Archive for May, 2007
Recently we were contacted by one of our favorite and most frequent clients, Courtney. She wanted us to do another portrait for her of her newest family member, Shadow, a handsome chocolate Lab that Courtney had recently rescued. Since this was the fifth portrait of a Labrador Retriever we had done for Courtney’s family, I finally decided to ask… so what’s the story with your family’s love for Labs?
Here’s the story in Courtney’s own words:
Our Lab obsession started about 13 years ago when my sister was living on Fripp Island, SC with my parents and going to college. She had a friend who had a few Labs and decided she wanted one. She got Skylar, a female chocolate Lab, as a puppy and that was it for us. She was just the perfect dog who did great tricks, fetched the paper and was a great companion. My sister eventually moved to Charlotte, NC and Skylar stayed with my parents who would never give her up again.
I eventually moved to Charlotte too and together Megan & I got Sutton, a female chocolate Lab, as a 6 week old puppy. She was beautiful, but the opposite of Sky, in other words quite a handful as a puppy. Then I was then transfered to New York City for my job and Sutton, the Diva, stayed behind with Megan.
After a year without a dog in NYC I decided it was time to get one so I adopted Dakota, a 10 year old, female yellow Lab, from a Long Island Labrador Retriever Rescue. She was a great dog from the start and that made it even harder to believe that a family gave her up after 10 years because they were moving to Florida and couldn’t take her. Dakota became the first Pop Art dog in our family!
My sister then was offered a black male Lab puppy. She told me she was just going to “look at him” but who looks at a puppy without coming home with them? Her justification was that we didn’t have any black Labs or males in the family. Hence, Frankie joined the family. He is the most loving, funny and fearless dog around with his big block head and droopy eyes. Megan decided that Frankie and Sutton both needed to be featured in their own Pop Art portraits. And I got my dad a gift certificate so he could have his girl, Skylar’s portrait done too, but he chose a Traditional Style.
Eventually I moved back to Charlotte and adopted Shadow from a place called Georgia Lab Rescue. He’s a six year old chocolate and had been through a lot but you could tell he was a good dog. He still suffers from terrible separation anxiety but mostly he’s just a big old lazy dog who’s name fits him completely. I’ve never met a dog who wants to be around people more and Shadow’s Pop Art portrait, the most recent addition to our collection, captures his personality perfectly.
Having five dogs in the family can certainly make get-togethers hectic, and finding vacation spots where we can take the dogs with us has been a challenge, though not impossible, and well worth it!
Unfortunately Skylar passed away earlier this year at 13. But dad has a new girl, Tilly another chocolate who is adorable and completely attached to him and will definitely be the next Pop Art Pet in our Lab-loving family!
Dakota is now 14 and she’s doing very well for her age. She sometimes barks too much and sheds like it’s her job, but I wish she could live forever! Because they can’t I am happy that we will forever have wonderful portraits of all of our beloved Labs!
We recently made the acquaintance of Claudine Hellmuth, a very creative artist with a very unique craft, collage art! It’s very cool, yet very hard to explain, but we love finding exciting new forms of custom art and sharing them with you.
The way it works is, you send Claudine some pictures of you and your friends or your family and tell her your story and give her ideas about how you envision your artwork. You can also specify color and even send fabric, wallpaper or paint swatches to include and Claudine will match her paints to colors you prefer.
It’s fabulous and Claudine has been featured on HGTV and has even published books and instructional DVD’s sharing her techniques for creating “Hip Art for Playful Hearts!”
Please visit her website to see her gallery of work, learn more about the process, and how you can have your own collage art – they make amazing gifts, by the way!
The best thing about meeting Claudine for us was finding out that she is also an animal lover and learning about her friend, Bernie.
Bernie Berlin operates A Place to Bark, an amazing no kill foster and adoption rescue which focuses on abandoned and abused animals that are classified as “hard to place,” due to their special needs or behavioral problems.
