Today found the dogs and I hanging out…playing, exploring and even resting a bit. Look at each of their faces and really, what is there not to love about them. They are adorable…even if only through my eyes The best thing about them…they are the best fun police dogs! They know when I need to get up from the PC and just play and romp with them. Have you had fun with your dog<s> lately? Weekend is here…go for a nice walk…explore, have fun. Don’t forget to bring your camera along, make sure you share those images with us!!!!
Several months ago I painted the above portrait of Miss Caraboo. I often will ask if at all possible, a photograph be taken when the painting arrives. Some folks are wonderful and take the time to respond, some just get too busy. To those like Beth and Miss Caraboo, I so Thank You for taking the time, as I am pleased that both of you are so very happy with Miss Caraboo’s Portrait. She is lovely and it was such a joy to paint her
Yep, the time has come to have another Big Give Away. I love these This is just a little teaser to get you all excited…
This Big Give Away will be a Paw Prints Studio Tee Shirt…Stay Tuned for I have to make a new design for the Tee Shirt (I do this every so often)… and a video has to be produced. Maybe in a week or two.
It will be the same as our last give away…in order to get the tee shirt you will have to be a subscriber to both the Paw Prints Studio blog and Paw Prints Studio You Tube site. Just my way of saying Thank You to my faithful subscribers….you get the chance to win free stuff and all the discounts and special coupons come to you first! Once you have viewed the video all you have to do is leave a comment on the you tube site and your name will go into the the basket. Oh…one more thing…we actually want you to send us a photograph of you wearing the Tee Shirt (or even a You Tube video if you like) and it will appear on our blog. As in our last Big Give Away…one of the puppies willl be choosing the winner.
Not a subscriber, no worries you actually have up until we are ready to pick the winner to subscribe. Check back for further details and to get a peek at the Tee Shirt (oh, did I mention there will be something a little extra included with the tee shirt….it is a secret and only the lucky recipient will know what it is). Check back for further details
This lovely portrait of sisterly love was created in Corel Painter X.
Working on this portrait made me think of my sisters, I have two. Sadly…we are not very close. One sister I have not spoken to in over a year and a half…the other… once in a while. When I was younger I so thought family was important…I worked hard at keeping in touch with everyone when I moved to GA. I craved their friendship, companionship. I would imagine the fact that I am the “baby” of the family made those feelings stronger.
These days I do not work very hard at it. I never know just what “Not” to say to the one for she will just cut you out of her life over the littlest things and your left wondering just what you did, said. After one to many times I am afraid I have decided it is best to not put myself in that position, family or not. The other….well we are just so busy living our lives, living a distance away from one another….I guess too many years of that have gone by.
I know in my heart that one day there will be regrets. It is not that I do not want to be close to my sisters….after many years I just stopped trying. Still, I know that regret can be such a heavy burden. I often think that I could be the only one with those regrets. I learned over the years….and it really took me a very long time for this life lesson….you cannot force people to be part of your life, family or not!
It is heart warming and a joy to see a family that truly enjoys each others company and have the ability to be there for one another.
While Paw Prints Studios donates to rescue organizations throughout the year, we have never done a raffle, mainly a Painted Portrait would go into a Silent Auction…always bringing in more then the value of the Portrait. Heartland Golden Rescue is a Good cause! I know thhings are tight for everyone so for those readers that are ever faithful…for just a few dollars you could win a Mixed Media Painted Portrait of your beloved furry friend (good for one subject).
You do not have to have a Golden in your pack…it could be a bird, horse, dog or cat. I’ll post again tomorrow so make sure you check back for the link to purchase your ticket<s>
Again…this is really a once in a lifetime opportunity for you will not ever have the chance to win a portrait of your favorite furry friend created by Dee for the price of a Raffle ticket.
Our next online course for Digitally Painting Animals starts July 15th, there is still space available as well as time for you to enroll. The above was completed by Jack Heard one of our students who had so many nice thins to say about our online course. Thanks Jack….great work!!!!
