OSCAR ATE MY MUFFIN

Wicked Wonderful Autumn (Part 1)

Kicking off this first feature, from a whole week (stay tuned!) of autumn-inspired posts (brought to you by the letter "W"!) we'd be remiss if we didn't launch out of the gate directly into the changing leaves of the New England deciduous forest. Because let's be honest - there's nothing quite like it.

Oscar always adores a good stroll through the woods, but the transformation that takes place this time of year - the one that warms even the chilliest air with the glow of cadmium orange and schoolbus yellow, and that fills your nostrils with the sweet, earthy scent of decaying vegetation - it's a scene that makes us both honest to goodness okay with the passing of summer. You know the feeling, and you can't help but love it. We'll take "Wandering Woods Walks" FTW.

Introduction to: Wicked Wonderful Autumn...

Oscar has had his sniffer to the horizon lately, detecting the imminent return of a ghoulish old friend. Tough as it may be to stomach after such a prize-winning summer, winter... yes... WINTER... is on it's way. Again. Right on schedule, really. But even if you cringe at the thought of ice-crusted sidewalks and sundown at 4pm (because who knows what's hiding in all that frigid dark!), you gotta admit that this moment we're in right now - this glorious, fire-hued, pie-spiced, nip-in-the-air spectacle that is AUTUMN - this is one helluva great, bountiful, bewitching season; and this year, the Beast and I have been living it large...

Roadtrips, forest adventures, seasonal treats, and playdates with the best of the besties - we've definitely been reveling in the bennies of Fall... and we've made a curious discovery: many of our favorite items and activities start with the letter "W" - go figure!

With that in mind, to share the last month of our autumn-awesome with you, dear readers, Oscar and I have put together a series of illustrated posts, each lovingly:


The first Wicked Wonderful post goes up on Monday, and we'll have a new feature to share each day through Friday - so, keep those leaf-peeping eyes peeled, friends!

*Can't wait for Monday? You could always while away an hour or two this weekend baking up a batch of our favorite seasonally appropriate pumpkin pup-treats! (simple, tasty, AND you get to break out the cookie cutters!)

**Oh yeah - and Happy Howloween, y'all - BOO!

Drawing All Dogs (And Inspiration)

It's not hard to deduce that my heart belongs to one dog, and one (big, red, lazy) dog only, but when it comes to drawing, I'm far from exclusive. If I've got a sketchbook in hand, you can bet the awkward bob of a passing poodle, or the smushed-in mug of a pug will appear somewhere on a page; mixed breed or pure, plucky puppy or geriatric, I'll bliss out at the chance to draw them all. In addition to good practice, impromptu portraits of furry friends and strangers can become useful reference and inspiration for future projects as well. Case in point - meet Charlie and Henry!


Charlie and Henry, both rescues, belong to some good friends down south. I only met them in person a few weeks ago (during which time I sketched the sleeping beasts at the top of this post), but this past spring, working from photos, I incorporated Charlie's shaggy face into a commission for a pet magazine based in the UK (good reference photos for me are always key to great finished work, but good reference photos of animals in my personal orbit provide an added narrative bonus, and make the end result that much more personal).

The fully illustrated article, titled "The more the merrier?", appeared in the summer issue of My VIP magazine and explores the effort involved in managing multi-species households. My artwork graces both a title page and a double-page spread. Charlie (who isn't, in reality, a social butterfly himself) seemed like an appropriate ambassador for a paragraph on how to carefully introduce two dogs in order to ensure a successful first impression, and perhaps more importantly - to avoid fisticuffs (let's just say, Oscar and I have a little experience in this department...). 



Notice that handsome Dane on the title page? He's inspired by a few local friends as well! The beautiful brother and sister pair, King & Storm, were the subjects of a 13 Project post from a few winters back... when it came time to anchor my title page composition with something solid and sculptural, how could I resist the urge to use a likeness of these steely grey muses?


*Since this is a dog blog, I won't go into detail about a certain feline acquaintance who also earned a cameo in this set of illos, but for the record (D&K, take note), sweet old Monty... he's in there. So you see, you just never know where inspiration sits twitching it's ears...

