OSCAR ATE MY MUFFIN

An Unprecedented Best Friend

Oscar is a dream come true in so many ways, but "friendly to all" is not a mantle that has ever fit him well. He is, let's just say, supremely choosy about who he'll let into his bubble (and if you make it in, you best not push your luck). I don't fault him for this personality trait one bit, but it did take years to get used to and train around, and to this day, if there's another dog in the vicinity, I've got one eye squarely on him - watching for any hint of foreboding body language.

Then along came Maisey...

Maisey is to Oscar what a gecko might be to a komodo dragon - squirrelly to his stately, submissive to his assertive, and "on" to his more frequent than not "off". Yet literally the day these two met (as newfound studio mates about a year ago) Oscar decided this freckly, 35lb little princess would get the mother of all hall-passes in his book. Among her more high-value allowances: she can drink from his water bowl, steal treats from a hand outstretched to his patient nose, clamber into my lap while he's getting a head scratch, and even snuggle onto his bed - with him still on it! (this, btw, is possibly the most heart-warming thing I've ever seen him tolerate...)


Maybe the old man has become too lazy to waste energy on correcting her youthful exuberance, but I prefer to think that Maisey's charms are just a cut above all those who've come before. For reasons my pale human senses will never understand, the chemistry between these two simply neutralizes all ills.

Wicked Wonderful Autumn (Part 3)

We all have that one friend... you know - that easy-going, good looking guy or gal who charms everyone they meet, is always excited to see you, and spends their summers in well-traveled fashion somewhere in the French Alps. For Oscar, that friend is Meeko (and yeah, he really does spend his summers in the Alps!).

Not only is Meeko a pretty terrific dude, he also has the distinction of being one of a select few dogs with whom Oscar has successfully vacationed. Oscar is a reasonable beast, of course, but he has his ways, and it isn't often that he meets another canine whose personal style seems to naturally diffuse all potential for territoriality, while simultaneously inspiring a laughable amount of play bows... for these qualities, Meeko is the MAN in our book. The two of them together made famous roomies for one outstanding fall weekend this year, and when the cool New England air got under their skin, and the woodland scents of the season piqued their drive, the romping and wrestling round the house began... and it. was. joyful.

For this third post in our week-long autumn highlight reel, we celebrate all those besties who make an already great day 100 times more fun: Here's to you, Meeko-boy, we can't wait to share the mountain trails and woodstove vibes with you on our next retreat.

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...

Woods Walks With Wee Friends

What better way to start a Saturday morning than with an early-hour woods walk! OK, truth be told, I reeeeeally wanted a few more hours of sleep today... but I had some inexplicably chipper outside influence urging the Beast and I out of the house and into the car, and yes, you bet it was worth it in the end. What was it that made today special (and warranted the acceptance of a temporary sleep defecit)? Today's sun-shiny, pre-breakie field trip was made with the loveliest of friends - one of whom is Oscar's bestie: Cosmo Porkchop St. Pierre. Yup, that's quite a name... for a chihuahua... but this Wee Beast OWNS it.



O-Town and CosmoTron are both studio dogs, so they see each other reguarly "at the office". Encounters usually consist of Cosmo reservedly peeking his snout around the corner of my space, causing Oscar to prance forward into a hulking play bow... which sends Cosmo skittering back towards his space, growling all the way (lest he be the recipient of a canine dope slap to the noggin).

I like to think these two pups are "friends", but it's probably more accurate to just say they tolerate each other. On days like today, in wide open spaces, they rather conspicuously carry on as if the other were simply not there. This is a perfectly acceptible situation, but not one you would expect would lead to Cosmo donning a birthday hat decorated with a bright red "O" this past March... and yet, he did. Why? Because he's a dog. And when you don't have the neurons for extensive comprehnsion, and your crafty mamma says it's party time - you wear the paper hat and humor your human in the hope that it leads to a treat...

Rescued Bestie Feature No.7 (Celebrity Edition): Maddie the Coonhound!

Initiative: Rescued Bestie Feature, in collaboration with The 13 Project
Featured Canine: Maddie, 3 y/o Red Tick Coonhound 
Rescue Facilitator: Cobb County Animal Shelter, Marietta, GA

Despite what some may think, rescued and re-homed dogs are every bit as beautiful, trainable, loving and faithful as those born to champion parents, and in some cases, they actually exceed expectations for canine greatness in the most outstanding of ways. For our newest "Rescued Bestie" post, we're featuring a very special, red-freckled little lady who has managed to capture the attention of the entire internet due to a handy talent for balancing on things. If that tip didn't have you squealing "Maddie the Coonhound!", you've clearly been away from your computer too long, and you best read closely - this is one rescue story to top them all.