Please know our class is geared towards those wanting to learn a few Corel Painter X techniques painting animals. Each week is broken down….painting the eyes and nose, backgrounds, fur (do you reallllly need a “special” fur brush)? Paper, textures and brushes. Last class is printing and hand embellishing your prints with acyclic paints. Four images are supplied for you to paint and practice with, however for those truly wanting to create their own art, your welcome to use your own images from the start. There are no filters used (unless adding a texture), this is a painting course. You are the Artist deciding on how painterly, colorful your masterpiece will be.
Dee is very free with her time for those students with a desire in improving their painting skills. The class forum is open to students only, a safe environment for you to visit at your convenience….class size is limited. There are also a few short videos for your viewing pleasure
Those students (such as Jack Heard) that have been the most successful with the course have completed the assignments and shared their work allowing the instructor to view for feedback…maybe a suggestion or two…then up to the student to work on until they are satisfied. This five week course goes by very quickly…and again, the forum is there for you 24 hours a day so you can work at your own pace.
Whenever I post any reference to Niki’ spinal surgery I get several questions….please feel free to post any comments and questions in the comments section of each post, lots easier for me to answer in a timely fashion that way. Niki is a ckr mix, her spinal surgery was about a year and a half ago …although it seems like such a lonnnng time for me. The emergency clinic that originally treated her made a huge mistake in her care….while the treatment choice was correct they dropped the ball and did not check on her throughout the night as they should have for her serious type injury. They did not and to this day, do not, have the proper amount of staff, or experienced staff for them to be called an emergency clinic. there is no access to surgeons….most importantly they do not refer you to clinics that can properly care for your dog. That was very costly to Niki’s future and ability to walk. I no doubt, although she is a happy dog now….this will be a problem for the rest of her life.
There are several rehab facilities in the Atlanta area….all of which are a bit costly…you must try all to know what will work best for your dog. The facility that did the surgery was on the North side of Atlanta….that is all they did and we had o support from them after the surgery. We were told there was no hope of her regaining the ability to walk. From the moment she was home and healing I did research and started rehab with her myself. We also ordered her a doggie cart and once she was on the mend I allowed her time throughout the day for cart runs. I taught her to balance on her own….soon she had some feeling in her spine, her legs could move although little to no control of them. I took her to water treadmill therapy….which is about an hour away from my home with out hitting any traffic. They wanted me to drop her off for several hours and then pick her up when they were finished. I was told to not use the cart for she had to learn to do this on her own. Well….I disagreed. Niki had plenty of time cart free however when she was tired she would lie down….the cart gave her the ability to run with the pack and play, smell….she remained part of the pack which in my opinion did more for her then anything else. Once I saw little improvement with the treadmill therapy I stopped bringing her….the warmer weather had come and I decided to have her walk in a kiddie pool, and swim in a larger sized pool. For Niki this is what has been so very beneficial and the stretches and exercises. It was not very long after the cart was just being dusted and we packed it away for safe keeping.
Including with this post a video that already appears somewhere on this blog (too lazy to look for it) …8 weeks after her surgery, not a happy pup and we had not yet properly fitted her into the cart….with the company’s help that made the cart, images forwarded to them they told us where to make the adjustments. So, lots of help from us in the form of exercises, stretches…the ability to remain part of the pack….lot of love and devotion from all pack members and slowly she healed. She is not a 100 % but as you can see in comparing her today vs this video clip….She’s come a long way Baby ;–)
It was bound to happen…as the economy spirals down, more people losing their homes, cannot afford the rising cost of food at the local grocery stores…let alone afford to put gas in their cars to get to and from work…how does one afford the rising cost of veterinarian care, food, grooming and training for their beloved furry friends?
Sadly….many are choosing to bring their furry friends to the local shelters. While the economy has effected my business…my dogs are my family and the thought of bringing them to the local shelters is not an option. Many of the local vet clinics have not yet embraced telling their clients that the need for most of the yearly vaccinations is just an added expense and totally unnecessary. Of course your furry friends must have yearly heart-worm, depending on your county laws will determine if you can do yearly rabies or the more popular three year vaccination. Also, it all depends on where you live….tick infestation, etc. for the types of vaccination that will be required. Feed the best food you can afford, groom your dogs yourself. Yep, just that easy….they do not have to win any dog shows, just clean and short!