Dog Days & Dandelions

Here in New England, the traditionally sultry months of July and August are known affectionately as the dog days of summer. The term goes back to Greek and Roman times when it paired with the celestial phase of Sirius, the dog star. The Romans weren't fans of this heated season and believed it to be inherently evil, though today, amidst barbecues, beach trips and pool parties, the only disappointment one could project onto this last glorious stretch of summer is the fact that fall, and the bitter backslide into winter, will be following on it's heels.

But why bemoan the future when you can lie belly-up in the 80-degree present - the smell of sweetgrass around you and the sound of crickets in your ears? King of living in the moment (and master extraordinaire of sunbathing) Oscar dog likes nothing more than to spend a sunny August afternoon baking himself on a bright patch of green... which typically leaves me surrounded by vegetation and in need of an activity. Enter: the floral garland.

Favorite pastime of children the world over, weaving wildflower stems into crowns, necklaces and irregular lengths of rope is a satisfying way to kill outside time while pretty much guaranteeing a novel temporary accessory. There are myriad ways to braid plant bodies, and countless species that will oblige, but we like the following trusty combination: 



Not a fan of getting your hands sticky and culling all those beautiful yellow blossoms? Not to worry - dandelions have equally entertaining potential in their afterlives: as wind-spirited pom-poms and the skyward vehicles of wishes...
And on that note... stay cool out there, dear readers. 

Splendor in the Solstice

If there's one thing Oscar dog knows how to do, it's stretch himself out long and flat on a plush patch of grass and RELAX. Today, June 21, 2014 marks the summer solstice, and we're celebrating this magnificent longest day of the year by luxuriating in all the glory that is sunshine, birdsong, and barefeet... 

Dear Summer: PLEASE STAY.

The Return of Dogpants and... Donuts?

Dearest readers,
best dog friends, fans of fine donuts, and alllll of the lovers...

Sooo, let's just never mind the fact that you've seen neither hide nor hair of the Beast and I in... nearly four months... Yeesh. *One should really only indulge in so many self-shaming apology posts before pathetic tedium sets in, SO - to put your minds at ease, we're both 100% tip-top - even better, in fact. We've been up to our eyeballs in (hard-earned) wonderful, and our radio silence has had nothing to do with calamity (OK, there was that one close encounter involving an ambulance - but sometimes all it takes is a good scare to throw the doors wide open on your beautiful life... yeah - THAT).

Moving forward into this fiery new Year of the Horse (be still my equine-aligned astrological heart!) we've got some brilliant things to share; a speck of breathing room in which to share it; and a whole lot of missing-the-act-of-sharing to keep us rolling. AND - kicking off the newest news is a moment of jolly celebration... for, lest anyone had forgotten - a certain red-wheaten someone turned a whole year older (and 365 days grumpier!) this past March 27th. GAH! And just like that, my big, beautiful boy is NINE years old...

As per tradition, meatloaf cake (with or without a bun) will make it's annual appearance, but on the fine afternoon of the actual day, the most appropriate indulgence I could imagine was a jaunt to our neighborhood nook of sugary sin - Union Square Donuts. This baller little pastry joint just happens to turn out the finest donuts - IN ALL OF BOSTON - a deliciously true story which Oscar-dog finally got a chance to confirm.

Happy Birthday, my sweet, sweet boy...

*And if you've ever wondered what a dog in donut-fueled ecstasy looks like, imagine the following... He was actually only allowed one - the Maple Glazed Bacon (because, duh) - but my-oh-my what a treat...

Giving Thanks (for Oscar Dog)

Pretty much everyone who has ever met Oscar has promptly joined his fanclub. Even the people whose picnics he has ruined (yes, that's 'picnics', plural); even the ones he has grumbled at startled the socks off of on first meeting; probably most especially those that work for weeks and months, slipping treats and cooing compliments, to finally win a nuzzle or friendly tail wag... see, the only way to enter this guy's circle is to earn it. But oh, how you'll want to earn it. Behind the intimidating 95lbs of dog, there's a softness to his eyes - a pensive, soulful depth. This Beast has PRESENCE - and it's magnetic. I will take credit for keeping him healthy, happy, obscenely well-fed, and in good company nearly 24hrs a day, but let me make something clear: when you see us strolling the sidewalks, I'm with him. (*This statement has nothing to do with leash-training and everything to do with attitude.)

