WHAT'S UP, DOG?

WHAT'S UP, DOG?
Hey there! Welcome to my blog. I'm a free dog living in Portugal and I write about my life as an artist and street dog. This blog is a way for me to have more of a connection with other dogs (and people), to share ideas, experiences and some of my art. I love to hear what others have to say so feel free to comment on any of the posts or to contact me via e-mail. If it's your first time here, you might want to check out my first post and read on from there. You can also have a look at my profile in the column to the right.
Tchao-wow,
Ruca

Friday, May 20, 2011

Exhibitionists or artists? Is there a difference?

I just saw a notice for a painting exhibition opening at the No9 Tasca Bar (click the green text for more info) here in the village. It’s this Saturday night at 10. I hope to sneak in and have a look. The paintings are by a man I met here in Burgau a couple of years ago. Last year Michael started painting in acrylics (he had done some painting before but it was theatre set painting which is another thing altogether) and he asked me if I would add a dog to a painting he was planning to do. I was happy to make my mark on his work. He had a particular image in his mind of Murphy, a very handsome and chilled out dog who had been rescued from an animal shelter just a couple of months earlier.

Michael working on another acrylic

We went down to the slipway and had Murphy pose, looking out to sea. The idea was that Murphy was dolphin watching.  So, from the photo we took of Murphy sitting on the slipway, Michael painted the whole scene and when he was finished he handed the canvas off to me and I added Murphy. I was a little nervous working on someone else’s painting so I did a sketch first to get a feel for what I was going to do and also to let Michael see it and be sure that it was going to be okay. 
watercolour pencil preliminary sketch of Murphy

Even though the sketch was done with watercolour pencils, it still gave me a feel for what I needed to do later with the acrylics on Michael’s canvas. Here's the finished painting.
"Dolphin Watching", Michael Fuller & Ruca, acrylic on canvas, 50cm x 60 cm

"Dolphin Watching" detail

I'm hoping everyone at No9 Tasca Bar likes dogs so that I can hang around and have a good look at what Michael's been working on this past winter. Actually, digging up the photos of our collaborative piece and the preliminary sketch has got me itching to do another acrylic so that's my next project. Here’s a little teaser for you. This will be the photo I’ll work from. 
inspiration for my next painting
 Now it's off to tackle some preliminary sketches!

Tchao-wow

7 comments:

  1. Hi Ruca, Likewise I have now discovered your blog and had a look through....it's great. You did a really good job with the painting of Murphy. I've thought about doing a blog for William (our lurcher) as though he is writing it!?! still undecided on that one, but if I do I'll put mention of it on my posts.

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  2. Ann, I'd love to hear any observations from William - directly from the dog's mouth,as it were. Maybe he could guest blog on yours occasionally. Can he type? Could you be his secretary?

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  3. Hi Ruca, I think it is now official that I have gone totally 'barking mad'....take a look over at my blog for the latest! Many thanks, great fun and a William blog will follow soon:)

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  4. Wonderful. Life from your vantage is great. Love the drawings

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  5. Thanks Suzanne! I noticed that you're considering a blog all about your pugs. Needless to say I look forward to it.

    Tchao-wow!

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