. . . of my "dawg" project . . .
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Fun Fine Art Project: We Let The Dogs Out
Sponsored by the Athens-Oconee Jr.
Woman's Club
One crisp, clear mid-December day, I was surprised by a phone call from a friend who asked me if I was interested in submitting a design to be painted on a fiberglass bulldog. This was part of a project put on by the Athens-Oconee Junior Woman's Club (hereafter known as the AOJWC). I flippantly, said yes, thinking that my design would NEVER get picked, since I was a realist, and abstract art was the norm for today....and the final fact that there were a ton of artists in Athens! When I finally got the form to fill out, I only had a day to come up with a design and turn it around to mail out to meet their deadline. No sweat - I'll never get picked! Ha!
Boy, was I surprised the following February when the phone rang and I was told my design was picked by one of their sponsors! Wanda went with me to the "dog adoption" party in Athens a week later, and we met my sponsor, who was head of the Athens Republican Party - good sponsor for the design that I had done. The dog wouldn't fit in my mini van. He's 6' long, 3' wide, and 4' high! He was delivered a week later to the studio, wrapped in cardboard and pallet wrap. He grew another foot on each side when I unwrapped him! Larger than life, this dog in the "ruff" needed a good sanding, priming, and painting. I ordered the acrylic paint - way too much I realize now - and Wanda came over and helped me get the basics done of sanding, spot filling, priming, and putting on 2 base coats of white acrylic. I then laid out the design in pencil and she came back and helped me color in between the lines! I worked on the delicate stuff, and when he was good and dry, he was picked up early April to get his sealing coat on. I next painted his little brother.
The "big dawg" has been put on display as public art in front of Fire Station No. 7 in Watkinsville. The little dog was auctioned off for charity. It's been a really fun project and quite a stretch for this 2-D painter to have to paint 3-D and in a media she hasn't painted in for over 25 years! The results are below.....
"Freedom Stands Guard" has been installed
at Fire Station No. 7
in Watkinsville, Georgia - a good place since I'd dedicated the
design to all the men and women who have fought for our freedoms
down through the ages, both home and abroad.
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Got the little "dawg"
painted, too, and delivered to Athens
in August. He was auctioned off October 2003.
MORE OF THE
STORY:
Little Dawg "fetched" $1,200.00 at auction.
The photo above was sent to me of both dogs
together one last time.
And as they say, on to the rest of the story. I have since received several emails and phone calls about my Dawg. One UGA student even interviewed me via email for a course project. Several years out, I'm glad to see all of the Dawgs still standing proud in their places of honor around Athens and Watkinsville!
To see my Dawgs web site page, click on
the link below.
We Let
the Dawgs Out!
Hope you got a kick out of this adventure! I did.
Bio Gallery Graphics Dawg Blog