Shooter

Shooter

Golden Doodle

8" X 10" pen and ink

2012

Willy

Willy

Labrador Retriever

8" X 10" colored pen and ink

2012

Sage

Sage

Labrador Retriever

8" X 10" colored pen and ink

2012

Alice

Alice

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

10" X 8" colored pen and ink

2012

Gracie

Gracie

Bullmastiff

8" X 10" pen and ink

2012

Not everyone can wait until Christmas to give away PenPets portraits:

"Thank you for your wonderful rendition of Gracie. You captured her strength and gentle nature beautifully. Paul loves it!!" 

~Kate
Southwest Harbor, Maine

Missy

Missy

Shih Tzu

7" X 5" colored pen and ink drawing

2012

Panda

Panda Collage

Panda Wet

7" X 5" colored pen and ink

2012

Panda Leaping

7" X 5" pen and ink

2012

Plumed-tailed Panda

Panda is 3/4 border collie, 1/4 Australian blue heeler, and 100 percent energy. She divides her time between hiking and swimming in Maine's Acadia National Park in the summer and playing in snow in Aspen, Colorado, in the winter. Lucky pup! I love her plumed tail!

Sydney

Sydney

Airedale Terrier

7" X 5" colored pen and ink drawing

2012

Pappy

Pappy

Mixed-breed Spaniel

10" X 8" pen and ink

2012

Another found dog!

"Pappy is about 12 years old.  My son found him in the woods in December 2001, with a broken leg and heartworms. He recovered fully and has become my husband's dog. Pappy loves people, but does not always play well with other dogs. He has always been terrified of thunderstorms and other loud noises. He is still very energetic and loves to go for long walks. In the evenings he can most often be found on my husband's lap."

~

"Pappy’s portrait is wonderful! You captured not only his likeness but his personality as well. When I saw your portraits in Bill Henderson’s book [All My Dogs: A Life], I knew I wanted to have a portrait of Pappy. Your suggestions were very helpful and your work is amazing! Thank you so much –"

~Janet

Greensboro, North Carolina

Georgia

Georgia

5" X 7" colored pen and ink

2012

Georgia is a "found" dog. My nephew Mark found her in the wilds of -- Guess where? -- Georgia. She's a German short-haired pointer, chocolate brown with a white star on her chest. She may have been a bird dog in another life. Now she's a family dog and a star to those who love her. 

Linoleum Block Print

Red Lily

4" X 4" Linoleum Block Print

One block, four colors

I’m in a block printing workshop in an airy, old barn, facing a set of double doors wide open to a grassy garden outside. It’s mid-summer in Maine and I am perfectly happy. I have my own work space and everything I need – a linoleum block, carving tools, an inking plate, spatulas for smearing ink onto the plate, all the colors I could want, soft rubber brayers to take the ink from the plate to the block, Japanese rice paper –  wonderfully transparent, incredibly strong – a wooden kitchen spoon to rub the ink from the block onto the paper, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

There are four of us in the workshop. 

We are guided by Holly Berry, a Maine printmaker who does fabulous work. Check out her website. 
We are using the reduction technique to make multi-color prints – a mysterious and miraculous method that I haven’t been able to manage on my own. Holly is revealing her secrets. Using one linoleum block, we carve out one color at a time, print, carve out another color, print, and so on, until our printmaking is done. I will print four colors – yellow, red, green, and black. 

I am creating a flower from our garden -- a red lily. 

As I carve and print, I build up an easy rhythm – carve the block, ink the stone, roll the brayer , ink the block, press the paper, check for color, ink some more.

I lay my inked sheets on the barn floor alongside a wall where no one will step on them. I am so absorbed I forget to eat my sandwich. Lightheaded, wobbly kneed, I am completely content taking one step at a time, building up layers of color. 

First five white stripes on a field of yellow. 

Then deep red petals surrounding yellow pistels, stamens, and one bud.

 Then a blue-green background to the fluting of red petals.

 Finally the key block, the black outline that defines my flower. 

Until I have an edition of ten prints of a red day lily from our garden. 

Reluctantly, I stop printing and start cleaning up my mess. 
*
This program keeps inserting text background colors indiscriminately. I've made it red to match my actual background -- sort of, but I wish I knew how to get rid of it altogether. 

Bailey, Harley, and Baxter

Harley

Bailey and Baxter

8" X 10" colored pen and ink

Here's how this trio's "mom," Betsy, describes her babies: 

Harley is 9-year-old terrier mix – “my smiling boy. Baxter is a 7-year-old red Dachshund – “my sensitive, serious boy.” And Bailey is 4-year-old black-and-tan Dachshund – “a little Tom boy. She loves playing with the boys and is the alpha female.”

