It's Raining Dogs?

Rain, Route 2
Oil on canvas, 11x14
sold

I really like this painting. I like it alot. I like it better in person than on the computer, too.

I like it because it's expressionistic and emotional and evocative. My favorite paintings, I'm realizing, are ones that have these qualities.

I have some more rainy-day ideas - and some plans for snow, too. And that's not so far away.

Here's a note for anyone who'll be around the Hartford area on Saturday: I'll be painting, tentatively from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the sidewalk in front of Central Framing & Art, 56 LaSalle Road in West Hartford Center. So come out, see my fun dog paintings and say hi!

Meantime, we've been taking Jojo and Smokey to the Central Bark, the dog park in Groton. I've never been to a dog park, and I must say, it's great fun. This is a huge place, well fenced, and extremely well attended. Today, there must have been 30 dogs there, running, barking, racing around.

We were greeted by a whole pack of dogs when we came in, and as soon as Smokey and Joey were off the leash, a conga line of butt-sniffing started. Eight or nine dogs in a row, nose to butt, it was a riot. Then they were off, racing after balls and frisbees, tugging on ropes, rolling on the ground - it's barely contained canine chaos, and it's absolutely unabashadely fun. I can hardly wait to go back.

Here are some Central Bark shots:

If you enlarge this one, you can see four dogs, one with a Frisbee and three thinking about getting it away from him.

That's Jojo sniffing in the background, while this dog with really spooky eyes tries to stare me down.

That's Jojo in the background again, panting, not taking part in this round of butt-sniffing. The big dog is a great Dane with funny, floppy ears.