i heart dogs studio

Once a Graphic Designer, always a Graphic Designer

2009-11-05T17:30:00.006-05:00

Sometimes it helps to be a Graphic Designer. While I no longer make my primary living as a designer, I've still got some skills. Enough to design a pretty awesome (if I do say so myself) holiday card. I know it's only the beginning of November, but I designed these back in August and have been waiting to post them. I'm so excited about them, I can't wait any longer.

A pet peeve of mine over the last few years has been the switch from actual holiday cards to photos-of-kids-with-a-pre-printed-message. I was late to get married, and kids aren't even on my radar; but most of my friends are married parents. So every Christmas thus far, I've sent traditional cards and felt compelled to write a novella inside each one, while in return, I'd receive a plethora of photo cards with no personalization whatsoever. Why was I the only one with hand cramps?

Well, now that I have a husband and a canine daughter, I'm saving myself the carpal tunnel syndrome (I used to have it bad, actually, in my full-time Graphic Designer days). I suppose I'm jumping on the photo card bandwagon, but I don't care because I have a cute dog and I want to show her off!

Rosie turns 1 year old on Monday. Happy Birthday to my sweet spaniel!

Some black and orange for Halloween

2009-10-30T09:38:00.019-04:00

30 in 30: Phase 2 Weeks 1 and 3: Maxwell and Max

Here are Maxwell the Poodle and Max the Schnauzer. The photos were submitted by my friend Brett for my 30 in 30 project. These two breeds were at the top of my "Breeds I Want to Paint" wish list; and lo and behold, as soon as I put out the call for photos, I got these ones first! SPOOKY! (Was that a stretch? Oh well, it's Halloween!)....Thank you, Brett, for submitting the pics and for your support of my work! I hope you like the portraits. Just for you: Go Phillies!

Max to the max!: I think "Max" is officially the most popular name amongst the dogs I've painted. Let's see, there was Max the Cavalier, then Maxx the Chocolate Lab, then Max the Basset Hound, and now Maxwell and Max!

Happy Halloween!

Vinny

2009-10-27T19:03:00.006-04:00

Two posts ago I presented the portrait of Rosie done by Michelle Besedic, who contacted me for a pet portrait trade. Well here is my portrait of her Labradoodle, Vinny. How cute is that face? I just want to smooch it!

Thanks, Michelle, for a fun art trade experience. I loved painting Vinny....and I can't wait to hang the portrait of Rosie!

Coming soon to a blog near you: several dogs, including a Poodle, a Schnauzer, a Bulldog, a Goldendoodle and two Cairn Terriers! Whew! Despite that long list, I'm still accepting holiday commissions, but not for much longer...

30 in 30: Phase 2 Week 2: Bailey

2009-10-22T18:22:00.004-04:00

I know, I know. I haven't posted the portrait from Week 1 yet and I've jumped to Week 2. This is for several reasons: 1) I'm still working on Week 1's painting. Maxwell the Poodle is being done in watercolor, and it is very hard for me to keep going with the watercolor and not jump to add colored pencils, which is my normal maneuver. I do intend on using colored pencils sparingly, but for now I'm still painting. 2) The dogs for Week 1 and Week 3 were submitted by the same person (thanks, Brett!), so I want to post them together. Stay tuned!

Bailey is the beloved Golden Retriever of my friend Kelly. I've known Kelly since elementary school—we rode the school bus together for many, many years. We lost touch until recently. I'm happy to be in contact once again, and thrilled to have the opportunity to paint her pup. One of these days, Kel, I'll visit you and Bailey in Vegas! Thanks for contributing to my project!

Current rotation on and off the easel: Max (Week 1's pup), Maxwell (Week 3's pup), Vinny (from my pet portrait trade), and my latest commission (3 dogs on 1 canvas).

I'll be taking commission orders for holiday portraits up til October 31. Get your order/deposit in by this weekend and receive 20% off!

Rosie, by Michelle

2009-10-17T12:04:00.013-04:00

Michelle Besedic, a very sweet and talented artist, contacted me about a pet portrait trade. I took her up on it, and incorporated her dog Vinny into my 30 in 30 project. I love her painting of Rosie! The portrait will look great in my spare bedroom/ studio, which I intend to (FINALLY) finish setting up by early November.

