Archive for August, 2007
We have already received some awesome entries for our pet photo contest! We have also received some that have caused us to have to update our guidelines; not because they aren’t great pictures, but because we would not be able to work with them for a portrait. And because we want every entry to have an equal chance to become a finalist, we thought we should update you and provide some additional tips.
First, because most of our techniques work to enhance the colors already present in your pet’s photos, we cannot consider black & white pictures for the contest. Also, please only submit photos with one pet rather than multiple pets or pets with people. If you have multiple pets who are equally photogenic, and don’t want to show favoritism we would suggest you enter one and have a friend or family member enter the other, and so on, and so on (there’s nothing in the rules that says you have to enter your OWN pet).
If you have questions about your photo before you enter feel free to contact us, and be sure and read the rest of the rules & regulations on the contest page.
We look forward to seeing your picturesque pet!
This summer we have been taking Kylie, our spokesmodel and love of our lives, for weekly swimming sessions. Kylie is 14 and still very spry and we just want to keep her that way, so we looked into swimming as a great form of low-impact exercise. We found it at Canine Rehabilitation & Conditioning Group.
CRCG‘s programs focus on enhancing and improving a dog’s life and physical abilities through exercise, recreation, and rehabilitation. Not only is water a great way to exercise for young and old dogs alike: It can also help dogs recover after certain operations or injuries, and improve other physical issues. They offer hydro therapy in the Endless Pool, which is where Kylie swims, and an underwater treadmill, as well as massage and acupuncture services for dogs and cats. And for recreational purposes they have Denver’s first and largest above ground, heated, indoor pool. It’s 26F x 18F and four feet deep and as you can see, big fun!
So if you think your pet could benefit from hydro therapy or just a big splash, check into similar facilities in your area. It has been great for Kylie!
This is a truly amazing, new, high-tech pet product that we saw in Doggie Aficionado magazine that we wanted to share with you.
The Hear Now is a multi-functioning, state-of-the-art pet collar and hand-held radio transmitter, providing interactive two-way voice communication allowing you to speak to your pet from up to 12 miles away. Variations of the collar offer an array of additional features, such as LED lights for night-time visibility, Bluetooth technology, and geo-fencing capabilities used in conjunction with GPS technology.
The Hear Now also features the “PEPi Recorder” (Personal Entry Pet Information), allowing the owner to record their contact information, which can be played back in the event their pet becomes lost and found. Even if no one finds the lost pet, the device’s GPS technology allows the owner to electronically track the animal.
Other features and abilities include:
- Controlling up to 14 Pets with One Radio
- “Call Owner†Button from the Collar or Harness
- Stop Barking Dog Without Shouting
- Water Proof Collar & Water Resistant Radio
- Rechargeable Batteries
The Hear Now design encompasses everything pet parents could ask for to communicate and protect their animals at the same time. We think it’s awesome!
Check out the complete product line on their website to see the whole line of collars and harnesses with GPS and Bluetooth technology, plus the other great pet products they offer like the “Rain or Shine Pet Bed.” It has magnets built in to prevent and treat arthritis and the colorful, adjustable umbrella and food & water tray.
We rarely get to see what our custom dog portraits and cat portraits look like when they reach their destination, so we are very happy when clients send us pics of their artwork in it’s home!
Coincidentally we’ve had several clients surprise us with such photos in the last week or two so we thought we would share..
Shina received four Pop Art Pet portraits for a wedding gift from one of our most regular, most generous customers last year. So when they added a new pup to their family, she contacted us to add to their art gallery as well.
Deborah had portraits done of all SIX of her beloved Boxers and sent us a picture of her lovely living room where they are prominently displayed.
Finally, you can always count on bloggers for visual aids! Last week we saw Louis the Pug posing with his portrait. Now we get to see Casey the cutie and the finished Pop Art portrait that won the pop-ular vote on his mom’s blog.
To see a few more photos of our finished pet portraits, and hear how our clients reacted to their artwork, you can also visit our testimonials page!