What we know of Maddie's story began in Georgia, in 2011, where a 29 y/o Theron Humphrey found her in the Cobb County Animal Shelter. Theron, a professional photographer, was about to embark on a year-long, 50-state tour via pick-up truck, and channeling a vision of the great John Steinbeck, he posited that the best companion for such a trip was a dog: a hound dog, to be exact, just like the ones he'd grown up surrounded by in North Carolina. Upon examining his adoptable options, his initial meet and greet with then one y/o Maddie was not the moment of insta-love that he had imagined - the "spark" it seemed just wasn't there. But on the walk back to her kennel, where he intended to return her, Maddie (perhaps sensing the urgency of the opportunity) leaned into his leg with every step... and as anyone who has ever been solicited for attention by a 4-paw will agree - it's darn hard to say no to that touch.

Maddie went home with Theron that day, and they've been inseparable ever since - most of that time has been spent on the road. Besides the obvious companionship, Theron is quick to point out that Maddie has grounded his perspective in a number of important ways; at the head of the list: "She always wakes up in a good mood. She's always pumped about life." Leave it to a hound dog to dispense the daily affirmation.

Theron's cross-country trek was originally motivated by a single "Wild Idea" (a project well worth checking out, if you're into great photography and powerful story-telling) - but as luck would have it, a second wild idea (that began as a test shot, and evolved into an epic series) was born on the trip - ignited by one gifted pup through the lens of an iPhone on the interwebs. And it wasn't long before Maddie's talents were being shared around the world. 

On the back of a horse in South Dakota; inside a refrigerator in San Francisco; straddling the gap between two shopping carts in Wisconsin - it didn't seem to matter where Theron placed her, but when he gave the command, Maddie was a natural pro at holding a pose. And with each new set-up in each new state, Theron snapped a photo and passed it on to his followers via Instagram. The photos led to followers, the followers became a following, the following led to a book deal, the book release went on tour - and just like that, Maddie and Theron ended up in Boston this past May, speaking about their travels, and stamping the inside covers of hundreds of copies of Maddie on Things.


If you've been following Maddie's documented travels, you've probably been impressed by what a strikingly calm, zen-like hound she appears to be - how else would a mere pup be able to perch atop the fine rim of a basketball hoop, or contort within the pear-shaped confines of a guitar case, if it weren't for exceptional focus and naturally steady poise. Well, having met this fine young canine in person, I can tell you - she's every bit the graceful star when the cameras switch on... but at the end of an exhausting day, with hours of quieted exuberance wound up like a spring - when given a "release" from her duties, this stayed and obedient girl is refreshingly still a DOG. And good gracious does she know how to shake the hell out of a squeaky toy... 

I love flipping through Maddie's year in deliciously clever photos - each image a frozen moment of whimsical contemplation and reflection - but I absolutely ADORED real-time Maddie, who pounced and bounced and shook and spun and reminded everyone there to witness it that the secret to a rich life is a balance of stillness and motion, of elegant control and rapturous spontaneity. Clearly, this dog does always wake up pumped about life - what dog doesn't?! The fact that her soulmate found her in the concrete barracks of county animal control is really just the luck of the draw.

*Meet the Maddie on Things book tour in your city (support your local booksellers!), or just keep up to date on where she's been and where she's headed at the Maddie on Tour website.

Rescued Bestie Feature No.6: King & Storm

Initiative: Rescued Bestie Feature, in collaboration with The 13 Project
Featured Canines: Storm (left) & King (right), 4 y/o Great Danes 
Rescue Facilitator: Great Danes Around New England & Big Fluffy Dog Rescue

King and Storm, a steely-blue Great Dane brother and sister pair, first appeared on my radar when I spied them in an urgent post on facebook from the Big Fluffy Dog Rescue (a network of locations from states in the South all the way thru New England). In a photo, the two stood shoulder to shoulder on a beach, and they were... MAGNIFICENT. Danes often have a grand nobility about them (when they're not goofing about like Marmaduke, of course) - these two might as well have been wearing crowns. They were just the type of dogs I internet-stalk late at night (a perverse kind of window-shopping for animals I can't take in that leaves me wishing I had 100 acres and unlimited resources with which to adopt them all...). 

The most proactive thing I could do to help these particular beauties was to forward the posting to a few friends and cross my fingers that the two would be able to find a home - together. It breaks my heart a little to see adult animals end up in shelters who arrive already bonded to a sibling, relative, or best friend. Rescues know enough to advertise for a home that can absorb the influx of more than one adoptee at a time - to eliminate the additional stress of separation - but these homes are not nearly as common, and the larger the dogs, the lower the chances of finding one. With that in mind, there must have been a Dane-loving spirit watching over this team of heavy-weights, because within 48 hours of their initial facebook posting, Storm and King, together, had found a new forever home. By chance, the couple who took them in were friends of a studio mate, and a week later we were discussing an opportunity to meet up.