The other trade I'm doing, you might remember, is for Kevin's Christmas present. Mystery Artist is currently developing the sketch I chose; I can't wait to see the next stage of the portrait's progression!

As for Phase 2 of my 30 in 30 project, the painting-a-week portion is proving to be quite difficult. I have paintings in progress, but not yet finished. I hope to get in a zone by this coming week (Week 3) and have several pieces to show you very soon. Until then, enjoy the weekend!

Good things in the works

2009-10-06T19:38:00.008-04:00

Today I received two rough sketches from the Mystery Artist for the portrait I'm having done for Kevin's Christmas present. The sketches made me so happy; I can't wait to see the progression of the portrait...Then, my wish to do a pet portrait trade came true again. An artist named Michelle contacted me about doing a trade. I worked the drawing of her pooch into my 30 in 30 project (hers is Vinny, which I posted last week). I still need to paint her pup, but she is already done painting Rosie! Her style is really colorful and fun so I can't wait to see what she did with my little Spaniel!

I've done a lot of prep work for Phase 2 of my 30 in 30 project, and I will be painting the first portrait soon. I've also got a commission in the works that I'm really excited about.

What else? Hmm...I can't wait to get my holiday cards printed because they feature Rosie (I'll post them soon). Oh yeah! And I will be launching a new-and-improved version of this here blog. It needs a design overhaul, and I found just the right gal to help me do it. I'm pretty pumped!

New artwork to be posted soon. Until then, enjoy the fall weather!

{The dog pictured here is one I found sleeping among ruins in Corinth, Greece. Kinda makes you want to take a nap in the sun, doesn't it?}

30 in 30: PHASE 1 IS FINISHED!

2009-10-01T12:29:00.011-04:00

Click on the image for a better look.

I did it! I set out to draw 30 dogs in 30 days and I did it. I must admit, it wasn't always at a-dog-a-day pace, but it was close. I am really proud of myself, I must say. It's always a great feeling when you accomplish a goal, isn't it?

I wanted to challenge myself with a disciplined daily art practice, and boy was it a challenge! The actual drawing was a pleasure; it was finding the time every day (or every other day, sometimes) that was the tough part. I know I am a better artist for the experience. I enjoyed looking at these sweet faces, and I can't wait to turn the sketches into beautiful portraits. Yes, that's right. The 30 in 30 project is nowhere near completed. Phase 2 starts Monday: Each week I'll take one of the 30 drawings and turn it into a full-color portrait. I'm giving myself Christmas week off, but otherwise I hope to stay dedicated and focused, and complete the project in early May. I look forward to experimenting with media I haven't used in my pet portraiture.

Maxwell the Poodle is first, and I plan to paint him in watercolor.

I am giving myself a few days off, during which time the only dog I want to look at is my own! Soon, in addition to beginning Phase 2, I'll be creating my first portrait of three dogs on the same canvas. The size differential between the dogs is quite significant, so it will take some Photoshop wizardry to create the composition before I even get to drawing. Stay tuned...

Yorkie Christmas cards for sale

2009-09-27T08:53:00.004-04:00

I designed these last year and was SO excited about them....but I was a little late with All Things Christmas, due to my goal of finishing my wedding thank-you notes by the end of the year. I got the cards back from the printer and, due to the late date, all I could do was put them in a box until this year. I was going to use them as my personal Christmas cards, but now I have my own dog (not a Yorkie). I already designed awesome (if I do say so myself) holiday cards featuring Rosie, which I will share soon...so that means I have lots of these Yorkie cards to sell. You can snag a set for yourself in my Etsy shop.

As for my 30 in 30 project, Phase 1 is almost over. Including today, there are 4 days left in the month. But I have 6 dogs left to draw. It's a rainy Sunday so I'll draw 2 today, then I'll draw 2 tomorrow, then I'll finish the month as I began it–with a dog a day—for the last two days. Stay tuned!

30 in 30: Phase 1 Week 3—Wow, this takes discipline!

2009-09-24T18:27:00.004-04:00

Click on the image for a better look.

Week 3 was TOUGH. Am I crazy for choosing September to do a drawing a day? Switching gears from summer break to teaching makes for a very tired arteest! On more than one occasion, I went to bed without drawing a dog, which meant a lot of doubling-up on other days. But I'm determined to get the 7 done by the end of each week.....This week featured some cuties, which, once I could find the time, were a pleasure to sketch.

