

The artwork and stories are a valuable resource for the media, websites, magazines, as well as educational institutions. If you saw a photo or painting of a cute dog or heard its story, wouldn't you be more inclined to give that pet a home?

If you are an artist, an animal advocate, an educator, or just someone who is passionate about helping animals, visit the HeARTs Speak website.

A Dog Artist

I have a book entitled, Why Cats Paint by Heather Busch and Burton Silver, but had not come across a dog that paints until now.

Hallie is a little black and tan long haired dachshund that was adopted from an animal shelter by the artist, Dee Dee Murry.

Hallie is a constant companion to Dee Dee even when she painted. One day Dee Dee wondered if Hallie might like to paint. Hallie learned to pick up the brush out of the paint cup and go over to the paper to make strokes and dabs. Hallie has a website of her paintings for purchase. Since she is a rescue dog herself, the proceeds from her artwork are donated to Purple Heart Rescue of Centralia, Washington.

In April of 2011, Hallie went blind overnight from an autoimmune disease called SARDS (Sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome). After Dee Dee took Hallie to Iowa State for possible treatment, she found out that Hallie's blindness was irreversible.

After several months adjusting to her disability, Hallie re-learned to paint. By trial and error and some assistance from Dee Dee, Hallie once again repeats her routine motions of applying a brush stroke of paint followed by several dots of paint.



Dogs are so resilient and amazing in their positive adjustment to disability and Hallie is a shining example and inspiration to not fear our pets' disabilities, nor shy away from adopting disabled dogs.

Original Dog Paw Print Wrapping Paper

Here is a great idea for original wrapping paper and you will not have the mess of letting your dog walk all over wrapping paper with painted paws.

Make a paw print stamp!

What you will need:

1. Clay (regular modeling clay, modeling compound, or Play-Doh)
2. Petroleum jelly
3. Hot glue gun & glue sticks
4. Several small blocks of wood, a little larger than you do's paw
5. Sandpaper
6. Roll of plain paper
7. Nontoxic, washable poster paint
8. Paper plate
9. Paper towels

How to make it:

1. Work the clay with your hands until it is soft and pliable, then form several disks of clay, about 1/4 inch thick, a little larger in diameter than your dog's paw. The disks should not be very thick, so the paw print will be as flat as possible, to make a good stamp.

2. Press your dog's paw gently into each disk. The paw print should be shallow, while still being clearly a paw print.

3. Coat the inside of the paw print and the surrounding area of the clay with a think layer of petroleum jelly.

4. Plug in the hot glue gun. Fill the paw prints with hot glue, filling in each indentation, then covering the whole paw print and about 1/4 inch surrounding it with a thick layer of glue.

5. Gently place a wooden block on top of each paw print. This will be the back of your stamp. Allow the glue to dry for about five to ten minutes.

6. Gently remove the blocks and glue prints from the clay mold. If some of the clay has melted or stuck to the mold, just wipe it off.

7. Sand the glue to be somewhat flat, or rub it against concrete, such as a front step or your driveway. This will make for a better stamp.

8. Spread paint thinly on a paper plate. Dip your stamps in. Make a few sample prints on the plate to find which stamps make the best prints. Use the best ones for your wrapping paper project.

Stamp away on your wrapping paper or use the stamp to "sign" cards, seal envelops, or letterhead.

Be sure to treat your dog for helping you with this art project.

Happy Valentine's Day Photos

Happy Valentine's Day!

Some people believe that Valentine's Day is a "greeting card holiday" and others think it is a day to express their love for the people and things around them.

Although I dislike consumerism, I belong to the second group.

Here are some fun photos I found.....

Meet the "Love Pug"


If a golden retriever ever graced your life,
this photo reflects their silly nature.

Dog Artist

Very clever and just in time for the holidays.

A paint kit for dogs!

This is how it works. First, place plastic on the floor, and then the canvas. Next, apply some paint followed by a top layer of clear plastic. Your dog can now walk and play over the canvas. By the way, a toy is included to help encourage your dog to "paint".

Presto, your dog has created a work of art!

Ready for this.........it is called Pup-Casso!

Check it out here.

Creative Pumpkin Carving

Tired of the traditional Jack-O-Lantern?

How about a dog pumpkin?

Mergansers at Woodard Bay

As we (Ebony, Ginger, and I) were coming back from our morning time on the Chehalis Western Trail, I saw my friends on the Woodard Bay Bridge. You cannot miss Barry because he always has a camera with a huge lens protruding from his head.......at least that is what it looks like from a distance.

Today his wife, Linda, was with him and I was very curious what they were viewing. I stopped (in the middle of the road which sometimes you can do if no one is around) and asked. Linda described how the Mama Mergansers would carry her babies on her back to move them. I thought about stopping to watch, but having skated 10 miles with the doggies my hunger won over watching ducks.

What a treat when Barry sent me an e-mail with photos! Now I wished I had stayed to watch. Barry is not only a great photographer but also a wildlife specialist who shares his knowledge about what you are looking at when you are with him. Even in his e-mails!

