8/27/15 Paintings from The Art Club

The Art Club certainly drew various and differing paintings. The vibe was creative and relaxed. However, the humans were all sad that Dad was several hours late and did not make the Club. Maybe next time.

Jamie painted a geometry-themed abstract that we are calling, “Disobey”. I really think he is on to something with the use of shadows:

The quote on your lower left reads, “Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane.” by Phillip K. Dick

I find Jamie’s painting intriguing, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot. I also like his use of a quotation in the artwork.

Erik made a blended color, fire-breathing dragon. Mom says it reminds her of me! But I think she is kidding.

Is it a love dragon? Is s/he breathing hearts of fire or hearts on fire? There is a softness to the dragon’s face that I like. This is another painting I’m enjoying looking at and thinking about.

Finally, Mom (the tattoo enthusiast) painted a tribal rose on a white background.

Mom says she wants to sharpen the lines a bit now that the painting has dried and add a little more white and highlight in spots, especially amongst the leaves.

All in all, the family had a wonderful time, and agreed that this was the best idea Mom had come up with for a long time. Everybody is looking forward to the next painting session, and hope that Dad can make it.

You may be wondering what I did during the painting time. I mostly lay under the table and occasionally on the chair to avoid getting paint on my white fur. I already have a black spot – don’t need another! Woof! (tail wags) I enjoyed being with my family and having a good time.

Let me ask you: If I gave you some paint and a blank canvas – what would you paint?

Woof! Love, Maggie

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8/26/15 The Art Club

Mom is having a family art night. She is calling it The Art Club.

Jamie has his geometrical design sketched out.

I can’t wait for Dad and Erik to get home! I’m excited to see what the humans will do next.

Woof!

Love, Maggie

7/20/15 “Mother Have Mercy” – Guest blogger, Mom

Hello, Maggie tells me many of you have sent birthday greetings and wishes for me and my husband, Jim. Thank you so much! I would like to share with you what I did on my birthday.

Maggie’s “older brother human” Erik came over and we went to this place called, “Art a la Carte” in Orland Park. There was a party of about 10 of us, and the gist of the thing was, you pay for an art class, bring a little snack and a drink, and have an art lesson. Art a la Carte supplies everything you need to create your own masterpiece, you bring the joie de vivre.

The theme of the party was, “Beach Bums”, and the painting was of three women sitting facing the ocean on the sand. The instructor shows you how to make the painting line by line. I REALLY was thinking of my friend GiGi when I saw all the art everywhere. I knew she would love this place.

Three of us, Erik, Deanna, and I, decided to be rebels and paint our own inspirations. The studio director politely told us that was just fine, but we had to sit at the end of the table so that others can see the lesson. Agreed!

Erik painted a lovely peacock. Deanna painted a lonely heart on a swing. I painted a sugar skull:

The caption is, “Mother have Mercy”. I hope you like it.

It was great fun and wonderful camaraderie.

Later, I got to see my (step)son Mike. I was so glad to see him, and the visit was much too short. It was great having all the kids in one place.

Overall, I would say, it was the best birthday ever.

Your friend, Elizabeth

7/16/15 Painting High Places

Well, today certainly is proving to be interesting.

Mr. Bourke and his friend Mr. Dave came over early this morning and got started in the front hallway.

Some people call this a “foyer” and argue how to pronounce it. Mom calls it, “the atrium” because it’s so high she swears birds could fly up there. I haven’t seen any, though.

Mom originally had me in the crate while the men set up for work. Then she let me out, but kept me on the leash close to her, so I couldn’t get underfoot.

I watched them getting prepared.

I couldn’t believe they were setting up ladders way up there. Mom gulped a little and said she felt queasy and could not watch. She asked if she should be ready to call “911” at a moment’s notice, but Mr. Bourke laughed at her, and said it wasn’t going up that was a problem. It was falling down that hurt. Somehow, that didn’t make Mom feel better.

Happily, no one did fall down.

Oh yeah. They are up there. The ladder to the right is on top of the hall closet and Mr. Bourke climbed up there via another ladder to paint the circle around the chandelier. You can barely see the tip of the window frame. Mr. Dave went up there and cleaned that.

If I didn’t understand the humans before, I surely do not now, what with all this agility climbing and painting of high places.

I’m re-taking my spot on the couch and keeping an eye on everybody. Mom has the phone next to her in case she does have to call “911”.

Woof! Love, Maggie

7/15/15 Hello, Again! Chit-Chat Blog

Woof! I’ve been away for a few days, and I hope I’ve caught up with everyone’s comments and good wishes.

The Young Human Jamie is doing very well and barely limping. This could be because he got “spacers” put in between his back teeth in anticipation of getting braces next Friday. (“Brace yourself!” he says). Mom says the brain can only handle so much pain at once and that is probably why his foot feels better. She is going to take him for another X-ray before school starts. Just to make sure everything is up to snuff. Speaking of school, Jamie got his Chromebook for his Sophomore year, and he is very excited not to have to carry so many textbooks. Makes back-to-school a bit easier, I guess!

