I have been sick for a couple of days, so I haven’t gotten any paintings done. Well, what I did finish, I hate. It was a learning experience though! Here are a couple of pics of my faithful painting companion. click on the thumbnail to see full size.
This is Callie, my little Chinese Crested Powderpuff dog. She has some minor problems. We call her our “special needs” dog! We have had her for more than a year, and she is just now getting used to Chris. But, she loves her momma most. She is about 8# dripping wet and she goes in circles—all the time, to the right. Sometimes she goes fast spinning and sometimes she does slow room circles. Sometimes it is because she is nervous or excited. We think she is brain damaged. Anyway, when we first got her, she had a hard time with Chris and bonded with me. I tried to give her back to the lady who sold her to us but she wouldn’t answer my calls. So, we kept her. I am very happy we did. She is my joy. Chris now loves her too. It was just hard for him to be rejected by her for such a long time. She is a very nervous dog. I love her! Any ideas on how to keep her out of the pastel dust?
Callie is such a cutie. I absolutely LOVE Chinese Cresteds – I have 3.
What a sweet baby! If you find out how to keep animals out of the art studio. someone please tell me, because with the Real BAD! Kitty who is now 4 years old, Mr. Wiggles who thinks he is a 120# lap dog and the little puppy Oz, who thinks he is a 5.5# watchdog…I’m going crazy! Just trying to keep the pet hair out of my work, let alone the studio…makes me nuts! I’m glad you guys kept her too…we had a little fur person who had a neurological disorder too and she lived 12 years that were happy and wonderful. Special needs animals can be the most loving animals on the planet.
They are also here to teach us how to get up, get on, and get over it…in our human lives. Love to you all.
Thank-You Kim,
So, are yours the hairless ones or the powderpuffs?Callie was supposed to be a “tea-cup” I really think that by trying to get these dogs so very tiny, that they are breeding in bad things. Plus, I think she was from a Puppy mill. I’m still trying to figure out how to get these people at least checked out. I don’t have an address for them. They do have a website though. any thoughts?
Heather,
she is very sweet. I’m worried about the pastel dust though. She wants to be near me and walks right through it etc. I need to get an air purifier that would at least help things. She forces me to take breaks though, which is a good thing!
I hope that you feel better now, Sara.
Thank-You Catherine.
I am feeling better. We even went out today and sketched some at a local campground, “Aguirre Springs” It was a beautiful day and we were just under the organ mountains. (We live in Las Cruces, NM) It was a good day:)
Hi Sara-
Regarding your dog getting into your pastel dust… I have had pretty good luck keeping pastel dust contained with several lines of defense. The first is that I put a strip of 1″ wide (or wider) artists or masking tape under my piece that I’m working on, and just stick the bottom part of the tape, so the top is loose and sticking out from the paper. This piece to tape runs the width of my paper. This sticky little tape shelf catches a lot of pastel dust. When I’m done with my piece, or just want a fresh piece of tape, I take the whole board that my paper is taped to outside to remove the tape, which I try to carefully remove over a garbage can, then just crumple up the tape. I also use a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil to make another shelf to catch falling pastel dust. I put this one under the board between the board and easel tray. I make this piece stick out a couple of inches, and then curve it up to catch whatever falls. It sometimes catches the falling pastel pieces when I slip up and drop them. My third level of defense is a little carpet sample piece that I keep right in front of the easel. Any extra dust settles into the carpet, which I vacume (we have a hepa vacume, which seems ok), or when I’m really on the ball, I take it outside to shake it out. It’s just a little 2′x3′ cheapy carpet sample square from the fabric store, so when it gets too grungy I won’t feel too bad about replacing it. I can’t tell you how many pastels that little carpet piece has saved from shattering. Hope this helps!
I’m so impressed with your blog. I just found it today, so haven’t gotten to know you yet
Thank-You Nathalie for all of your suggestions. I will definitely try the first two. I do have an old sheet I use for a “drop cloth”, but your carpet piece sounds like a much better idea! thanks for all of the suggestions!!!