So cute "Solo"

Solo

8x10 original Oil on canvas

This is one of two first contributions Kate Merriman is making to the Project. The lucky recipient of this gorgeous painting is the Austin Humane Society.

Please visit her blog to see her other paintings and to get a sneak peek at the second contribution I will be posting later on. Visit her here. Thank you so much Kate! This is an awesome addition to the project!

Keira

Keira. By Liz Pearson, of Cape Town, South Africa, for DARG

Liz Pearson of Cape Town, South Africa, has made this remarkable oil painting of Keira, a 4-year-old pit bull cross. Look at the stance and the muscle and the pride in this dog! And yet, Liz has showed Keira's sweet expression and intelligence, too. Liz really has the touch. Check out her blog to see more. And to read more about DARG, the Domestic Animal Rescue Group, click here.

As for Keira's pursuits, "apparently," Liz writes, "her best activity is to watch TV on the couch over some biscuits! She's love-starved and a real softie."

Pit bulls have a reputation, that's true. But Liz believes - and I do, too - that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. Keira is a sweetie, and with the right family, would be a wonderful pet.

- Carrie

Duke

Duke. By Carol Lavoie, as a donation to Protectors of Animals in East Hartford, Conn.

Here's another painting on the abstract edge, by Carol Lavoie. To my eye, Duke looks proud and timid and sweet, all at the same time. I like the colors Carol has used, the lavender and blue, along with the real doggy colors. A lovely painting!

- Carrie

Ebony

Ebony. By Carol Lavoie, a donation to Protectors of Animals in East Hartford, Conn.

One of the parts of this project that I love is seeing the different approaches that artists take to painting animals.

Carol Lavoie, who works as an astrologer, has painted 10 lovely animal portraits for Protectors of Animals, an all-volunteer organization in East Hartford, Conn. She has painted them in a wide variety of styles, from very realistic to this one, Ebony, who I find interestingly abstract. I really like the way Carol has loaded on the paint, and reached for different colors to show the shine and planes of this black cat's fur. Nice job!

- Carrie

Just Dandy

Here are Mandy and Tandy, painted by Carol Lavoie, as a donation for the Protectors of Animals in East Hartford, Conn.

I like the way Carol has painted these two, curled up together, comfortable and loving and warm. I hope they're adopted together.

I always wonder whether our pets know that they had littermates. Smokey, one of our dogs, had a brother Bear, whom we'd have liked to adopt, but the two apparently spent their time fighting, according to the shelter workers. Smokey has never seemed to miss Bear. And none of our dogs has seemed to miss the others, when the others have died. Maybe they do, but in ways I just don't notice.

She Painted a Poster!

Poster by Ann Gilchrist. Donated to the Groton, Conn., animal shelter.

Somehow in the tornado that so often envelops my life, I lost this painting by Ann Gilchrist. It's one of three she made for the animal shelter in Groton, Conn.

Ann is a painter and photographer, who also takes care of her elderly parents, and, when time permits, works as a dog-walker.

I love this painting, the expression on the animals' faces, the colors, the love that so clearly went into this. I'm sorry that I mislaid it - but thrilled that I found it again!

Meenew

Meenew. By Carol Lavoie. Donated to the Protectors of Animals
in East Hartford, Conn.

The complexity of this painting of Meenew by Carol Lavoie truly draws me in. There's something solemn in Meenew's eyes, and something challenging, and to my mind, something that would be just begging for love, if she weren't too self-respectful to beg. It's really a lovely painting, I think.
And it's one of 10 that Carol made to donate to Protectors of Animals in East Hartford.

I am glad to see that people are reading and responding to the article in Art Calendar - but I still don't have my copy! Might have to break down and buy one. Soon as I do, mine will arrive in the mail!

- Carrie

Vicki Wood and her Bob...

Bob...

please read his story here

What a remarkle story about Bob by an even more remarkable lady and artist Vicki Wood. I recieved an email an it read as follows:

I was happy to see your article in Art Calendar! I have been doing this for several years. Each year I donate a painting to Oxford Lafayette Humane Society and I write the story of the selected dog. I then paint the portrait and hand-print the story on the surrounding mat. These are then auctioned at their annual fundraiser. Below is the first of the series with the story in Word) and this was one of my first animal portraits. I have also donated to BellyRubs (Bassett Hound) Rescue. I will send to you images of my other donations in a separate email. My work has raised $3,426.00 for animals so far. Thank you for all you do! Vicki Wood (website:www.vickiwood.com).

With her experience and her success with her donations, I asked her advise and she generously wrote:

For newbies: I have found that Rescue organizations are very cautious especially if they don't know you. I think that they are concerned that we will not deliver what we promise. So, one way to go is to just paint a portrait of a dog or cat and simply donate (no strings). Then, request to come in and take photos of their residents and offer to let them select the animals photographed (if they have an interest). It is sometimes helpful, once you get the opportunity to go into the shelter, to take someone that can assist you as the shelter employees are usually very busy. I also suggest that you try to work with at least one humane society that is not a "no-kill" as they are housing the animals that are in the most urgent need. You can either go by the organization's facility or simply send an email or both to start the relationship. Also, once you donate, you can follow-up with them and find out how much your piece raised. Don't be disappointed if they sell for less than you expect.... that's just the way it goes sometimes. It does establish good relations with you and an entire community and helps save little lives.

Awesome advice for someone who's "been there, done that". It should be encouragement for anybody who is still on the fence on whether or not to jump in and try this. I, Carrie and Sandy are honored that Vicki Wood reached out at our new program and inspired us to keep on doing what we're doing and I am sure encouraged other to take that first step. Thank you so much Vicki!

Make sure you check out her wonderful website also by clicking right here! "Houla" is amazing on the cover of her site.