It turns out, Kathryn and Doug had been searching for a Dane to add to the family for years. Breeder searches didn't seem to be the answer, so Kathryn made a habit of regularly scanning rescue sites, with hopes that a local beast of their preferred temperament would surface. When King and Storm caught her attention - on the same Friday afternoon that I spied them on facebook - she made an immediate inquiry. The rescue responded right back, with urgency. Apparently, this wasn't the first time the two dogs were surrendered for adoption, and as striking as they were, their reappearance in the system set off a chain of alerts through Great Dane Rescues around New England. 

Expecting the process to take days, even weeks - if they were even selected as adopters - Doug jumped in the car that weekend and headed over to take a look at the siblings, to make a quick assessment before they invested too much effort in the chase... And in case you didn't see it coming, he didn't just give them a star of approval, he drove home with a car unexpectedly full of Great Dane.

Despite the intensely hurried adoption process, King and Storm could not possibly have landed themselves in a more wonderful environment. Kathryn and Doug have done more right in their preparations, rearranging of living quarters, and coordinating professional training consult, than I see most new puppy owners do. Whether it's the physical scale of the situation (the dogs combined weigh roughly 300lbs!), or just a powerful sense of responsibility for these two, sweet animal souls (on their 3rd home in 4 years) the couple wasted no time making the successful integration and well-being of their new family members top priority. Never mind that two massive dog crates now dominate the far end of their tidy living room; excuse the fact that a mattress-sized double dog bed now obscures most of their pretty, patterned area rug; and try not to mistake the tasteful raised feeder under the window sill for a coffee table - Kathryn maintains a lovely home - but what truly ties the interior of this house together is the pair of great, snoozing, grey giants curled into soft boulders on the floor. And having witnessed firsthand the structure and firm but loving guidance that is already shaping a beautiful new human-canine relationship (squared!), my money is on this "forever home" lasting.

Rescued Bestie Feature No.5: Brady

Initiative: Rescued Bestie Feature, in collaboration with The 13 Project
Featured Canine: Brady, 9 y/o Shar-pei 
Rescue Facilitator: North American Shar-pei Rescue

When most people think of a Shar-pei, a blocky, hippo-faced, pig-eared critter with a bristly coat comes to mind... At least that's what present-day breed standards would have us imagine; a neat/lean build, athleticism, and affectionate attitude would not be appropriate associations... until you meet Brady.

A purebred Shar-pei, this jaunty little sweetheart has some of those popularly "correct" SP characteristics, but an AKC specimen he is not* (I've always thought he could easily pass for a creature from Harry Potter's Magical Managerie... he's just that curious in appearance). It was speculated that he found himself on the doorstep of a shelter precisely because of his unconventional looks (the victim of a breeder who would rather abandon a puppy than admit that he/she had bred something so far from the standard), but his exact history wasn't of concern to the couple in Massachusetts who saw his striking mug on the North American Shar-pei Rescue (NASR) website, and immediately fell in love... 

*Coincidentally, Brady looks very similar to old-world, "traditional" Chinese Shar-peis - also known as 'bone-mouth' Shar-peis (a not-so-odd nick-name when considering the moniker of today's exaggerated-type, modern predecessor: the 'meat-mouth'...).

As purebred rescues often do, NASR originally scooped Brady up from a high-kill shelter in Anderson County, South Carolina, and placed him in foster care. I'm told that the shelter he was originally abandoned at euthanizes more dogs in one month than the entire state of Massachusetts does in a year... a staggering, but sadly not uncommon statistic when comparing the state of homeless pets in MA to that in more southerly states. Thankfully, unconventional as he may be, he was still distinctive enough to catch the eye of his breed rescue, and at 6 m/o, Brady was posted to the rescue's Petfinder listing, where he quickly found his forever home with Steve and Andra.


Steve and Andra's previous dog had been a beloved Shar-pei, so they were already familiar with, and quite fond of, the unique quirks of this ancient, Asian breed. When it came time to seek out a new pup, they had a Shar-pei type in mind (thus making them perfect candidates for breed rescue). Lucky for them, there appeared sweet Brady - a perfect match...