A Place to Bark is currently in desperate need because next week, Bernie is going to drive 60 little lives to Chicago and Wisconsin to be adopted — these are little puppies and kittens who were on death row and would not be alive had Bernie not pulled them from animal control. These 60 fur babies will be adopted out at no-kill humane societies, when she does this, all the puppies and kittens find homes within 3 days of her taking them there!
But Bernie needs our help. The cost to run the transports will be around $1500. The air conditioned cargo van to rent costs $600, gas is $240 to Wisconsin and back and $180 to Chicago, she goes through approx 40lbs of Dog food A DAY and the transports take about 2 days each min. Then 20lbs of cat food a day + medical certificates and shots for all the animals. You can imagine how it adds up. She gets no monetary help from the humane societies and relies on outside donations alone.
We have put the banner on the right on our blog to help facilitate donations to Bernie, please give if you can and please tell your animal loving friends too.
You can read more about A Place To Bark on their website and on Bernie’s blog.
This is amazing! It was on national news today – soon you can take your mixed breed dog to the vet for a simple blood test and find out exactly what breeds make up your mutt. It’s a doggie DNA test!
Here’s the story from ABC News:
Although purebreds compete in front of judges for best in show at the Westminster dog show, it’s every day mutts that compete for the affection of millions of Americans. Now, thanks to a new doggie DNA test — the wisdom panel from Mars Veterinary — curious mutt owners can finally trace their dogs’ roots.
“This is where high tech meets high touch. You’re going to take a small blood sample from this dog and take its unique DNA and be able to determine what the breed makeup is and it’s ancestry,” Dr. Marty Becker told “Good Morning America Weekend Edition.” “So you will know its grandparents, its parents and know exactly what kind of dogs are in this makeup of this mixed breed.”
Becky and Alex Shelton wanted to learn more about the background of their family pet Sol, a 
stray they rescued from their neighborhood. “When you look at him, I just want to know what he is so bad, just to know when people ask me, what kind of dog is that? I can actually tell them that’s what he is,” Becky said.
At a compact 45 pounds with short legs, a long body and long floppy ears, the Sheltons believe that Sol is part German Shepherd and part Jack Russell Terrier, with a personality to match. “You can’t not like him. He’s so hyper, but he’s got the sweet little face,” Shelton said. “And he just sits with you and wants to be loved.” Becker tested Sol for the Sheltons.
Beyond simply satisfying curious dog owners, DNA testing also serves an important medical purpose. “Once you know what the breed makeup is, there are certain diseases that are more prevalent in those breeds, so you’ll be able to be on the look out for those diseases and actually take steps to prevent them,” Becker said.
Once the results were back, Alex and Becky Shelton finally learn their lovable stray’s origins. Sol is a mix of a Dachshund, German Shepherd and Norfolk Terrier.
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You can learn more about the test that will be available to vets in about a month on WhatsMyDog.com, the official website for the test, called the “Wisdom Panel” by Mars Veterinary. You can even print a letter to take to your vet so they can find out about offering the test to their clients. We’re taking one to Kylie’s vet asap!
So we attended the mass doggie wedding at Aspen Grove on Saturday, and it was quite an event! Organizers of the Bow Wow Vows say more than 178 dog couples (356 individual dogs) tied the knot. That unofficially breaks the world record of 27, set in the Netherlands.
Here are some of the highlights we saw while we were there.
Many happy couples arrived two-by-two.
Others arrived as singles and hoped to meet the dog of their dreams during speed-dating (which looked more like speed-sniffing).
We ran into former client and friend, Cricket, ready to wed!
The gorgeous wedding cake and other refreshments were provided by the Pink Poodle Gourmet.
The event raised over $3,000 for animal rescues, and it was a fabulous celebration of puppy love!
This weekend here in a suburb of Denver, Aspen Grove Lifestyle Center (“lifestyle center,” is a fancy name for an upscale strip mall) will be trying to break a world record this Saturday and get themselves into Guinness with the largest ever mock wedding for dogs!