Thanks to those who have contributed photos. I have more than 30 at this point, so I've had to turn some people down recently. I appreciate the support!

Recently I received two e-mails from up-and-coming pet portrait artists who each said that I am inspiring them. Woo hoo! That is so cool! It's extra special because not too long ago, I was just starting this business and a very special artist was an inspiration to me. She has been incredibly gracious and generous with her kind words and sound advice, and she continues to inspire me. I'm happy to pay it forward!

Ready for their close-up: Tanner the Viszla, Brutus the Black Lab, Quincy the Mutt, Kirby the Shih Tzu, Holly the Border Collie mix, Vinny the Labradoodle, and Molly the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. (Hey! Five out of the seven names end in "y"!)

30 in 30: Phase 1 Week 2—now this is getting to be a challenge

2009-09-16T21:25:00.005-04:00

Click on the image for a better look.

With the start of the school year, I lost some of the momentum I had during Week 1. I had to set up my classroom and otherwise prepare for being an art teacher again. Now the kiddies are back and school is in full swing. There were several days that I did not draw (SO tired!), but for the most part I was good about doubling up the next day. I had some great photos to work from, and I'm proud of this week's drawings.

Next up: Hoss the St. Bernard, Mia the Maltese, Casey the Beagle, Sammi the Basset Hound, Hannah the Pekingese, Brackett and Kali, both mixed breed dogs.

30 in 30: Phase 1 Week 1...Check!

2009-09-08T00:12:00.010-04:00

Click on the image for a better look.

I spent a bit of time (almost) every day, over the last week, drawing. It was gorgeous fall-ish weather here at the Jersey shore, so I was able to do my sketches at the beach, lake, or park. Some were done in my living room. Regardless of the location, it was great to eek out some creative time every day. I can already tell my drawing speed is improving, which was not really a goal of this project, but it's certainly a nice bonus. Week 2 will be a bit more challenging, as I'm gearing up for the new school year. Here goes...

This week's pooches: Meatball the Pit Bull, Gracie the Sheltie/Golden mix, Bosco the Boston Terrier, Ceili the Chihuahua mix, Wesley the Westie, Shrimp the Lhasa Apso, and Machen the Doberman.

Maddie

2009-09-06T06:36:00.006-04:00

Now that I am the proud mom of a Springer Spaniel mix, I certainly have an affinity for Springers. So I was really happy to get this commission from my friend Mike, to paint his friends' Springer as a gift. Maddie is adorable and Mike took great shots of her, so it was a real treat to create this portrait. I had fun with the stylized grass background—something different than what I usually do.

I've known Mike over half my life, so I was honored to be commissioned by him. I'm glad you love the painting, Mike...and I hope your friends do, too. Thanks!

NEXT: I'll be posting the drawings from Week 1 of my "30 in 30" project. I missed yesterday's drawing. I brought my stuff to the beach, but was way too busy swatting at the green-head flies that were eating me alive, so no drawing occurred. Today I'll be doubling up to compensate. Wonder how many times that will happen during the month...

Max and Hank

2009-09-02T09:13:00.005-04:00

Meet the stars of my latest completed commission: Max and Hank. These handsome Basset Hounds were both a challenge and a pleasure to paint. I worked with photographs of individual photos of the boys, with the task of making it look like they are next to each other. I did a lot of work in Photoshop to create the right composition, prior to sketching.

Max and Hank's dad, Joe, has rescued many Bassets over the years. Sadly, Max and Hank passed away within three months of each other. I was honored to be commissioned by my friend Jodi to create this portrait for her father. Joe now has two new Bassets named Marmalade and Marmaduke (how cute are those names?!). I hope to create a portrait of those cuties in the future. Thank you, Jodi, for your enthusiastic support of my work. And thank you, Joe, for being a dream client. I hope this portrait brings a smile to your face!

30 dog drawings in 30 days begins Tuesday!

2009-08-30T07:48:00.010-04:00

I'm gearing up for Phase I of my "30 in 30" project, which is to draw a dog a day for 30 days, namely the month of September. I've been collecting dog photos from my generous friends (and their friends) and I'm almost at 30. I still need a few (hint, hint!), but I'm prepared to supplement with my canine daughter, sister, and niece if necessary.

