Dog Days of Summer collection...complete!

dog days

noun

1.

the sultry part of the summer, supposed to occur during the period that Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun: now often reckoned from July 3 to August 11.

Catch Me if You Can   Kathryn Hansen  (c) 2013  4x6.5

Prized Stick  Kathryn Hansen  (c) 2013  3.75x5

The Chase  Kathryn Hansen  (c) 2013  4.5x8.25

Fun in the Sun  Kathryn Hansen  (c) 2013  4.75x5

Beach Buds  Kathryn Hansen  (c) 2013 4.5x7.25

"These are strange and breathless days, the dog days, when people are led to do things they are sure to be sorry for after.” 

~Natalie Babbitt~ Tuck Everlasting

a leisurely day brimming with art!

we had a full day in laguna beach on saturday, hitting up 3 art fairs chock-full of incredible and inspiring art and lively music! i ended up talking to so many artists this time about cameras, animals, other exhibits they were participating in and more...so fun! i have to say my favorites pieces of art were from carol heiman-greene, ray brown, michael ward and michael r crook! i wish i were incredibly rich, i would have gone home with an arm load of art from these artists! darn kids need to eat tho...but boy it was tempting!! 

fun in the summer sun!

Beach Buds  Kathryn Hansen  (c) 2013 41/2 x 71/4

above is the third drawing in my "dog days of summer" series. 

have some minor adjustments i still need to make to "prized stick" below...but that won't take too long, just a bit more noodling on the rear leg and water.

bringing up the rear  below is "catch me if you can."  #5 and still on the drawing board.

i promised diamond i would try and throw in a lion head soon as she is getting annoyed with all these dogs on my board lately! i told her to stop looking at so many grumpy cat posts on facebook...she just sulked off and hasn't slept with me since last week. what's an artist to do?!!

Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails.

~Max Eastman~

The Chase   Kathryn Hansen   (c) 2013   4x7

next up on the drawing board, beach buds!

Summer fun

Fun in the Surf  Kathryn Hansen (c)2013 5x5

after our glorious day at the beach last week, i thought i would continue the fun by creating a 5 drawing series of beach dogs. "fun in the surf" is the first completed piece, with "the chase" just started yesterday afternoon. with the temps soaring so early in the summer, making it a bit too hot to go out and play, it's great fun to sit and relive our refreshing beach day!

The Chase

the dog days of summer

i am declaring right here and now that the new happiest place in the world is no longer disneyland but the dog beach in long beach california!! 

dogs and people of all shapes, sizes and ages just having a total blast! 

we started the overcast day having brunch at the cutest little pie-shaped diner next to rosie's dog beach. then with arms brimming with beach gear, we walked to the orange coned area of the beach exclusively for canines. we didn't have much time to settle in as my boyfriends dog marley took off to play and to make some new friends at the waters edge. this was marleys first trip to the beach, so he was a bit tentative at first, but then quickly discovered how fun the water really was once my daughter showed him! 

my dog josie stayed home as the beach is really not her thing, plus she is still  recovering from surgery she had in may for a tumor.

the clouds burned off by early afternoon and we had a glorious day at the dog beach!

plans are already made for our next excursion to the sandy shores of long beach!

and it's a wrap!

Whistling Thorn by Kathryn Hansen (c) 2013 7.25x10

it feels good to finish this puppy up after all the commotion with it! and now i am slowing down a bit for the  summer months to attack some miscellaneous projects on my to-do list and just have fun playing with my kids!! this weekend we're hitting the dog beach, with a picnic lunch, boogie boards and camera in hand!