Dog Day Afternoon... and Morning

Howl. Oil on canvas, 11x14

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if you are interested in buying this painting

Dogs, dogs and more dogs. Twenty-three dog paintings by yours truly fill the window of Center Framing & Art, 56 LaSalle Road, West Hartford Center.

In the torrential rain this morning, I set off for West Hartford with two wet dog paintings and two dry ones. I had to howl with glee when I saw the window of the Center Framing & Art. There were my paintings, nearly two dozen of them, bright and cheerful and fun, engaging and happy and exuberant. I sat in the car, waiting for the store to open, and watched as person after person - some with dogs on leashes - stopped abruptly on their walks to stare at the paintings.

Sandy, who owns the store, was as thrilled as I was. And she was happy with my new paintings, too, though she kept the giant German shepherd, and not my painting of Kaja. No matter. I love that painting.

She and Mike, who works in the store, rearranged everything in the window to include the new piece, and got fairly well covered in blue paint from the still very wet shepherd. Then she asked me if I'd like to paint until it began raining (it was dry in West Hartford at that point), and I said sure.

So I set up, and dawdled over a painting of a dog that I had on my phone. Passerby after passerby after passerby was stopped by the window. Many of them talked with me. Many discussed commissions. Many went into the store. They all loved the paintings.

Nothing sold today, but no matter. These paintings will sell, I know it. And I had a great day of sustaining enthusiasm, happy engagement and the fellowship of other dog lovers.