Nellie

Nellie. By Carol Lavoie, for Protectors of Animals in East Hartford.

Here's another of Carol Lavoie's delightful paintings. She's donating them to Protectors of Animals in East Hartford. This all-volunteer group has been around for years and years, and has rescued and found new homes for thousands of animals.

Connecticut is lucky to have them, and they are lucky to have Carol!

- Carrie

One Cute Cookie

Oreo. By Carol Lavoie, donated to Protectors of Animals in East Hartford, Conn.

Here's another of the 10 paintings that Carol Lavoie (check out her website!) donated to Protectors of Animals, an all-volunteer organization in East Hartford, Conn. I love Oreo's big eyes, and the way Carol painted the softness into his coat. Beautiful!

Recently, we've had wonderful letters from artists across the country, asking what Art for Shelter Animals is about, how to get involved - and what they've done or are doing, in their own hometowns. Sheila, Sandy and I will bring you these stories as we can, so look forward to that!

In the meantime, thank you all for all you do.

- Carrie

Riley

Riley. By Carol LaVoie, donated to Protectors of Animals in East Hartford, Conn.

Here's another painting by the talented and exuberant Carol LaVoie. She has made and donated 10, count 'em 10! paintings to this group, which sounds like it's well worth the attention and the donations.

Sometimes, it's all too easy to be discouraged. The economy, health care, the heat, the price of gas, the tomato blight, the disastrous future it seems we're facing - sometimes it feels like the issues are a huge crowd, screaming and yelling and threatening to riot.

Then I think about things like this project, and the people who open their hearts and give their talent and their love so freely, and that crowd just quits its noise-making and goes home, two by two, hand in hand.

- Carrie

Mom joins in, too!

Top, Jones; below, Boo. Both are watercolor paintings by Bernadine Lucas (check out her website), donated to the Liberty Humane Society of Jersey City, N.J.
Bernadine is the mother of Ashley Lucas, who donated a wonderful painting to the same shelter a week or so ago. Click here to see that painting!

Ashley Lucas and her mother usually don't do projects together. But, Ashley writes, "I love her work so much I thought this would be a good way to get her involved in a very worthy cause."

So Mom, aka Bernadine Lucas, made these two wonderful paintings for the Liberty Humane Society of Jersey City, N.J.

According to the profile on Bernadine's on-line portfolio site, she's been "drawing, painting and illustrating since I was a child and sharpened my skills while attending the Maryland Institute. I now sell my works at the gallery/fine arts store that I co-own with my husband in historic Downtown Lancaster, PA."

I love these paintings! They have a sweet, whimsical quality that makes me smile, and makes me think of some of the nicer cats I've lived with.

How lucky we are to have such a wonderful mother and daughter artist team find us and join in the project!

- Carrie

Sarah

Sarah. By Carol LaVoie. Donation to Protectors of Animals, East Hartford, Conn.

The Internet is truly an amazing thing, isn't it? How it can unite us, one by one and dozen by dozen - it's what the town crier used to be, what newspapers used to be, what fences used to be, when neighbors were really neighbors.

Our project puts the internet to the best use possible, I think.

This is one of Carol LaVoie's 10 donations to Protectors of Animals in East Hartford, Conn. This week, I'm going to call the group and talk to Jody, who heads it up, and find out what POA is going to do with Carol's beautiful donations.

I'll let you know!

- Carrie

From Texas, it's Wanda and Hannah

Grace. Acrylic on illustration board, by Wanda Wilkins of Fort Worth, Texas.

Above, Hannah Wilkins, 14, with her portrait, "Cat Nap," shown below.
Hannah and her grandmother, Wanda Wilkins, are donating the portraits to the Humane Society of North Texas.

Wanda Wilkins, of Fort Worth, Texas, called last week to ask about the Art for Shelter Animals Project. She and her granddaughter, Hannah, were interested in participating.

True to their word, Wanda and Hannah made beautiful portraits of animals, and will donate them soon to the Humane Society of North Texas.

Wanda says she usually paints abstracts, so this is a departure for her. But what a lovely, soulful painting of Grace! I can feel her coat, just by looking at the painting. I also love Hannah's "Cat Nap," which really captures the bliss of the snoozing feline.

Wanda has a really cool-looking place to paint, the Tree House Studio, and her work is luscious and colorful and rich. Check out her work and her website.

Welcome, Wanda and Hannah, and many thanks.

- Carrie

First of Ten!

Sally. By Carol LaVoie. Donation to Protectors of Animals, East Hartford, Conn.

I feel as though Christmas came about four months early.

When I opened my email this morning, I saw five posts from the other Carrie Jacobson, whose email address is just like mine, but without the "b." She is a nice woman, lives in Buffalo, NY, and forwards my stuff to me - and is buying a painting of mine, to boot. We're planning to meet for the first time in a couple of weeks.

So when I saw all these emails from her, I didn't know what to think.

But I opened the first one - and to my absolute delight, it contained two portraits! So did each of the remaining four emails.

Carol LaVoie, who describes herself as a hobby painter, has made 10 donations of animal portraits to a group in East Hartford, Conn., called "Protectors of Animals." The group, made up entirely of volunteers, has rescued and found homes for 14,000 cats and 7,000 dogs. Its website says it relies on adoption donations, membership dues, gifts, memorials, bequests, grants and fund-raising events.

So Carol's 10 paintings should be very much appreciated!

In addition, they are just beautiful. Carol, who also has been a foster home for Protectors of Animals for nine years, seems to capture the souls of the animals she paints. I also love the backgrounds and the angles she uses.

When Carol is not painting or rescuing animals, she has a life as an astrologer. Check out her website - and check back here over the next couple weeks, as I post Carol's paintings to the blog.

- Carrie