The day starts off at 1 pm with registration and a round of “speed doggie dating” for those who aren’t paired up yet. Then the wedding starts at 2 pm with a reception to follow. Shortly after, dogs up for adoption will be heading down the cat walk, or rather the dog walk, with models in our Furry Fashion Show.
They hope to draw about 300 canines at the event, during which, vendor booths at the “K-9 Market Place” will offer all the hippest & best in doggie duds, doggie toys, doggie treats, you name it. And as always, you can take your dog into most all of the stores at Aspen Grove, including The Gap, Eddie Bauer, and Pottery Barn, many of the restaurants even have patio seating so you can dine with your dog.
In addition to pursuing a place in the Guinness World Book of Records, they will also be raising funds for local animal rescues so it should be good fun for a good cause.
If you’re in the Denver metro area come and join the festivities! If you’re not, don’t worry we’ll let you know how the wedding goes.
Tillie, a Jack Russell terrier and abstract expressionist, is an unusual artist who enjoys chasing squirrels outdoors in Brooklyn, where she lives with her “assistant,” Bowman Hastie.
“So, this is a paw print,” Hastie said, explaining one of Tillie’s paintings that was hanging on a museum wall. “In this corner, where it’s really filled in, that’s really from all from individual claw strokes where she’s just sort of doing the digging motion. These tooth marks are the most kind of dramatic marks that she makes. It does convey that kind of energy, aggression.”
As with most abstract art, there’s a lot of explaining to do. I think the meaning comes from the viewer, you know, more than the intent of the artist,” Hastie said.
Tillie suddenly entered the gallery, but wasn’t answering questions about what she hoped to achieve in these paintings or what her motivation might have been. It’s difficult to tell what’s on the mind of this artist as she furiously creates, gnawing and chewing, biting and scratching, along with a lot of barking: Perhaps she’s thinking of a mailman’s leg, or maybe the couch?
Tillie has 17 solo exhibits under her collar, including shows in Milan, Amsterdam, Brussels, and most recently in Bermuda, where she painted in the rose garden of the Premier’s house, no less, before bemused and befuddled audiences.
Everybody wanted to know how Tillie got started in the art game. “I was sitting on my couch writing on a tablet resting on my lap and Tillie climbed up and started writing on this page that I was writing on, and I had this idea to use carbon paper to record her marks; don’t ask me why,” Hastie said. Tillie attacks the canvas with sound and fury for about 15 minutes until voila! Art!
Despite no formal training, except some paper training as a pup, Tillie’s work is often compared to her human counterparts, some of whose works are in our most revered museums and sell for millions of dollars. Tillie in the meantime, has sold more than 100 of her paintings — fetching up to $2,200 each!
You can read more about Tillie and see more of her work on her website, TillamookCheddar.com.
Source: CBS News
Did you know that we do people portraits too? We have a whole other site for “Art that is Uniquely You,” it’s popartgo.com! We work from your favorite photos of yourself, or your family, or your friends, to make you famous for more than fifteen minutes.
We recently did a portrait for the lovely Tara & her boyfriend Raphael. Tara, author, PR pro, and host of When Tara Met Blog, told us about meeting Raphael a year ago on a NYC subway platform, and how their whirlwind relationship had since brought her from being a single girl in the city to being condo owners together on the opposite coast in Los Angeles. The photo she submitted was taken at a wedding they attended in Mexico and was special because she felt it truly emphasized the fun and impulsive side of their relationship.
So there was much communication to make sure we knew what Tara had in mind and to make sure this was going to be a piece they would be proud to put in their first home together. This was the end result…
Tara & Raphael were both very happy with it, it was the first thing they hung on the wall! You can read more about it on Tara’s personal blog, tarametblog.com, and you can see all the proofs we designed for Tara too, if you click here.
Speaking of blogs.. we also were recently included in a very cool post called, “Cool Stuff: Pop Art Pet Portraits.” It is on More Ways To Waste Time, a blog by freelance writer, editor, and self-proclaimed “home-design junkie,” Leah Hennen. She’s got a great eye for the fun & functional, and shares her discoveries and her unique perspective on making a house a home! Be sure and check it out!