I am always amazed at the fact so many cannot groom their own dogs, all dogs can be taught to stay for handling. Sadly, we have gotten away from basic “husbandry” Skill mindset when it comes to our furry friends….that in the end can be more costly for the animal then the humans. Not all shelters and local pounds are no kill, meaning from the moment you drop your beloved furry friend off they are literally on death row. The amount of dogs killed on a daily basis when the economy is good… is staggering….I can only imagine how over taxed the no kill shelters will be along with the sheer number of animals that will be killed due to our failing economy.For those thinking they cannot afford their pets, think long and hard at what you can do to keep them with you for as long as possible. Training is just a book away, visit your local library….I am also sure you can probably find something on dog grooming. Also, lots of free info on the Internet about training and how to groom your dogs….trimming the nails is not as scary as most seem to think. If not walking your dogs on surfaces that will ensure the nails stay neat and trim, then they must be trimmed… for allowing them to remain long will do harm to the animals as they age in the form of arthritic ailments. Please be aware that in some areas, vaccination clinics are offered throughout the year where you would not have to pay for a vet visit, the vaccinations are less costly…as is usually the spay and neuter programs.
Yesterday, an individual asked me this question “If I had no other option, which dog would I have put to sleep”….this was a question that I flat out said was not to be taken serious. Now…if something were to happen to me of course…..then these animals are at serious risk and this I have thought about….as should everyone. The more appropriate question should have been….if I had no other choice, which dog would I do my best to place in an appropriate environment. The answer is Rocky the Golden. He is the most stable, even tempered dog in the pack. I am pretty sure no one would want Niki or Gemma….both are very loving to their people, although fearful, they would require a long adjustment period….they are a bit of work, especially Niki. Still, I would do my very best to not have to break up the pack. If that meant forgoing vet care for a while, that would be an option, not the best one mind you and not one I am recommending….just being honest and stating I would do whatever I could to keep my dogs. One would think I was being selfish, not at all. If the economy woes were to increase it would not just be for me and I doubt that I could even afford to seek medical care for myself let alone my dogs.
Yesterday found me bathing the puppies. They needed it, along with the fact on Sunday and Monday all three started scratching. I brushed all on Monday and flea combed them….yes indeed…a couple of the little buggers found.
They are brushed just about on a daily basis….I periodically use a flea comb at the end of the brushing….just to make sure nothing is hiding. Saturday there was not a flea found, nor an itchy dog. What a difference a few days makes. Doggie tub set up in the yard and one after the other they were bathed. I vacuum on a daily basis….did an extra special job of it as just about everything was moved….what could be pulled apart was. All doggie beds washed and dried. I opted to get rid of all carpets several years ago….the fact that when you have dogs, well just having tile is so much easier to keep clean…especially when it rains.
So…finding the flea treatments are NOT working this year. I cannot get half way through the month before I am finding more on the dogs. While I dislike these buggers, once knowing their life cycle one realizes just how difficult they are to remove from the environment. You must have in your arsenal of sprays, powders something for each the fleas life cycle. Since I am in the SE we are already several months into flea season and I am now opting to fore-go the monthly topical treatment for this is the second year in a row I have found it to not be working. The dogs heart worm pill is also a monthly birth control for the fleas…so besides that and the treatment of the environment Back to basics….flea combing (dipping the comb into a glass of warm sudsy water) and weekly to bi weekly baths….homemade spray of water, white vinegar, lavender oil, cedar wood oil to be used a few times a day. I have noticed an increase in ants as well, they are every where so it just must be a buggy year!
Earlier today as I was painting the above, due to my eyes bothering me as of late I was continually having to stop and put a cool cloth over my eyes. Rather then detail I used color and my brush strokes. When you cannot see well the details are just not there for you paint….as for the use of color…again, not having the ability to see well you tend to use darker tones….lots of contrast in your paintings, at least that is how it is for me.
Taking off the reminder of the day to turn my attention to things around the house…the dogs. Still hot here in the SE so out door time will be short….my canine friends are not enjoying the warmer temps, like me they prefer it a little cooloer.
The best thing about them…they are the best fun police dogs! They know when I need to get up from the PC and just play and romp with them. Have you had fun with your dog<s> lately? Weekend is here…go for a nice walk…explore, have fun. Don’t forget to bring your camera along, make sure you share those images with us!!!!
