A Dog for All Seasons

The Fiberglass Dog is Completed!

What fun to paint in 3-d!

I delivered the finished and sealed fiberglass dog to Lyn and Terry Thursday evening. They were delighted with it and have it at thier "Fortunate Dog" cookie booth at the Portland Cash and Carry Show this weekend in Portland, Oregon. They have raised a lot of $$ for the Ketchum Shelter over the last few years with the painted Labrador project. I admire them both very much for all their great ideas and commitment to helping our furry friends.



This is the daybreak, summer side. The sun is coming up on a beautiful day in Sun Valley, the dog is looking out the window longingly, ready for an adventure. Maybe kayaking? Definitely, something in water!

This close up is the view on top, which shows the transition into night, on the other side.

This is the winter, nigthtime side. After a fun day of skiing, "Burt" is cosied up on his favorite red chair, getting ready for tomorrow, tennis balls at the ready on the table in case he needs to play a bit, painting of the tropics on the wall to remind him that winter doesn't last forever.

The dog will be displayed either at Lyn and Terry's gallery, Tails West, in downtown Ketchum, Idaho, or at one of the sponsoring businesses throughout town. It is for sale, all proceeds go to the Wood River Animal Shelter.

I miss my painted dog, already...but not to fear! There are more dog forms available, and if I want to paint one for myself, I can. Which also means if you would like me to paint a dog for you or your business, with your special images and/or mementos upon it, that is also possible. You can contact me at carrie@tasmanstudio.com, or Lyn or Terry at www.fortunatedogcookies.com. with inquiries or questions!Getting Burt into the van to drive to Portland. My two mutts want to go too, of course.

A Logger Blog

This weekend I took a couple of days off to help my husband log. We rent a house on 16 steep acres, very pretty and very neglected. The former inhabitants didn't do much to the yard or property except throw trash over the landing and into the woods. We found a wood cookstove, two bicycles, all colors of electrical wire, glass bottles, tires, truck canopies, beer cans, foam and more foam, plastic bags, there was a shed that crumbled, and it was filled with trash bin garbage! (Just 'cause there 16 acres with nothing but deer and a bobcat, doesn't mean it's a trash bin!) Our landlady is thrilled....and so are we to have wood for the fireplace to offset our heating bill.

So after trash clean up Michael got to work felling the dead trees. When he got 20 (!!) or so down, he called me out to help him yard them out. He pulled "green chain" (he actually pulled climbing rope) I commandeered the yarder/slash pickup truck. We took everything real slow, didn't want any crushed anything, with the dogs supervising from the safety of the back of the van. And lo and behold, after a bit of sweat and muscle, we gotta pile of logs. A HUGE PILE!!!! Perfect timing to get them in and covered before the rainy weekend ahead. A very satisfying, squirreling away for the winter.

Cutting out the deadwood is a good metaphor for me this week inspiring me to making more space to think and work. In a painting...taking out the excess, leaving only what is alive and thriving. A challenge for me since I love filling space with an overabundance of color and pattern. In my thinking...making room for new ideas or just letting in a little more air and light. Sorting through the old stuff, old ideas, old paint, doing some dump runs, and yarding up my new found treasures into a satisfying pile to fuel my creativity for the winter months ahead!

Now, onto my closets. Oh, how I love fall!

www.tasmanstudio.com update!

My web site is updated and ready to be viewed. There are a few technical issues to be resolved...just little formatting, link issues that I will work out as I see them. Please let me kow if you see anything...or if there is something you want to see that is not there. I will publish some of my older galleries in the near future.

Here is a new painting that is in my painting gallery of Winn, a dog class mate of Tully's when he was in training. Winn is a very delicate looking border collie, but she is all smarts. I may have to paint her again....I love her face.

I also have published some commissions that haven't been seen yet. I will let the page speak for itself. Have fun browsing. Tell me if you're inspired to order a dog painting of your own...my calendar is filling up for the 2006-07 winter painting year!

Going to the Dogs!!

Unveiling of New Work at Dragonfire Gallery

Mari and Eeva the owners (and dog lovers) of the Cannon Beach Gallery, Dragonfire, created a unique event for the opening of our new work. There were three artists featured, myself (Carrie Tasman), Shai Stiener, and Susan Rene. We all had new dog related paintings that were unveiled with an introduction, and lots of fun activities and things to munch on! Dogs were invited, so we got to meet and greet our wagging friends also.

It was an honor to be featured at the gallery, and Mari and Eeva went all out...beer, hot dogs, hot pretzels, and to top it off a Dog Fashion Show! Ah the lengths some of us go...

The Big Fiberglass Dog
He needs a name! Any thoughts on a name for my ghost dog?

He is getting his first coat of primer before I start in the painting. The Golden paint website has lots of tips on painting fiberglass sculpture which has been very helpful. I will have an update on the "Blank" Dog painting next week sometime. This week is a week to stay in the studio and get some things done, like for instance, finish updating my website.

Ghost Dog

We came back from the Sun Valley Art Festival with this fiberglass dog for me to paint. Chamois had to sniff his butt after she attacked him on our porch.

It all started when we saw this big white dog at Ciro's restaurant in Ketchum where we had dinner saturday night. We had seen many painted dogs around town at different places but no "blanks:. I said to my husband, "I sure would like to paint one of those dogs". Evidentally it was part of a fundraiser for animal charities in the Wood River Valley.

Sunday, the next day at the fair, a woman came into my booth with a shirt that had some painted ponies on it and I asked her if she knew anything about the painted dogs around town. She said she sure did, she was one of the local shelter organizers of the event, CeLABration. I said, i sure would like to paint one, and she said, it just so happens we have one left, it's at Ciro's Restaurant and we would love to have you paint it.

So after filling the van with my art work and display, we made room for the big guy and brought him home to Oregon. It is in my studio and the dogs sniff him everytime they come in the door. Very funny. It is now waiting for it's first coat of paint!