Monday, October 22, 2007



Cheerio
I seem to have folks interested in Cheerio lately, so I thought I'd give an update. Cheerio has started learning Agility, which she loves! She's had six weeks of classes so far, and has been introduced to most of the equipment. She seems to be a natural at this, and it is so neat to see her picking things up so quickly. Being almost a year old now, she's being a typical adolescent dog with sort of a Jekyll and Hyde personality. One week she's well behaved, the next she's not. The amazing thing is that even when she's having a bad week, behavior-wise, I can still take her off the leash to work on the equipment, and she stays focused on me and does what she is supposed to do. She just has the patience of a toddler when it comes to waiting her turn, and listening to the trainer's instructions. She is the kind of dog that pretty much has to be doing something all of the time. (Kind of like her Mom!)
Since Halloween is coming, it is time to work on costumes and tonight I dug out the sewing machine and went to work on Cheerio's Underdog costume. Okay--I know she's not a beagle, but it's a COSTUME. Her favorite seven-year old boy is going to be Simon Barsinister, not as easy as the ghost costume that I thought we were going to make. Finding a kid-size lab coat is not easy either, so I finally ordered one online and I am praying that it comes in time for Halloween.
Art-wise, I am getting ready for 3 more shows this season, the New Haven Arts and Crafts show on Nov. 11, an Open Studio at home on Thanksgiving weekend, and then the RISD Alumni Holiday Sale on Dec. 8.
Lately the foliage around here has been just spectacular. My drive to work takes my breath away. So last Thursday, Cheerio and I braved the ticks, and went out into the woods to shoot some pictures. I wish I could sit outside and paint, but I'm just not a plein-air painter. Anyway, later that day, I downloaded my photos and worked up a couple of watercolors. This one is a scene of a clearing in our back woods. Sometimes I just have to get away from painting horses, and working on landscapes like this can be good for loosening up.