Dog Art Today

Letterpress Pit Bull Cards

 

Thank you, Jessi McNamara, for letting me know about the new cards you designed in collaboration with illustrator, Stephanie Fitzsimmons, to benefit Even Chance Pit Bull Advocacy + Resources + Rescue.   All proceeds of these beautiful letterpress cards, starring five different Pit Bulls who have successfully been re-homed, will go directly to Even Chance.  Each card also features a word that describes the dog: forgiving, devoted, resilient, charming, and exuberant.  And the 5-card set is presented in a charming cloth bag. Lovely gift for the Pit Bull-lover in your life.

Order your set at the Even Chance Shop on etsy.

You may remember Jessi's work from the Even Chance Pit Bull Calendar featured here last February.

The Flip Mino with Dog Art

 

Disc Dog from DogPlay

Ta Da!  Day 12 of my 12 days of dog gifts, and I have great suggestion: the Flip Mino with dog art.  If you're not a gadget geek, you may not have heard of this amazing device.  Basically, it's a camcorder that fits in your pocket and allows you to upload your videos directly to the web.  Don't freak out that it sounds too complicated for you.  Several of my friends who are not extraordinarily tech-savvy rave about theirs.

What I love is that you can now personalize the Flip Mino with and image of your dog (email me and I will do it for free) or you can find one with cool dog art or graphics of your breed at CafePress.    And what could be better for a dog lover than a handy little device that lets you video hours of dog antics and share them with the world.  Not cheap at $179.00 (and $229.99 for HD) but not crazy expensive either for all it can do.

For more in depth info read Cnet's review.  Or watch Mike Weland, the technology reporter at Free Press, review his in this YouTube video.

 

Dog Bones and Paws from OtterTail Art

Eye See You! from Shelter Shack

Border Collie from JillyJax Pet Art

Pekingese from Maggie Ross

See more Flip Minos with dog art at CafePress.

Pierre Bonnard's Late Interiors at the Met

Before Dinner, 1924

Day 11 of my Dog Art Gift Guide:  A trip to the Met to see Pierre Bonnard's Late Interiors.  Yes, this is probably a fantasy gift unless you live in NYC, but a girl can dream.

The exhibition runs from January 27 - April 19, 2009.   Click here for more information.

Related links:
Pierre Bonnard's Dachshunds
Bonnard's Dog Art Still Needs a Home

Dog Breed Ornaments by Mary Ann Varanelli

Sheltie

Day 10 of my gift guide was a nice surprise.  I wanted to feature ornaments, but since interesting, artistic, dog-centric ornaments are harder to find than you might think, I was about to give up.   So when Mary Ann Varanelli sent me these photos, I looked no further.  Each ornament is made of hand dyed wool, felted for softness and durability, with glass bead eyes and  eco-friendly fiberfill stuffing.  Super sweet works of Christmas dog art for your tree.

Rottweiler





Chinese Crested





Fox Terrier





Wire Haired Dachshund

See more breeds and place your order at Best Friends Studios.

Dog Breed Portraits from Ballard Design

Shih Tzu

I usually like to feature individual artists and handmade items here.  But I am intrigued by this line of dog prints from Ballard Design, so I thought I would share.  First, I think they are very charming.  I like the "hand written" descriptions of the breeds and the neutral colored images against the black frame.   I also appreciate the extensive list of breeds they offer, 98 in total.  And, I am impressed that the artistic husband and wife team, Vivienne and Sponge, turned their artwork into a mass market product line, while still incorporating a cottage industry vibe -- each print is hand colored.

I know a lot of artists read this blog, and becoming a "corporate" artist may not be for everyone, but it's inspiring to see dog art going mainstream and still looking good. 

(Note: the images became a little blurry when enlarged.  Visit Ballard Design to get a clearer picture.  Also be aware that prints are available online only.)

Scottie




Basset Hound




Portuguese Water Dog




Cairn Terrier

P.S. Since many shipping deadlines are fast approaching, I am speeding up my 12 days of Christmas in order to get the whole gift guide completed by tomorrow (hopefully).