"Here are some of the birds we were watching today down by the bridge. The Mergansers nest upstream, then move downstream with their broods within a day of hatching. Once they head out, they don't return, but spend their early days growing up out in Chapman Bay or outer Woodard Bay beyond the trestle."


Barry Troutman
(reproduced with permission from the artist)

Cute, wouldn't you agree?

Plants Toxic to Pets

Today is the first day of spring - a day that we welcome whole-heartedly after a long winter. With spring comes warmer weather and a ton of plants with the potential to be toxic to pets.

We all love plants, but we want to keep our dogs safe. So what's a plant-loving dog owner to do? Learn which plants are toxic and plant your garden with that knowledge in mind.

Toxic Plants

The springtime plants that can result in gastrointestinal upset in dogs and cats include:

Amaryllis
Ferns
Caladium
Calla lily
Hyacinth
Iris
Tulip

Plants that are considered very toxic and can result in severe illness or even death include:

Crocus
Azalea
Rhododendron
Tiger Lily
Easter Lily
Bittersweet
Clematis
Daffodil
Day lily
Foxglove
Lily of the Valley
Narcissus
Morning Glory
Death Camas

Though some plants can cause serious illness or death, irritation of the mouth and gastrointestinal tract are the most common problems. Vomiting usually occurs soon after ingestion, which removes most of the plant from the system and reduces additional toxin absorption.

The most important part of treating ingestion of a toxic plant is to determine if your pet actually ate the plant, how much was ingested and which part of the plant was eaten. The entire plant is not always toxic. Sometimes only the seeds, the leaves, stems or roots are toxic. Also, plant identification is crucial in diagnosis. Get a sample of the plant if you are unsure of the name. This information can help your veterinarian determine the best course of treatment.

Unfortunately, there are very few specific treatments or antidotes for toxic plant ingestion. Supportive care, including intravenous fluids, may be necessary. Without proper care, some plant toxicities can have devastating effects on your pet's health.

By knowing which plants could pose a threat, you can work towards preventing your pet from access to the plant and keep your pets safe and your yard beautiful.

Painting A Dog A Day

I came upon an artist who paints dogs on a daily basis.

Kimberly Kelly Santini has been painting dogs each day for the past three years. She says it is like a fine wine that keeps getting better with age. I gather she is talking about her paintings, or maybe the dogs too!

Added bonus, she donates part of the proceeds from her commissioned pet portraits to animal welfare.

FABULOUS!

Visit her blog.....

Only in Washington

Ebony and I were on the Chehalis Western Trail the other morning. It was one of those gray, drizzly, Washington days.

Kali was styling....attired in his yellow slicker staying dry. I noticed his raincoat had a hood. My guess is that dogs probably will not put up with the hood option.


Dave and Kali

We passed a woman who raved about what a beautiful day for a walk. I chucked. She must be a native for who else would call a drizzly, gray day beautiful? My beautiful day is no rain and a bonus if the sun shines.

Not only is the Chehalis Western Trail a lovely place to walk your dog, but also provides entertainment for those of us who enjoy meeting other unique travelers and their pets.

The Art of Blackberry Picking

My dog Ebony has the art of blackberry picking mastered! This evening a friend and I with our dogs walked the Chehalis Western Trail in Olympia, Washington, with the goal to bring home blackberries.

We scored big time and so did Ebony!



Who said dogs do not see color?

Apparently Ebony knows the ripe blackberries from those not ripe.

I sometimes do not know best when to stop eating the blackberries.

Ebony hung in there, too!

Beautiful Vistas

What a gorgeous day along King’s County’s most popular cycling, jogging, walking, skating and equestrian path; The Sammamish River Trail. The trail runs 10.9 miles along the Sammamish River and offers extraordinary views of the river, Sammamish River Valley, Cascade foothills and Mt. Rainier.

It was a busy day Sunday when my son and I went skating with our dogs.


Brian with Brinkley & Ginger


Joanne & Ebony

The trail is used as a corridor between suburban cities and Seattle. The beautiful trail winds through Sammish River Park, Woodinville’s wineries and breweries, Sixty Acres Park, and connects to the Power Line and Bear Creek Trails.

Observations on the Trail

This morning my dog, Ebony, and I went on the Chehalis Western Trail; I was on skates and Ebony ran beside me. It was a gorgeous morning and we saw and met an array of people.

Here are some of my observations:

Firstly, people are very friendly; everyone I passed said "hello" or "good morning" to me. I met two little girls about 5 and 7 years old on bicycles who each greeted me with "good morning!" Dad was riding behind them with his ear to the cell phone.

I passed a gentleman who was riding his bicycle and in the front basket of his bike was his dog. Dr. Jon would probably not approve of this combination. He believes skating or biking with a dog is too dangerous for both pet and pet owner.

I received several comments about my weird skates as well as my method of exercise which is typical when I skate with my dog. One lady commented, "That's the easy way!" I have no idea how she believed that what I was doing was easy or that my dog was not working hard to keep pace.

I was sitting on the bench near the pond observing the wildlife and Ebony was lying at my feet. A husband and wife each walking a daschund passed by. The woman complained she had the wrong breed. I think she really meant that she wished her dogs would behave.

People say the strangest things!