Dog Days of Summer GIVEAWAY
It’s giveaway time! You could win a custom 8 x 10 framed painting of your favorite pooch, wearing your favorite sunglasses, looking at your favorite place. It’s easy to enter the Dog Days of Summer Giveaway. Good Luck!
Dog Days of Summer Rules to Enter
- SUBSCRIBE to my website HERE.
- Like, Comment or Share on any of my “Dogs of Summer” posts on Facebook or InstaGram.
- Random WINNER will be announced on Friday, July 31, 2020.
- Feel free to SHARE photos of your dogs with me – nothing makes me happier than seeing those furry faces!
Backstory – My Inspiration
My sister called me one day with sad news. Her dog had died unexpectedly and she was heartbroken. Now, let me clear about something, this dog was not the lovable, soft, and cuddly variety. He would bark ferociously at other dogs. His hackles would rise on his upper back when a stranger walked by. And, he was known to herd all visitors and guests with ankle nips. The first time I met him, she told me not to look at him directly and just completely ignore him. No pets or belly rubs. He was an “older” puppy when they adopted him but over the years was able to master a number of commands and good walking behavior. He never stopped being anxious around people he didn’t know and other dogs, but he loved his immediate pack (the family) with all his fierce and loyal dog heart.
But oh, how she loved this difficult dog.
This dog wasn’t a rescue in the traditional sense of the word. My sister’s children saw this dog, among many cute puppies, at a pet store that is now a rescue center. Their family has always enjoyed numerous pets, from dogs and cats to lizards, guinea pigs, and snakes. The kids rotated turns when picking the next family pet. It was my nephew’s turn to choose a pet and he really wanted a dog. An employee led them to the wall of cages and pointed out the cutest and most friendly puppies on display. He bypassed one particular dog, stating that although he was a very smart puppy, he was difficult and he wasn’t sure he would ever find a home. My sister was sure that her son would choose any puppy but that one. And yet, he kept going back to the dog with low social skills but high intelligence. And so it came to be that this dog made his way into their lives and hearts, and in return, he was given a wonderful life with a loving family.
The creative process for painting through sadness.
So when I got the news that this difficult dog had crossed the rainbow bridge, I wanted to do something, anything really, to help ease her pain. As an artist, my first instinct is always to go into my studio and just see what happens at the easel. Sometimes nothing happens. But other times, I am inspired to create something that selfishly, let’s me work through some of my own feelings of sadness and reflect and circle back to happy memories. And that is exactly what happened when I painted my first Dog in Sunglasses.
Initially, I was just going to a portrait of her dog. Just something basic and simple. But as I painted, I kept thinking about all the memories I had with the dog at the beach. My sister has a wonderful beach house on the New Jersey shore, and most summers, our families were able to enjoy the surf and sand together. I should also comment that my sister is an incredible photographer and somehow always seems to capture the feeling of a moment with the click of her camera. That’s when I decided I wanted to include one of her beach photos into my painting. But instead of just putting the beach in the background of my dog portrait, I thought it would be fun if he was looking at the beach, so the sunglasses were necessary for a nice reflection of scenery.
If you are interested in some of my Dog Days of Summer Swag, check out some of these fun items.