We are very excited to announce our Pet Photo Contest!
We are welcoming submissions now and for the rest of this month. Then we will select a dozen finalists and open up online voting for the whole world to choose the winner.
The winner will receive a FREE 18″x18″ Portrait by Pop Art Pet!
To give you an advantage we thought we would give you some pointers on choosing a winning picture of your pet to enter. Of course cute goes a long way but quality is key, so when you submit a photo for us to consider you should consider the composition, a head-shot is probably best. We like to tell our clients when they are taking pictures for their dog portrait or cat portrait to imagine they are taking a picture for the school yearbook. Lighting is also important of course, and don’t forget focus, focus, focus! For more information about what makes an ideal photo for a Pop Art Pet portrait, and suggestions on how to take one, you may want to review our photo tips page.
We will select the 12 finalists based on the quality and appeal of the images, but we are also requesting a little background information about your pet and what makes them so awesome and deserving of a free portrait. The story you write will also be taken into consideration because we love a great pet tale!
You have until August 31st, but be sure and send us your photo soon. The finalists will be announced and contacted on September 3rd. Online voting will go on until September 15th and we’ll announce the winner on Saturday, September 16th.
Please go to our contest page to learn more about the details of the contest, to ENTER, and to read the fine print regarding the rules and regulations.
We look forward to seeing your adorable pet – Good Luck!
Based on the site of an 18th Century hospital in London, “The Hospital” has evolved into the city’s pre-eminent center for the creative community. Set over 7 floors, The Hospital is home to a private members club with several bars and lounges, an art gallery, and TV & Music recording studios. It’s sounds utterly awesome!
And this month The Hospital is featuring a face to face show of classic drawings and paintings by Andy Warhol set against the infamous graffiti work of Banksy. This is the first exhibition anywhere by the world’s two hottest artists today and arguably of the modern art era. Finally people can determine which is better, Campbell’s or Tesco!?
Those Brits sure know their Pop Art – it should make for a great show!
FLEXPETZ is a unique concept for dog lovers who are unable to have a dog of their own, because of their busy lives or restrictions where they live, but who miss spending time with a canine friend. It’s a shared dog ownership concept that provides members with access to a variety of dogs for a few hours or a few days just by making a reservation. It’s like a time-share program for pets!
Through this “shared dog ownership concept”, members can choose from a variety of breeds of all sizes to ensure compatibility with our member’s individual lifestyles and unique circumstances. All Flexpetz dogs are rescued or rehomed, socialized, and fully trained. Some of their locations even offer drop-off and pick-up service to your home. And speaking of locations, Flexpets is currently available in San Francisco, NYC, Boston, DC, and London and since your membership is valid at any location, you could even “reserve” a dog to take for a walk in Central Park next time you’re in the Big Apple!
Critics of the program claim that this is unkind to the dogs because dogs need to bond to their “pack” in order to be happy and emotionally healthy. We have to admit it’s a little strange, and just feels wrong, like they’re exploiting dogs for profit by renting them out to people who want the benefits of having a pet without the responsibility and commitment. But clearly it fills a niche, we sympathize with people who want a dog but can’t have one, and they are rescuing dogs which is not a bad thing. But please let us know what you think.
Also to give you all aspects of this as a story, Itchmo.com has reported that the CEO of the company that owns Flexpetz has a very sordid past.
“Simon Brodie, the controversial founder with a criminal past behind the Allerca hypoallergenic cats, is the CEO of a company that owns Flexpetz, the pet sharing service. Brodie was convicted in the UK of multiple counts of accounting fraud. Ever since his move to the United States, he has been linked to pets or animals in his ventures and is shadowed by a history of failed ventures, lawsuits, unpaid bills, and fraud allegations.“
We got a shout out from our new pal, Louis the Pug when he got his portrait!
We have to admit he does look quite handsome in it, and we admire his humbleness in spite of it. Louis, we loved working with you and hope you enjoy your custom Pug portrait for years to come!
