"All My Dogs" on the BBC!

Last week The Washington Post reviewed All My Dogs. This week the BBC interviewed Bill Henderson, the author of the book I illustrated. Watch the video by clicking here. We hope to make it the most watched video on the BBC! I'll post the text below from "One Man and his 13 Dogs":

 February 2012 

A dog may be man's best friend, but many dog lovers end up with numerous canine companions over the course of a lifetime.Bill Henderson has had a total of 13.The author of "All My Dogs: A Life" has dedicated his memoir to a shaggy mutt called Lulu who he describes as his "life dog".The book covers his own strict upbringing, rocky times in his marriage (he credits a dog with saving it), and the birth of his daughter. Each of the chapters is named after one of his dogs.Describing it as a "mutt memoir", Henderson says the book is half about humans and half about dogs. His conclusion is that dogs are more than just man's best friend, they are an essential member of the whole family.

Video produced by Leigh Paterson. Sketches courtesy of Leslie Moore.

First PenPets of 2012

Lulu and Truman

Belgian Tervurens

10" X 8" colored pen and ink

2012

Lulu and Truman are Belgian Shepherds, one of four breeds -- Groenendael, Laekenois, Malinois, and Tervuren. Each breed is distinguished by its coat color, texture and length. The Groenendael has a long, straight, black coat; the Laekenois has a short, wiry, fawn coat; the Malinois has a short straight coat that varies in color from dark fawn to mahogany; and the Tervuren has a long, straight coat that ranges from dark fawn to reddish mahogany with black tips. 

Here's the photograph of Lulu and Truman I used as a reference for my drawing:

Both dogs are champions! Lulu won Best in Show at the Belgian Tervuren National Specialty in 2011. Here she is posing for her prizes. Darlene (Lulu's person, the one in the middle) describes Lulu as "a diva with a super secret fun side."

And Truman has won prizes doing what he was bred to do. Here he is herding a flock of ducks. I love the way he's tip-toeing behind them. The ducks don't look at all perturbed. Darlene describes Truman as "a gentleman with a sense of humor."

I've never known a Tervuren personally, but I've always thought they were handsome dogs, a cross between Lassie (one of my childhood heroines) and a wolf.

Jassie, The Last Poster (for now!)

Wew! Thirty one days; thirty one posters/postings; one month. A tough assignment for this introvert whose comfort zone tends much more towards the interior monologue. Time to get back to my drawing. The commissions are stacking up. I'll share my first PenPets portrait of 2012 tomorrow.

Snook, Sunny, and Smudge

Winchester

Gregory

Spike