Goodbye Sweet Gucci

The eucalyptus tree was not all we lost in June - two days before that we had to say goodbye to our beloved dog, "the oldest weimeraner known to man" as a vet friend of my daughter's said. I haven't been able to bring myself to post this up till now, but I want to commemorate a beautiful, brave, naughty and irrepressible part of our home for the past 16 and a half years. 

Our son, now 23 was 7 when he came into our lives - a silky blue-eyed pup who immediately recognised me as 'mom' and curled up on my lap to sleep after exhausting himself playing with the kids. Anyone on the floor was fair game to be chewed, rolled-over onto (head over heels, not sideways) and determinedly edged away from the heater, while he was a willing pillow for weary or TV watching heads once he had worn himself out. 

He was wild - crazy - we could have done with the Dog Whisperer's help throughout his uncontrollable life. I have scars from where he yanked me down steps to launch himself at the meter-man, or the postman or the sandwich men ringing at the gate. So much for 'Foods you Must Never give your Dog' - he helped himself to avocados that dropped off the tree next door, unripe plums within his reach, entire chocolate Easter egg stashes, fillet roasts, anything whatsoever edible (except peppers and chilli) that he could reach when standing on his bandy back legs. Doors were no obstacle unless they were locked - he opened them in- or outwards and preferred them all open, come rain, shine or freezing wind.

When our daughter brought a kitten home, we were quite sure that she would be swallowed whole in an exuberant gulp and kept watch to make sure she didn't wander into 'Orc' territory - till one day our vigilance slipped and we rushed, panicking, to find the kitten contentedly tucked under a bemused Gucci's chin - where she more or less stayed, in innumerable yin-and-yang poses for the rest of his days (she shows remarkable, cat-like unconcern about his sudden absence, though perhaps slightly more affectionate towards her humans lately). While rats, strange cats and hadedas were in great danger if spotted, and he refused to ever give back a ball thrown for him - when my son's pet rat's many babies all escaped into the garden, he gently retrieved every single one without so much as a bruise and brought them to us to put back into the cage.

He was my constant companion unless his adored 'dad' was home when he was the preferred target for underfoot and in-your-face attention. As I do the most mundane things now his image rises before me - sweeping, nobody trudging doggedly through the dust pile - vacuuming the floors, no one lying hopefully in my path wanting a vacuum-massage - eating an apple, no one behind to toss the core to (the Best Catcher in the World) - the ways to miss him are many and painful, but we are so grateful that he was ours. RIP dearest Gooch.

12.12.12

Well, I haven't got much to show, what with a small deluge of work coming in - just in time to go shopping :-), some very wet weather and preparations for the festive season. But I can't let the 12th of the 12th, 2012 go by without posting something, it's not going to come around again, certainly in my lifetime. So some sketches from earlier in the year of our dear 15-year old Weimeraner, Gucci and his biggest fan, Kenzo (although she happily and possessively hogs the whole bed if he's too slow getting there). I could draw endless combinations of the positions they get themselves into, as I think I've said before - yes, here, here  and so long ago - 2007! - here . When I look back at those, I do believe... yes, I think I have got a bit better at drawing the pets. Progress!

Pet arrangements

I've been keeping a little sketchbook in the kitchen and scribbling down some of the yin and yang-like poses our dog and cat get into every night after their supper. If I'd done that over the last four years I'd have hundreds of convoluted combos in the collection. This is a crazy weimeraner who, when our daughter brought the waif kitten home, we were convinced with one boisterous nip, would bring about her very early demise. After weeks of protecting her like a coopfull of mother hens from 'The Orc', as we rudely referred to Gucci (the designer dog), one unguarded moment we turned to see Kenzo the kitten tucked under his chin, and both of them fast asleep and very contented, and that's the way they've snuggled up ever since.

And since those first raindrops started plopping down in my last post, it's been raining and pouring here. It's the 25th International Sketchcrawl tomorrow, but with this being the forecast for the next 48 hours, I'll have to find a shopping mall or some such dry place, to take part. I haven't tried very hard to find other sketchers to join me, but if anyone is in the neighbourhood and would like to, leave a comment or email, I'd love to have company!

Still here...

Ooh, I feel like I've been away for ages and ages... I haven't cleaned my studio out yet, but I've purged most of my house, and had a very pleasant visit from my Aussie sister and a much less pleasant visit from lurgies attacking my husband and son and which are trying to attack me, but I'm fighting back with everything I can muster. So I have nothing to show you but this page of sketches of my dog - which I really enjoyed doing because of the lovely pen and ink I used (and my lovely dog). I wish I could take them out to sketch around Joburg (not the dog, though he could come in useful) but it's impossible to perch around a street with a bottle of ink and a dip pen, plus sketchpad and handbag with car keys - though I think some people do.

... and this ballpoint-on-exercise-book sketch of the current Different Strokes project which I'm hoping to get to do in watercolour before Wednesday - I love those reflections in wet sand.

That darned cat

I'm busy painting something very hard... eggshells on a white plate...why? why? But in the meantime here is a sketch of our devoted-to-each-other cat and dog that I did a few evenings ago. This is what I wrote on the page...
I'm not good at drawing animals...I absolutely love my pets but just don't get excited about rendering them on paper. But sometimes they are the only available models, so here they are again - Gucci-dog being good and still, and Kenzo-cat being devilish. She seemed to challenge me as I drew - if I was doing her eyes, she closed them, if her head, she licked herself, her paws, she stretched them, her tail, she flicked it, all the while staring at me and saying, "Draw THAT, sucker!"

Cook Tribute

There is a fun thing happening over about.painting... A Tribute to Beryl Cook forum discussion where everyone is invited to submit a self-portrait 'in the spirit of ...if not the style of.... Beryl Cook'. A fitting way to honour an artist who gave so much fun to so many, I think. My mind immediately started skipping around, and after some false starts, I came up with this double portrait of my husband and me - a typical evening scene at home, and a title with a double-meaning... thanks to his excellent cooking skills and enthusiasm, I can indulge more in my favourite pasttime... I thought I gave ourselves Beryl-esque proportions, but think I could have gone even chunkier than I have. You really appreciate the skills of another artist when trying to follow their style - in spite of fairly simple looking paintings, her attention to detail was amazing.

This isn't easy you know

Now I've gone and ruined my accordion sketchbook, trying to draw the dog and cat in one of their covoluted sleeping poses - from a photo up on the computer screen, as they always move the minute I start trying to draw them. I got both of these attempts completely wrong.

This was slightly more accurate, though the dog is too small, and his face a bit weird - I painted the big shapes first, then added the lines with my bamboo pen, (which isn't drawing as well as I'd hoped - I have little control over whether lines are thick or thin, or come out at all) and the values are all very bland - the dog and cushion they sleep on are rather similiar in tone, but Kenzo the cat could go much darker.

It's interesting to see today's Making a Mark post about mechanical and optical aids... I find myself feeling irritated and tense when sketching from photos, though they are definitely a useful tool when trying to remember features of a landscape, for instance - as long as I don't follow them too slavishly.

This sketch of Gucci (excuse the undignified pose!) that I did quickly after messing up the Fabriano was much more enjoyable, and I think is a lot more expressive in line and character. So - conclusion, I think drawing from life is my thing. I'll be happy to leave the photo-realism to others - for now, anyway. (I tend to make sweeping statements one week and back-peddle on them the next)

The Pets

A not very good drawing of our dog and cat, who love each other very much and curl up in all sorts of combinations. Kenzo the Kat does have one flopped-over ear, that isn't just bad drawing!