Last weekend we were happy to join our friends at Wag N’ Wash as they celebrated the Grand Opening of their fourth location! Wag N’ Wash started with one self-serve dog wash in Colorado Springs that expanded to include a fresh doggie bakery and a large retail selection of healthy food, treats, and toys. Now they offer their full services in their huge, brightly colored Healthy Pet Centers throughout Colorado, in Phoenix, and opening soon in Naperville, IL and elsewhere.
We first met Dan & Jef, Wag N’ Wash owners, when they asked us to do a portrait of Geni, their
beloved Dalmatian who was the inspiration to start a new business that catered to pets and the people who love them. We then did Remo’s portrait as well, their fun-loving Lab, and we have been honored to place their portraits along with many of our other vivid, Pop Art dog and cat designs in each new store.
What started as a small dog wash has today blossomed into Wag N’ Wash Healthy Pet Center, a full-line specialty retail destination for cats and dogs. Wag N’ Wash is sought out by customers for their extensive line of natural foods, in-house bakery, unique merchandise and unsurpassed customer service. And of course, as over 70,000 dogs including Kylie can confirm, Wag N’ Wash is still the place where dirty dogs can come clean! We are very proud to be a part of it!
Interested in having a Wag N’ Wash Healthy Pet Center near you? Visit their site to learn about franchise opportunities.
Mercury, Chicago’s Skyline Cruise line, launches another season as the nation’s only Canine Cruise this summer on July 8th. The cruise departs from the Riverside Gardens dock at 10 a.m. and will operate weekly through September 25th.
Is this just an ordinary river and lakefront cruise around Chicago? Your dog won’t think so. The 90 minute narrated tour will point out local dog parks, key fire hydrants, and favorite watering spots. Speaking of fire hydrants, there is no need to worry if your dog has to relieve him or herself on board. These dog-friendly folks have even set aside one restroom on board, lined with newspaper, for pooches. And dogs can ride in style in their own seat if they are medium to large-sized or will share the lap of their owner if they are small enough.
If you and your pooch want to catch a bite to eat after the cruise, try dining outside at Cyrano’s Cafe. Mercury Cruiseline has partnered with the owner of this restaurant to create a special doggy menu for the lunch hours. For a small charge, your pooch can drool over the white rice and ostrich pate croquette appetizer, savor the vegetarian bowtie pasta or steak hache (ground beef), sip up a bottle of Vittel water and chomp on a cookie for dessert. A portion of the proceeds from your pooch’s meal will benefit the Chenny Troupe, a Chicago-based Animal Assisted Therapy Organization.
We have made some updates around here recently to help keep Pop Art Pet new and interesting. First as we mentioned a few posts back, we have greatly expand our Photo Tips section. We have suggestions to help you submit an ideal photo for your personal Pop Art Pet portrait whether you’re scanning a photo, or if like many of our clients, you’re pet is no longer with us and you have a limited selection of pictures. Or if you have the advantage of a digital camera, we have provided tips that will help you whether you’re a technically savvy shutter bug or you don’t know a megapixel from a megabyte. We also show you some good & bad examples, like the ones below to help you out with the do’s & don’ts.
We provide all this information because we want to deliver the best possible portrait of your pet, one that you will adore for a lifetime, and to do that we must start with the best possible photo.
Speaking of creating custom pet portraits that our clients adore, we have also updated our Testimonials page. We have had the
honor of immortalizing your pets for six years now and thought it was time to share some of the more recent responses our artwork has elicited. We’ve even included some photos of the finished pieces on the wall in their home – which we always love to see.
It’s always great to hear how profoundly our portraits sometimes affect people who truly love their pets – after all, that’s why we do what we do! And hopefully sharing these sincere, unsolicited, comments on our site will instill confidence in our future clients and let them know that we really care about capturing their pet’s personality on our custom canvas portraits.