The one thing I must do beforehand is purchase acetate suitable for a photocopier, so I can photocopy my grid systems onto sheets of acetate and use them as overlays over the original photographs. If I have to spend time every day drawing grids, I'll go crazy. I learned the acetate trick from a fabulous art teacher I worked with once. Staples, here I come!...Also, I'm not sure if I want to post the drawings themselves, or just wait until the pieces are finished to post. In the case of posting the drawings, I think another thing I want to purchase is a non-photo blue pencil for my grid lines on the drawing. That way I can photocopy my sketches and the grid lines will disappear.

These are the boring ramblings of an artist about to embark on something challenging. Are you still awake? Ha ha!

On deck for this week's drawings:
Maxwell the Poodle, Bailey the Golden, Max the Schnauzer, Sarge the English Bulldog, Coooper the Shiloh Shepherd, Terry the Terrier mix, and Penny the Mutt...Wish me luck!

Abby is under the weather

2009-08-20T09:11:00.004-04:00

My parents' dog, Abby, just had major knee surgery. Her kneecap kept slipping out of place and prior to surgery, she couldn't run or play for weeks. We couldn't bring Rosie around her, which was so sad because they are best friends. Last week, Abby was operated on at the wonderful University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital. She is now home, and is crate-bound for a month. I spent a few days with my mom, helping her with Abby. It's so sad to see how much Abby wants to run around, but can't. Her one hind leg is shaved and she looks kinda like a poodle (they kept her foot fluffy). She is so sweet and it seems she is handling it in stride. Hopefully, soon, she'll be tearing up the backyard with Rosie.

My new project can include YOUR dog! And I need your help. Please read...

2009-08-15T07:36:00.009-04:00

For quite some time, I’ve wanted to engage in a disciplined, daily art practice. Many professional artists whom I admire have told me that no matter what is going on in their lives, they draw/paint/etc. every day. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but it is definitely rewarding (from what I’ve heard). I want to find out for myself.

I’m creating a project for myself that I’m calling “30 Dogs in 30 Days/Weeks.” I know, it's not an original idea, considering all of the "Painting a Day" projects out there, but it's original for ME. I want to draw a dog a day. Just draw—pencil on paper—that’s it, every day for a month. The month of September, to be exact. I’ll end up with 30 dog drawings at the end of the month. After the month is over, I will switch gears to painting. I will spend the next 30 weeks doing a painting each week. I’ll choose one of the dogs I drew, and complete a painting of the dog within a week. I use the term “paint” loosely, as it might not involve actual paint at all. As part of this project, I want to experiment with media other than my typical oil or watercolor/colored pencil. Maybe I’ll use acrylic, or pastel, or charcoal, or do a mosaic (a huge passion of mine). Maybe I’ll do it digitally—who knows? Ironically, the 30 weeks concludes on the week of my birthday, the last week of April.

To do this, I need photos. Lots of doggie photos. Which is where YOU come in.
Now, there are photos of dogs all over the Internet, but photographers I don’t know took the photographs. For me to snag one of those photographs is unethical and, in terms of copyright, illegal, should I ever make money off of a painting based on the photograph. I only work from photos I took myself, or that were willingly lent to me by people I know (even if it's only in the cyber-knowing sense). So I need your help. I’m requesting dog photos. Good, clear, interesting shots that you, or someone you know, photographed. I’m asking you to send it to me out of the kindness of your heart, realizing that by doing so, I am not obligated to paint your pet. HOWEVER, if I do choose to use your photo in a drawing, it will absolutely become a painting. I will show you the painting, at which time you are not obligated to buy it; but if you are so inclined, I will offer it to you for only $100. This is quite a steal, as my starting price for dog portraits is $250. And I will donate a portion of that money to my favorite dog rescue.

At the very least, you are helping out an artist. At the very most, you could end up with an original fine art portrait of your pet for a great price.

If you are interested in helping me with this endeavor, please e-mail one or more good quality photos to i_heart_dogs_studio@yahoo.com
***I'll need to know the dog’s name, gender, age, and breed(s), so please include that information when you send the photo.***

PLEASE NOTE: Through this process, I can't accommodate specific time/media requests. I need to maintain some spontaneity in this very disciplined project. If you are interested in commissioning a custom portrait, I'd be delighted to work with you. Please check out the "Custom Pet Portraits" section in my Etsy shop to get an idea of my pricing structure. Also, I'm offering an additional 20% discount until August 31.

