Dog Scratchin' Kickstarter Rewards

I am so jazzed about these Postcards, Greeting Cards and Magnets. Those of you who pledged at less than $50.00 will be receiving these sometime around the 3rd week of June. The rest of you will get them in the fall when you get your books and such. Got to conserve mailing $$. I'm hitting the road to visit friends and to teach scratchboard workshops for Ampersand. In between I will be hand-coloring the postcards in the evening.(two top images) I finished folding all of the greeting cards (bottom left) almost right after the UPS truck pulled away from the house.  They are so cool. All of it. The project is moving right along nicely. I've done over 60 dog drawings...still a few more to do. In the doing, I have become a better artist. I thank each and every one of you for giving me this opportunity.

Another Day, Another Dog

This is Eleanor, also known as 'Nooney'. She was one of the first black dogs for me to draw. This is the 3rd version. I'm still not certain that this is the one. Drawing the black dogs on the black surface of the Ampersand scratchboard should be easy, right? What I've found, with my style, they end up looking too much like 'cartoon' dogs.  I know, I know, my style is kind of cartoony anyway. With the drawing of over 60 different dogs, I have been changing it up, and becoming a better artist. At least I think so. There may be a different version later, stay tuned.
Anyhow, she was rescued as a puppy, full of fleas with 3 different kinds of worms, on a busy logging road. She was unfazed by the danger and she grew up to be a 95 lb Flat Coat Retriever. The folks who rescued her kept her, and loved her until her death this past April 1st. They like to think they will "meet up with her in a place with a beautiful meadow with trees, a swimming pool, and a ribs joint"
Sounds good to me!

Dog Day Morning!

This is Greenbean. He is featured on the Greeting Card that will be sent out to many of the pledge levels on the kickstarter project. The story is, the folks at the shelter he was in for 5 years, cried and hugged Emily who adopted him. He had been there all that time after being rescued from a home (and I use that term lightly) where teenagers burned him with cigarettes. He also has a scar on his nose from a fight in his youth. Emily wanted small and young, instead large and older came her way. You don't always get what you want...sometimes you get what you need, in spite of what you think. I did 2 versions of him. I like this one best. So it goes into the book!
 I'm off to ride my bike in circles around the lake. Good, hot, fun!

Dogs, Dogs, Dogs!

Today I photographed and wrapped all the finished boards up to be stashed away until it's time to scan and send off to the designer. They have filled up my little house for the past two months, and I'm missing them already. Next step is to get all the stories together to  edit and prepare them for the pages. So much to juggle. I'm up for it. This book is going to be so great, I'm excited beyond belief. I'm going to be doing some traveling, but in the meantime, I'll put up a new dog on this blog just about every day. This is Mirabelle. Also known as 'Monsterbelle'.  Been loving hearing the stories and getting to know these dogs through looking at the photos and drawing them. So much fun! If you have any interest in being in the book with your dog(s), click on the link to the right and check out the project. Funding has ended on kickstarter, but I can squeeze a few more in. You'll have to contact me here and make arrangements for the pledge amount. I'm hoping to be all done drawing dogs by the end of June, so don't put it off for too long.  And yes, I will be doing a Cat version in the fall.

Dog Scratchin' Book

This is the official site to get all the latest info on the Dog Scratchin' book. It all started with a kickstarter project, and my desire to do something to help all of the dogs who are still needing a home sweet home.  Thus far I have drawn over 50 dogs, from around the country, for the book using Ampersand Art scratchboard and inks. You can see some of them over at the other blog.  I will eventually put many of them up here, as well as information about ordering your own copy of the book.