This month the theme of the my newsletter is "Puppies". You will soon see why when you watch the video of a real puppy rescue that I was privileged to participate in recently along with some extraordinarily brave and compassionate children aged 12 to 3. It was amazing to observe first hand, the love and commitment that some people have for animals in need. I hope it will touch something deep in your soul as it did mine. Two by Two Animal Rescue began seven years ago when Sonya Smith began feeding strays in her town, Helena, AL. She noticed another concerned citizen had been leaving food for them too, and left a note in a bowl. The note was found. They met and combined their efforts to rescue the many stray dogs dodging traffic. Their work continues today on a grander scale, striving to save the lives of unwanted, abused, and abandoned animals. This month when you purchase ANYTHING from Cathartic Designs, 10% of sales will go to support Two By Two!For this Thanksgiving Season: "Gratitude Unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance. chaos into order, confusion into clarity... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and makes mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. Melodie Beattie
Sometimes a titles for my paintings come unexpectedly. I was in a pet store with one of my grandchildren looking at rabbits and hamsters. We were next to the puppies for sale and a little girl was asking her Mother about the different kinds of dogs. The lady pointed to one announcing that it was a Bassett Hound and her daughter said, "Do they live in Baskets?" It was too cute not to paint so that is how Basket Hounds came to be.
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After several requests for Boston Terrier paintings, I decided to get to work on one. Since I like to have the breed name in the title, The Boston Tea Party came readily to mind. I love the cuteness of this breed, their little inquisitive faces and happy personalities. Boston Tea Party has been one of our most popular prints.
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This little Beagle was sitting tied to a bicycle rack outside a store waiting for his owner to return. The owner was close to the store window and kept looking out so I knew the puppy was safe but he looked so little and scared of all the traffic going by, that I stayed to make sure the owner did come and get him. When, later that week one of my grandson's was watching and episode of "Underdog", I remembered the little Beagle and put him under the protection of a Great Dane.
Ezine special: Save $10 off Underdog when you use coupon code 'lovedogs' w/o the '.Question for Charlotte: Is there anything about the autumn season that is special for you regarding your painting?I have always loved Autumn colors. I use a lot of reds, oranges and yellows in most of my paintings, the sky is a different blue from summer and it really sets off the autumn hues. Though I think every season has it's own special beauty, Fall has a kind of bitter-sweetness to it that touches something deep inside me. It makes me want to lie back on the grass and watch the leaves fall or rake them into big piles for jumping into like when I was a child. The crisp air is such a welcome relief from the muggy Alabama Summer days. When the grass turns brown and slick I love surfing the hills on pieces of cardboard with my grandchildren. I guess Autumn just has an aura that speaks to me. Maybe it is the colors, like a last hurrah before the grayness of winter, or maybe it's the excitement of the coming holidays, whatever it is there is an electricity in the air that is very paint-worthy. Brad had been dating Elaine for months and had fallen in love with her. After much planning and hand wringing, he finally gathered the courage to declare his love and pop the big question. "Being a bachelor is great", Brad began, "but in every man's life there comes a time when he yearns for the company of another individual, someone who will consider him perfect like a hero; someone he can treat as completely his own; who will be caring and true during difficult times; and who will share his delights and sorrows. Much to his joy, Brad saw an understanding look dawning in Elaine's eyes. Nodding her head in agreement, Elaine declared, "What a great idea, Brad! I just know I can help you find the perfect puppy!" "You Turkey!"
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I just love making people smile. My hope is that my art catches people off guard, and makes them laugh in unexpected, silly ways. Much of my art includes animals, and I think by portraying their beauty and devotion in playful ways, it will bring awareness to the need for all of us to take loving care of all the animals in our beautiful world. Each month, I will answer a question in the hope that it will encourage you, the reader, to expand your awareness of your own artistic nature. Just play and have fun, like you did when you were a child! I will also reveal the story behind my art. For each featured piece, you will learn how the idea came to me, and see the fun I had creating each piece. And I will offer my suggestions for the perfect place in your home or workplace for that piece of art. I want to encourage you to have fun, and feel free to be playful in life. I truly believe, when we feel happy, we can reach out and share that happiness with each other and with animals. Good things will naturally happen when happy people open their hearts. I am thankful for organizations like Two by Two and Delta Rescue who recognize the value of all of God's creatures and have the heart to save and care for animals in distress. I wish for each of you a Happy Thanksgiving and that you may find many things in your life to be grateful for in the coming holiday season.
"This whole video, shot during the actual rescue is too long to show. So it begins here somewhere toward the middle of the process talking to one of the children who went under the house to retrieve the puppies. We began by putting out good food to distract the mother dogs. This always gets their attention as they subsist on table scraps (if there are any) or scavenging where ever they can.
"Everyone gets into the act, assessing the situation, removing obstacles, learning the value of helping for a noble cause. The winners are not just the puppies who now have a good life but also all of those (even a three -year-old) who learned a lesson in the value of compassion and teamwork."
These are the puppies we rescued. When we first got them out from under the house they were just hours from dying. One of the litter mates had already died. They were covered in ants & fleas and their little tummies so full of worms and parasites that they were literally starving to death. Their young Mom, not much more that a puppy herself, couldn't even produce enough milk for These photos were taken three weeks later when they were healthy and ready for adoption. Aren't they adorable! |
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How fun for Thanksgiving! An apron with the 'guest of honor' right on the front!
them. Now she has been spayed.