Smushed Face Pup Art

Today I am starting on Otis the Bulldog, and also FiFi the Pug & Rocco the Pug. Smushed face doggies are so much fun to work on, their faces have so much character and so many wrinkles that I can play with, adding smudged line work and color. I will post these finished pooches sometime next week.

Otis in progress

FiFi & Rocco ... next in line.

Portraits in the works

Today I proofed Maximus the Westie and sweet Sterling. May has been rather slow with only 10 projects proofed so far and 2 of those are personal gifts on my part. I guess next week I need to get back to the marketing part of my job. I do have 3 lovely smushed faced pups lined up to work on and I am excited about them.

"Maximus & Mona" ... what a cutie pie!
© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

"Sterling" ( see all proofs)
© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

The pattern on the above background was created from a snapshot that I took in Galveston of a little Mom and Pop hardware store. I was really drawn to the free standing building that this old fashion hardware store was in. I knew if I shot the wall texture it might make an interesting ground pattern. I really view all of my vacations as working trips in a sense because artists need to fill the well with new ideas and new imagery.  Maybe some day I will take a trip and not think about art, not pop into a gallery or museum, not see color at every turn .... and then again I really doubt it.

Beach Tips For Dogs

We had so much fun at the beach with our 3 Terriers. Whitman has been much more calm and gentle since we returned. He and Ajax really bonded on this trip.

Whitman at Galveston Beach

Ajax at Galveston Beach

So here are my Top 5 Tips for traveling to the beach with your dogs:

• It is easy for these guys to dehydrate quickly in the sun and sea. Do not count on them to drink enough enough water on their own. Take some wet food and at night when you settle in after their regular meal take 1 teaspoon of wet food and mix it into a small bowl of water. They will lap it up and get the much needed water they will need to stay healthy.


• Keep your Salty dogs rinsed cleaned! Terriers with long beards may be adding salt to their drinking water. Of course you will want to rinse off your pup's paws each time after they play at the beach, but be sure and also rinse the beards and keep their water bowl fresh and clean.

•  Take your pups to the water in the early morning and late afternoon, avoiding the hottest part of the day is a good idea for the four legged set and the beach is less crowded at those times.

• Do not force your pup to swim if they are afraid, let them figure it out at their own pace. Pickle never really wanted to get into the water, but she loved chasing after the birds.

• Bring scissors and brushes with you. Every time we have been to the beach our guys have gotten loads of stickers that have to be brushed or cut out.

Pickle with stickers in beard

Mosaic Monday: Beach Treasures

We went to Galveston beach last week and I brought home many treasures.

Some treasures were from land and some from sea....
From the beach I found: pods, shells and bird feathers ( to the left).

One day we went into the downtown area and took our cameras for some photo exploring. I like to walk down allies in Galveston because you can find wonderful surprises. Above: Mardi Gras beads, fiesta plate shards, rusted metal, clear glass warped marble, textured glass and a tiny ceramic angel. I have lots of great stuff to put into a mosaic.
Below are some of the great photo captures from that day:

Below is a lovely modern mosaic spotted at a local restaurant ... looks like seaweed.

And one last surprise treasure that we hope to return to the sea when we go back next year ....
I accidentally stole a crab from the beach. I have created a small habitat for him and if he survives a week with the food and care we are giving then I will go ahead and get him a larger box and do my very best to keep him alive until we can return him. He is a lot of fun to watch. The pic below is not so good, he is hiding in his shell right now. I will try to get a better picture next week after he has times to settle in and mellow out a bit. His name is Hermes.

Tomorrow I will post pics of the dogs in Galveston and give my travel tips for taking your pups to the beach. We learned a lot ... it was a bit of work to have the dogs there, but so much fun.

Fox Terrier & Doxie

"Chewie" ( see all proofs)
© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

"Perry" ( see all proofs)
© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

Chewie looks so much like my own little guy Whitman. I am totally caught up with my commission work, and I am planning to take a few days off next week to celebrate my Birthday. I do have 2 very new orders that have come in this week that I will jump on when I get back to my desk. 

Big changes on the horizon ... I am looking at teaching a bit in this next decade. I am looking both on-line and off-line at possible opportunities. I want to help other artists succeed at marketing their work, and soon I will be getting my mind around what that is going to look like. I have some ideas for on-line courses and I am also talking a little with people in our local art community about possible work shops and classes that can help artists grow their on-line web presence. Not sure yet how teaching will take shape for me, but I know I am ready to add it into the mix of what I do, and who I am.  Nothing like a Birthday ending in "0" to get you moving forward and writing new chapters.

Beagle & Pug Art

"Frasier" ( see all proofs)
© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

"Zoe" ( see all proofs)
© rebecca collins / artpaw.com

Working on new background options this week. I have a repeat client that is ordering several projects this month and so I decided to experiment and show her some new background choices. Next week I will have a handful of other pet portraits to add to the blog. I have been very busy this month.

Mosaic Monday / Paper Dog Mosaics

I love the web, you just never know what you are going to find. Today when searching for dog mosaics to share with you I found some lovely paper mosaics created in 2008 by students of Christina Hoff at the Alta Loma Middle School in San Fransico. Her assignment was for them to read the story "The Dog of Pompeii" and then write their own historical fiction essay, create  a paper mosaic of their dog, and also create a "Bulla" ( necklace or amulet that male Romans were given nine days after their birth to protect them against evil spirits and forces).

Click here to go see the details of her project and read the great stories that the kids came up with. Seeing these great mosaics makes me want to create a paper mosaic of my terriers!

Empty Easel Interview!

I was featured in an interview today over at the Empty Easel for my mosaic artwork! Thanks to Alyice for contacting me about this. Check it out and check out the other artist interviews, there are some great ones and they have been talking with a lot of mixed media artists lately. I am flattered to be included on such a terrific blog.