Rescued Bestie Feature No.4: Callie

Initiative: Rescued Bestie Feature, in collaboration with The 13 Project
Featured Canine: Callie, 7 y/o herding mix 
Rescue Facilitator: Northeast Animal Shelter, Salem, MA, & Save a Sato

If there is one dog in our neighborhood that can get Oscar's grumpy old bones running, it's Callie. A pistol of a little black & tan girl, Callie pretty much has 2 speeds: frozen (eye's locked on a target), and flat-out running. Though her exact breeding is unknown, she exhibits the classic belly-crawling creep and ankle-nipping dart and dive so characteristic to herders - her body-type backs that up, with a compact, agile frame, and the most lovely, medium-length "sport coat". I've always gotten a chuckle from her perky pigtail ears, which look as though they must surely be tied on by ribbons of some sort - Pippi Dog-stocking style.

Unlike Oscar and his completely ill-suited-to-snowstorms short hair, Callie looks perfectly at home in the moody climate of Massachusetts - you'd never guess that she was born in Puerto Rico... 


Callie is a "sato" - that's slang for "street dog". Roughly 3 years old when she was rescued from scavenging in alleys and sleeping under vehicles, she had already had at least one litter (determined by vet exam). She was taken in by a compassionate non-profit called Save a Sato when she hung around the same back door long enough to be lured inside.

Headquartered in Puerto Rico, but partnered with a handful of select shelters in the Northestern United States, SAS is "dedicated to easing the suffering of Puerto Rico's homeless and abused animals... rescuing satos from the streets and beaches, giving them medical care, food and shelter, and plenty of love". The dogs are cared for in shelters around Puerto Rico, until they can safely be transported north: Thanks to a clever "escort" system through American Airlines, SAS is able to pair their furry cargo with random travelers to the island - the dogs simply become additional checked baggage on return flights home! SAS covers the airfare for the dogs, and their staff takes care of all dog-prep and documentation at either end of a flight - volunteer travelers need only stand as liasons for the animals from port to port - it's a marvelously efficient arrangement...


As for Callie - she may still dream of breezy sunsets on the beach, and rummaging through dumpsters without the confines of a collar and leash... but at the end of each day in this life of hers, I'll bet she also thanks her dog-stars for a warm bed, effortless meals, a terrific family, and bestie beasts like O-Town, who live for a good game of chase, just for the fun of it. 

Rescued Bestie Feature No.3: Serafina

Initiative: Rescued Bestie Feature, in collaboration with The 13 Project
Featured Canine: Serafina, 5 1/2 y/o Plott hound mix 
Rescue Facilitator: Northeast Animal Shelter, Salem, MA

Serafina, since day one of her introduction to the neighborhood 3 years ago, has been a total love of a dog... a snugglebug... a mush when it comes to human attention - but a HOUND at heart, with a nose that will take her anywhere there might be food. One of 13 puppies in a litter originally adopted out from a shelter in West Virginia, she and 4 others were sent north. Rather tragically, two of her northeasterly sibs (both having found a home together in NJ) were killed in an auto accident before they were a year old... but Sera fared much better, and at 12 weeks old she found her forever home with Catherine, a retired librarian, and wonderfully wise older woman.

Sera is a striking brindled Plott hound mix - the streaky, variagated pattern that covers her is one of my very favorite coat colors, though optically, it has a tenency to look grizzled, aged, or muddied - an illustion that can bely the true age of it's wearer. At just over 5 y/o, Sera is nowhere near a senior, and it takes but a rambunctious play bow to confirm it. Catherine, on the other hand, is well beyond anything that could be perceived as rambunctous... and yet, she quite skillfully gave Sera one of the most structured and smart puppydoms possible.


Diligent with her training, tireless in her desire to be the center of Sera's universe, and exceptionally consistent in her routine, Catherine is a woman who both understands dogs, and has the humility to know that physical strength and agility are not the keys to good inter-species communication. She is a brilliant, compassionate soul, and I give her immense credit for taking on the lunacy of such a young hound dog (let's be honest, aaaallll puppies are NUTS!), at a stage when most people would be switching to sedentary house cats.

This being a dog blog, I will leave Catherine's portrait to your imagination, dear readers, but as an assist - what I love most about the vision of Catherine and Sera, together, is that they appear literally cut from the same marled, brindle cloth: a little ragged around the edges, perhaps not as sleek as those around them, but get up close and you discover their vibrance, and their perfect compliment in each other's energies. This exceptionally well-read, unflappable human being, and her bursting-at-the-seams, bright-heart of a dog - together - make one unmatchable pair.

Ty's Tech(amutete)

Remember the little teaser at the end of this post? In case anyone didn't make it over to photographer Ty Foster's blog on Tuesday, pictured above is the full version of my illustrated portrait of his handsome Rhodie, Techamutete - "Tech" for short. From the looks of Ty's photo albums, Tech has the same patient soul as Oscar, and puts up with more than a fair amount of posing, costuming, and close-ups. Good boy, Tech, good boy.