Hamster Smack Down

Lately I've been doing a series of cartoons featuring my dog Stella.  This one's called Hamster Smack Down.  Anyone who has ever had dogs and hamsters in the same house will appreciate the hours of "entertainment" one provides the other.

Cartoon Stella amuses me, so I thought I'd share one version each week, and see where it takes me. Let me know what you think!

Palm Beach Pooch

I'm just back from a weekend wedding near Palm Beach, Florida, but around the celebration I had time to stop in at the Flagler Museum, the former mansion of an oil and shipping magnate, and now a National Historic Landmark open to the public (that's me).

 When the house was completed in 1902, the New York Herald proclaimed it to be "more wonderful than any palace in Europe, grander and more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world." Well lah-ti-dah! 

To enjoy the interior of the house on a personal level you would have to be a fan of gilding -- gilded ceilings, walls, furniture, you name it -- but I am not.  So, while the rooms were lavish and life was good, what interested me more were the photos of the Flaglers with their beloved American Eskimo dog Delos.

Here's Delos pictured with his "mom" Mary;

And here he is hanging out with "dad" Henry Flagler.  Since Delos seems quite comfortable riding on Henry Flagler's lap in the bike chair in this photo, I imagine he was allowed on the furniture somewhere in the house, if not in the grand ballroom.

I also took a shot of this nifty dog sculpture on the mantle in one of the bedrooms (right next to a gilded candle and wall sconce). No idea about the artist, unfortunately.

Back to the easel for now. If you'd like to commission a portrait, you know where to find me.

Spring Inspirations

Spring came very early to the Northeast where I live this year, and though I'm nervous that early spring means we have a broiling summer in store, the flowers blooming everywhere are gorgeous -- and inspiring.  The color scheme of one of my latest portraits, below, was certainly influenced by all the pinks and purples on view in my neighborhood.

This portrait of a Weimeraner is a 12 x 12 inch gallery-wrapped acrylic on canvas. I had fun expressing the dog's gray coat in these spring-like purple, blue and pink tones.  I think it gives her a very soulful, feminine look.

Here's where I got my color inspiration: pink dogwood blossoms;

My daughter's Converse (technically not blossoms, but still within the color scheme);

Violets, vinca and other wildflowers.

Happy spring! If you'd like to order your own Rainbowdog, you know where to find me: janet@rainbowdog.net.

Lucky Friday the 13th

Just wanted to share this beautiful Tarot card of "The Fool" in honor of Friday the 13th.  I love the sunny yellow color in this image, but what puts it over the top for me is the dog down in front.

Enjoy the weekend!

Changes in the Air

I haven't been very active on the blog in the past few months, but behind the scenes I've been working feverishly to update my website, create a new body of original work to sell, and learn some new techniques for sharing all my activity with you.

I'll be able to go public with most of the new stuff next week, but I have implemented a NEW newsletter to share with my collectors and friends. The inaugural issue is almost ready to launch, and you can sign up to get it via email in the box on the left. I promise it will be fun, informative, and maybe include a few special deals for subscribers.

The newsletter is powered by MailChimp, a fantastic FREE service that lets me easily communicate with you, while protecting your privacy. (I'm pretty big on privacy, so that tells you I'm definitely older than 20.) Plus, their logo is a monkey --what could be better?

More details to follow, but in the meantime, enjoy the spring and stay tuned.

P.S. As always, if you'd like to commission a Rainbowdog portrait, you can shoot me an email, or just write and tell me what a great dog you have.