A sad day for Philadelphia

2009-08-13T22:09:00.003-04:00

I'll always be a Philly girl. But I'm no longer a Philadelphia Eagles fan.

Today they signed Michael Vick to a 2-year contract. I'm so disgusted and disappointed.

My puppy's first portrait!

2009-08-06T19:28:00.005-04:00

I finally finished my first portrait of Rosie. I used a photo from the day we adopted her (February 1st). She looked so sweet and a little bit scared. Adorable! I plan to take a photo of her every February 1st and create a portrait from it.

I do believe that this canvas will be the ceremonious First Thing I Hang On My Newly Painted Walls. I've been ridiculously gun-shy to decorate since the renovations were completed (in NOVEMBER!) Hmm...where to hang it???

In the works I've got five dogs on three canvases: two Bassets, another Springer, and two Pugs...And I hope to throw in a mosaic project for myself. It's been way too long since I mosaic'd.

I'm featured on Dog Art Today...plus Reflections on a quote about dogs, part 2

2009-07-28T15:36:00.008-04:00

This is a good day. I woke up to an Etsy order (always a good start to the day) AND my new dog wisdom cards are today's feature on Moira McLaughlin's awesome blog Dog Art Today. [THANKS, MOIRA! YOU ROCK!] I have been very fortunate to "meet" (in the cyber sense) some wonderful artists/dog lovers since I've started this here little business of mine. They have been a huge inspiration and help to me; I'm so grateful.

I'm really proud of these cards and also proud that I've sold a quite a few. I hope that trend continues! A few months ago I did a post in which I featured one of these cards and offered my take on the card's quote. I think I'll do that again. With Mr. Pug.

Ahem...

"The pug is living proof that God has a sense of humor."
~Margo Kaufman

Seriously...have you ever encountered a pug without laughing, or at least smiling? No. It's impossible! One of my next projects coming up is a portrait of two pugs. They are cute sisters who will be a pleasure to paint!

Thank you again, Moira, for the feature today!

Halo

2009-07-25T07:46:00.005-04:00

A little bit of whimsy! My sister commissioned me to paint Halo as a wedding present for her brother-in-law Matt and new sister-in-law Jackie. Halo is Jackie's beloved 10-year old German Shepherd/Siberian Husky mix. My sis really wanted to include a halo in the portrait, as a nod to the dog's name; but we thought that maybe the halo alone would imply that she is in doggie heaven, which isn't the case. So, for the first time, I did the name-in-the-banner thing, which was fun to paint.

The fur on this one was a challenge. I only had one picture to work from, and it was a shot taken in strange light. I assumed the dog was blonde, but my sister (who met Halo only once, long ago) said she is white. Hmm... Well, I had to find a happy medium. I used the shadows and coloring from the photo as my primary reference, but then added a healthy dose of white as well. The end result is about three layers of paint strokes in various shades. I'm crossing my fingers that I got it right!

The wedding was last night and I heard it was wonderful. Congratulations, Jackie and Matt! You're a great couple and I hope to meet your beautiful dog soon!....and thank you to my awesome sister for the business!

Two bits of print news

2009-07-16T10:43:00.009-04:00

BARCCHUS PRINT NOW AVAILABLE: OK, so I didn't win the wine label contest. At least I made the Top Ten, and I had a lot of fun with the entire process. I also ended up with a piece of artwork that I'm really proud of. Barcchus, the canine god of wine is now available as a print in my Etsy shop.

CHEAPER PRINTS: I have decided to make some changes in how I do prints of my paintings. Until now, I did 8x10 image sizes on 11x14 paper. This created a lot of wasted paper which is not recyclable (the actual paper size is 13x19). I used some of the extra paper to make bookmarks, but a lot of it ended up in the trash. Also, the paper is quite expensive. I've bought many prints from various fellow Etsians, and noticed that they all print an 8x10 image on 8.5x11 paper. As someone who loves traditional printmaking, I really like the big white borders on the paper. If I were to make a woodcut print tomorrow, I'd keep a lot of white space; but for my digital reproductions on Etsy, I am now downsizing to 8.5x11 paper. This brings the price point (that term reminds me of working retail and I just cringed) to below $20. Yipee! Sizes and prices of all dog and cat prints have been adjusted in my Etsy shop.