I had little idea that such a complex character would devlop from the Buddha-bellied little puppy I brought home nearly nine years ago, though one thing is certainly clear: I wouldn't be anywhere near the joyful thrill-ride I'm on now if it weren't for this sweet Beast... and for that, every day, I am grateful.

Here's wishing you, dear readers, a day of peace, indulgence and wholehearted celebration, in thanks for all of your beloveds and sweet Beasts...


Oscar is, as you see, rather easy on the eyes, but few have captured him through a camera lens as beautifully as the talented Kimberly Wang (brilliant photographer, storyteller and fellow dog-blogger) - her careful eye is behind all the photos in this post - she's even photographed me (below) photograhing the Beast... *Did I mention I also count blessings for my tremendously creative crew of friends?

Scratchbook Beast

Oscar and I are super fans of the canine designy-goodness blog, DogMilk, so of course we were enthusiastic and a half when the site rolled out a new monthly feature last January: The Scratchbook. Celebrating the work of talented illustrators who happen to have a passion for dogs, the Scratchbook posts the first monday of each month - and gracing this October 4th, guess who made a red wheaton appearance? Why, none other than the Beast! Oscar posed for an exclusive illo (pictured above), which included not only his giant head, but that of DogMilk's own charismatic mascots, Wrigley and Smash. *No muffins were harmed in the creation of this image...

Huge thanks to DogMilk editor, Capree Kimball!! 

Safety First

It's happening... the air is once again smelling of wool sweaters and cinnamon, and pumpkin lovers are rejoicing at the newest flavor of the month. Up in Vermont, the surest indicator of autumn's snug return is the donning of the safety orange accessories. Rifle season (for whitetails) won't start until mid-November, but the archers were let loose this past weekend and wise individuals now exercise caution whenever setting out for a stroll through the increasingly leafless woods.

Since O-Town here (not to be confused with any sort of wise individual) uncannily matches the shape and coloration of a white-tailed cervid, and has the acorn-sized brain of a turkey, a few pieces of blinding outerwear are required outdoor dress in order to ID him as someone's companion... Bonus benny: After decking out in this much electric tangerine, the Beast could easily pick up a few extra shifts as a canine crossing guard! That's totally a thing, right?

Dress Up Day With Forêt

Saturday mornings are made for leisurly strolls - and what better destination for a weekend spin than a pop-up farmer's market inside a handsome Anthropologie store in Harvard Square? Last Saturday that's straight where we headed, and despite tables of enticing nibbles made by local foodie superstars, Oscar navigated a thick crowd with me in order to say hello to some of his favorite Fringe studio-mates: the lovely ladies of Forêt.

Forêt floral design studio creates bespoke arrangements (of the jaw-droppingly gorgeous kind) for all manner of events; they also make regular appearances at local markets and maker fairs, where they sell bundles of blooms, boutonieres, wreaths, garlands and this past Saturday - floral crowns. That's right - gone is the day when a flower crown meant a bright yellow braid of sticky dandilion stems... Erin and Rose (the "ladies" in "ladies of Forêt") are bringing Pretty back, one fresh accessory at a time, and on this particular day their handiwork took the form of winterberry constellations twisting through evergreen sprigs... and I couldn't resist.

While it's true that Oscar will put up with some truly undignified games of dress-up, the only headwear that stands even a partial chance of staying put on his sleek noggin needs to be tied down something fierce - definintely not the best arrangement for a delicate chain of plant limbs. Lucky for us, dog necks make far more appropriate (and much less ridiculous) locations for adornment, so we turned our floral crown into a custom collar -> Pretty problem solved.




Sorry, sweet boy, so much for dignity... (at least there were french fried rewards at the end of this torture - that's a fair trade, right?!).