We’ve had a spate of rotten weather, and today was nice enough that I was able to lie out and relax a while:

Mom said my collar was looking a tad shabby so she got me a new one, red with reflective paws. I like it! (Picture to follow).

Mom and Jamie have continued cleaning and organizing things. (Mom says, “Vanessa, my cabinets are still a wreck – !” whatever that means.) Today, they took a bag full of dog goodies to the Animal Welfare League, where I used to live, and a large bag of donations to the St. Vincent de Paul Society. This is in preparation for Mr. Bourke coming with his friend tomorrow to paint the front hallway, where Mom and Jamie cannot reach. Naturally, I will be in the crate as I cannot be underfoot with the big ladder being out and all.

No, you are not seeing things. Zeus the Fiat did not shrink, nor did a 50-foot feline grace our driveway. Jamie was out with his remote-control car, and this “swamp kitty” moseyed over to check out the little apparatus.

I’m in the house with my new collar on, and Mom looked out the window and exclaimed, “Look at that cat!” I’m all, “What cat?” Because I had a good spot on the couch, you see.

I finally got off the couch to check out the kitty, but it was sashaying away, back to the swamp.

Foiled again!

Jamie had a pool party on the (only) other nice day we’ve had. I was a good girl and behaved myself, although Mom and Dad kept me mostly in the crate so I would not jump on anyone. But I hardly cried, mostly just observed what was going on, and soon Mom had me outside on the tether. Then she and Dad played some “Frisbee”, and let me tell you, I love that game. I am very good at snatching it up out of the air. We played for a while, then it was time to take the kids home.

Mostly, it’s been a decent week. I even got a visit from Laurel and her young human today. I’ll keep you posted on the painting project. This should be good.

Woof! Love, Maggie

3/18/15 More Painting!

Sorry, I don’t have any cute pictures today! It’s been quite busy here.

Mom got up early (as usual) on a school morning and when Dad and Jamie left, she got right to work. She put on her old painting clothes and taped out the hallway. Then she sanded down where she had put plaster on the holes. Some of which I admit I made. Mostly I am responsible for the plaster coming off the corners from me whacking the walls when I am playing. So she re-plastered those, too, and bought these “corner guards” for after the paint job is done. Mom bent over to sand the corner and I sniffed her. She straightened up quickly and said, “MAGGIIEEE!!!!” I can always tell I’m helping when she says my name like that (*looks satisfied*).

For a while, I sat on my chair, and watched Mom heave herself up and down the ladder. Up and down. Up and down. Finally, I had had enough and took my soft toy bone and threw it at her.

Between sanding, taping, and painting, Mom did a decent enough job of tossing the toy back and forth to me, while keeping up a running dialogue. “Painting with Pitbulls” could be a new show on HGTV! I do want to mention that, while I was madly dashing through the living room and kitchen, I did not go into the hallway near the paint pots or ladder. I think I deserve props for that!

Finally, Mom said she was finished for the day and cleaned up. She took me outside and gave me a treat and told me I had been a good girl. Then she stripped off her paint clothes and collapsed on the bed. “Oooh, my back!” Mom groaned. Naturally, I leaped into bed to keep her company, but noticed some cats outside that I had to stand guard over. So, I settled for sticking my behind against Mom’s knees and perking up my ears while looking out of the bedroom window, to better survey my Kingdom. Mom took a 20 minute power nap (she says) and then she took a hot shower. By this time, the cats had escaped under the pine trees next door, so Mom covered me up in a blanket and let me nap, too.

Mom’s going to let the paint dry, then do touch-ups on everything Friday.

Hope you all had a busy, productive day, too!

Woof! Love, Maggie

4/24/14 Painting to Music

The humans Jamie and Mom continued to toil away today at the painting of the ceiling. 

They took turns choosing music to listen to while doing the job.  Mom went first and chose some Blink-182 “surf punk” music.  I liked it!  The driving guitars made me feel frisky.  So I ate a clean paintbrush.  Jamie heard me crunching away while Mom rolled the paint across the ceiling.  Foiled again!

Then it was Jamie’s turn to pick the tunes.  Jamie (DJ McMassacre) likes EDM, or Electronic Dance Music.  Mom likes it just fine, and they painted while jamming to the club beats of Bastille, Skrillex, Fonix, and the like.  I liked this music as well, (they didn’t blast it too loudly), and I did my part to help by chewing up the paper dropcloth, hiding under the ladder, and licking any faces that came into my line of fire.  But, when I stole Jamie’s shoe, Mom threatened to put me in the crate for a cool-off.  She’d had enough of my shenanigans!

So I decided to cool off myself.

The ceiling is now finished, and the humans are going to move on to painting the walls.  All told, they painted the ceiling that flows from the kitchen, to the eat-in area, to the living room.  It took almost 3 gallons of paint and nine and a half hours.  Dad says the ceiling hadn’t been painted and it was “thirsty”.  Jamie and Mom used a special paint with primer built-in that was low VOC.  It was still a huge job.  I’m so proud of them!  Mom says the walls should be easier, but she’s not holding her breath.

As for me, I can’t wait to hear more music!  Woof!  Love, Maggie