A Cocker Spaniel called Goonie Gaga

“Goonie Gaga” the Cocker Spaniel

So those of you who have been around me know I am in love with dogs.  Not just like them but love them.  Having grown up with them all my life until I was nearly 30 it has felt like something has been missing in my life for the past eight years.  That best friend that is there to hang out with, always with a smile and a wagging tail (or a guilty face when they’ve been up to something they weren’t meant to!) making life even more special.  Not having my own companion means I’ve taken to falling in love with everyone else’s dogs even more than ever.

My latest commission which I feel so honoured to have been asked to do, was really special to me.  “Goonie” the Cocker Spaniel is a delightful dog, full of personality and has been given the nickname “Goonie Gaga” after the one and only Lady Gaga.  He has this super cool long hair on top of his head, like a mini mohawk, a lightning bolt under his eye (think David Bowie!) and hangs out with all the supermodel girl dogs – all tall, lean and beautiful – he’s like the stylist to the stars! Such a delight to see so often as he lives close by.

The painting is 76cm x 76cm so a nice larger size and is done in acrylic paint which I have grown to love.  I use some a nice clear paint medium which really helps me achieve what I want from the paint.  I already miss having the painting around, it felt like Goonie was living in my apartment for a few weeks whilst I was painting him. I stared into his eyes and every detail of his face so many times I felt I was connected to him even more.  I just love Goonie!!

 

 

The Happy Dogs Make a Happy Life

Trini - Ink, markers, pencil and gouache on paper

One of my earliest memories is hanging out with my dog, Beauty – a Corgy/Kelpie cross.  (I’m guessing the Kelpie was the Dad!)  She was there when I was born and stayed in my life for a long, long time.  I loved having her around.  Loved having the companion I could talk to, who would listen to me constantly talking, didn’t tell me I was wrong, just listened.  She was beautiful, odd looking but beautiful all the same.

Later on, my parents decided to breed dogs and after much discussion we decided on Welsh Springer Spaniels.  I wanted a Beagle but apparently they are too naughty I was told!  So we got a beautiful puppy called Boomer.  We took him to dog shows and he went running and swimming with my Dad when he was training for his triathlons.  He was amazing.  Then came the breeding.  And along came Kirsten.  Of course Boomer and Kirsten fell in love and had puppies… I think it was 11 of them, so many.  And we still had Beauty at this stage.  I remember going out into the backyard and seeing puppies everywhere, Boomer, Kirsten and the odd looking Beauty.  Beauty had a fluffy tail and skinny legs and a rounded middle.  The pups would bite her constantly, hang off the tail.  Chew on her legs.  She must have wondered where the quiet days had gone!

The pups all ended up at their new homes around Australia.  Time passed and then we were left with only Boomer.  So of course we needed a companion for him.  Rex the Kelpie.  By this time we were living on a property with some land and we had sheep.  The idea was for Rex to round up the sheep.  But seeing as we only had 5 sheep, and Rex had no idea what to do, it worked out that the family (being my parents, sister and myself) were the ones rounding up the sheep.  Rex on the other hand was too busy chasing the cats!

A few years later I moved out from home to my own place.  The first thing I wanted to do was get a dog.  After all, that is all I know, I had always had one by my side.  So I did.  The beautiful James Bond.  He was the most amazing dog – mad, but absolutely wonderful.  A cross between a Rhodesian Ridgeback and a Blue Heeler.  Understandable why he was mad.

A year later along came Miss Moneypenny, Penny for short.  Penny was a cross between a Curly Coated Retriever and a German Short Haired Pointer.  Also mad like James but she was completely mad!  Probably the naughtiest dog that ever lived!  Seriously, tell me something naughty a dog has done and i’m pretty sure that it is on her list of adventures she had.  The dog from Marley and me has nothing on her… okay well maybe a little!  Penny and James were the best of friends. And they were my best friends.  Keeping me company, I felt safe with them.  They made me laugh.  They drove me crazy, so naughty at times!  But I loved them.

Much time has passed it’s been such a long time now since I have had a canine companion.  Moving many times in the past 6-8 years.  I’ve been lucky enough to live with some friends who have dogs.  Hunter and Holly the German Short Haired Pointers.  Indiana and Trinity the Alaskan Malamutes (that’s an illustration I did of Trinity at the top of this post).  And been lucky enough to dog sit  Hoover the Beagle and Rusty the Spoodle in Byron Bay.  My parents have always had dogs since I moved away – Sheba and Vic the German Shepherds, Red the Brittany Spaniel and now Toby the Jack Russell.  So I feel I had been lucky.

Now, I would love that companion again but still not settled.  Instead I find it through my friends dogs.  It’s why I love to do my illustrations.  I feel like it’s a way of being part of that wonderful world.  So if you have a dog, please share on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/SarahCrawfordArtist it gives me inspiration and makes me smile.

Sarah xo

James Bond - Pencil on paper