Confidential collaboration

2009-07-04T11:32:00.004-04:00

I’ve wanted to do an art trade for a while now. I put the idea out into the universe via this here blog, and just hoped the opportunity would soon present itself.

Well, it did. Twice! First, my friend Nicole contacted a slew of her creative friends about doing an art trade. As soon as I heard from her, I jumped at the chance. Nicole is a printmaker, painter, and tattoo artist. I received four prints from her in the mail, and will soon be sending her four of my own prints. How fun! And it’s a good way to, in her words, “dump creative refuse,” which is exactly what I need to do right now as I’m in the throes of the MERGE OF STUFF that happens when you get married.

Then, another art trade opportunity presented itself sort of unexpectedly. I contacted a pet portrait artist whose work I really admire about commissioning a portrait of Rosie. The portrait will be a birthday or Christmas present for my husband Kevin. I was fully prepared to pay for the portrait, but to my delight the artist told me that she really likes my work and would love to do a pet portrait trade. WOO HOO! My wish came true!

This particular artist is quite accomplished, so I’m very flattered and totally excited. She is awesome. Her style is such that she can create a portrait that really celebrates the activities we like to do with Rosie, which will mean a lot to Kevin. I’m keeping the identity of the artist confidential until I give Kevin the gift. He knows that I’ll be doing a trade (I couldn’t keep that from him, as he will be witness to me painting a portrait of her dogs and I’m a horrible fibber), and that the end result is a gift for him, but I don’t want him to know who the artist is. I think he’ll really be surprised when he receives the portrait.

Thank you, Nicole and Mystery Artist! I am so happy to collaborate with and support fellow artist chicks.If anyone else has the time and inclination to do an art trade, just give me a holler. I’m always game.

FOR FUN: If you think you know the Mystery Artist’s identity based on what I’ve disclosed, take a guess. If you’re right, I’ll send you some arty goodness in the mail.

Wallace

2009-06-27T13:22:00.008-04:00

Meet Wallace, the Yorkshire Terrier. He is named after after William "Braveheart" Wallace. This little tidbit inspired the blue background! Not quite the blue Mel Gibson wore on his face in the movie, but a nice blue nonetheless.

This commission was a donation to the Northern New Jersey chapter of the Young Survival Coalition's most recent In Living Pink event. Wallace's parents, Jack and Pat, were the winning bidders and scored the portrait. After the auction I couldn't wait to get the call from whoever won; I was so curious what type of dog I'd be painting. I soon found out: a Yorkie! Ironically, the last time I donated a portrait to this event, the winner had a Yorkie. There must be a lot of philanthropic Yorkie lovers in North Jersey!

To my delight, Pat and Jack had fantastic photos of Wallace. I can't express enough how wonderful it is to work from good photos. By "good," I mean: in focus, from the dog's eyeline, no harsh lighting, clear view of the eye(s), with a great expression. I could have used several of the photos they gave me, but I knew right away which one I wanted to work from. How great is this expression? I love the tight crop, too.

Thank you, Pat and Jack, for supporting a wonderful cause and for your interest in my work. It was a pleasure to work with you and to paint the adorable Wallace. Enjoy the portrait!

Peanut

2009-06-23T21:04:00.005-04:00

For the second time, through Facebook, I was commissioned by a girl I've known since I was 6 years old. And both times, the paintings were gifts for loved ones. First there was Ozzy and now here is Peanut.

I'm so honored to create this portrait of Peanut, an adorable Maltese, for my friend Stephanie. Peanut was her family dog who recently passed. This portrait is a gift for Stephanie's mom, whom I remember very well. I hope this portrait brings Stephanie and her mom joy and comfort, as they remember their beloved Peanut.

Thank you, Stephanie, for your business; I'm flattered that you chose me to create this gift...and I can't wait to paint your gorgeous Boxers someday!

THANK YOU for voting me into the TOP TEN

2009-06-21T10:37:00.005-04:00

Thank you to everyone who voted for Barcchus, my wine label submission. Thanks to wonderful friends, family, and clients (and the power of Facebook), I made it to the Top Ten, which was the goal. The rest is up to the judges. There are some gorgeous submissions keeping mine company. Good luck to all! If I don't win, I will definitely participate next year; what a fun art competition!

Oh, and how cute is my dog? I love this picture!!