And here's how Betsy describes her PenPets portrait:

Hey Leslie,

I received the picture today. When I turned it over I just started to cry. You captured my little ones to a T. The picture is gorgeous. You are truly a very talented artist who has an eye for capturing not only the physical aspect of your subject but their souls as well. Thank you so much. I will treasure this always.

You are right in that I cannot wait to give to my husband. I bought a beautiful black frame to put it in. It will be on the wall this evening. 

~Betsy

Here's how Betsy's friend reacted:

O, Betsy! It gives me goosebumps!You can see their personalities so vividly. It's exactly them!

  

Bailey and Baxter

Harley

Finny

Finny

West Highland White Terrier

5" X 7" pen-and-ink

2012

Hi Leslie!

Finny has landed . . . And he's perfect! Dad was over the moon. Thanks so much for your sweet note and speedy job!

~Leigh
Washington D.C.

Jupiter

Jupiter

Yellow Labrador Retriever

5" X 7" pen and ink

2012

Dear Leslie,

I just received a beautiful birthday present...one of your pen and ink drawings of my Jupiter! I opened the card from my Tim and remarked at how much the dog looked like my "Jupi". Tim chuckled. I then opened the package and proceeded to cry. It is so beautiful! You captured Jupiter's playful, sweet, mischievous and loving spirit so wonderfully. Truly a gift!

Thank you!

Susan

Chico and Buddy

Chico

Chihuahua

7" X 5" pen and ink

2012

Buddy

Terrier Mix

7" X 5"

2012

Nika

Nika

Flying-Eared Retriever

7" X 5" pen and ink

2012

Dear Leslie,

Thank you so much for such a lovely portrait of Miss Nika. We fremed her and presented her to John and Sherri over the weekend. Sherri was moved to tears.

Thank you from all of us!

Darcy

KDEE

KDEE

A Speckle-Legged Labrador

7" X 5" pen and ink

2012

Lady and Gaea

Lady

American Water Spaniel

5" X 7" colored pen and ink

2012

Gaea

American Water Spaniel

5" X 7" colored pen and ink

2012

I’ve been drawing a series of American Water Spaniels for Mary Kangas, a long-time breeder of these unique dogs (Noma's American Water Spaniels).  Lady and Gaea are numbers six and seven. I have at least ten more portraits to go before I’ve drawn every single AWS Mary has owned.

One might think that all spaniels look alike. Wrong! Lady and Gaea represent two different AWS types. Lady has a retriever head, while Gaea has a spaniel head. Lady’s fur is tightly curled and she has shorter ears. Gaea is called a Marcelle. Her fur is loosely curled and she has longer ears. I’m learning a lot about these dogs as I draw them.

See if you can determine types on these other AWS portraits I've drawn for Mary.

Lexi

Boy, Georgia, and Princess

L.C. Smith

Nautica

Nautica

Labrador Retriever

colored pen-and-ink drawing

10" X 8"

2012

I finished Nautica's portrait just before I flew to California. It was a fun challenge! Here's the request I got from Judy, Nautica's grandperson: "Nautica was the sweetest chocolate Lab you could ever imagine. She absolutely loved the water -- especially Lake Tahoe, where they live. Can you possibly do the picture and add some water near her?"

 Judy didn't have any photographs of Nautica in or near water, so this was what I had to work with. I didn't know how I would add the water until I finished drawing Nautica. Then something gave me the idea of a window looking out at Lake Tahoe.

Fanette Island

Emerald Bay

Lake Tahoe, California

I like to think that Nautica is looking down from doggy heaven at her favorite spot on earth.

Smith Family Reunion

Here are some updated photos of the Smith Family at our recent reunion in Coarsegold, California. Amazing how we haven't aged at all! (Please see previous post.)

Brian, Evan, Cary

Es, Marj, Leslie

Evan, Sue, Julie, Cary

Es, Marj, Leslie, Riley

Logan, Leslie, Riley

The Smith Pack

I'm preparing for a Smith Family Reunion in California this week, a small one with my mother, father, three brothers, two sisters-in-law, and two dogs. Having taken a two-day Book Arts workshop with Rebecca Goodale at Haystack Mountain School of Craft last month, I decided to practice my new skills. Here are four accordian books I've made of the Smith family dogs that have graced our lives over the last 50 plus years. 

"The Smith Pack"

Four Accordian Books

Tracy, Lucky, Charlie, Roger, Tess, Eli,

Merlin, Kiva, Kinsey, Tanner, Logan, and Riley

My brothers -- Brian, Evan, and Cary -- and I grew up with three dogs. The first was Tracy, a fabulous black Labrador, who taught us all to love dogs. Next came Lucky, a little mixed-breed spaniel, who I found as a stray puppy and brought home "for just one night, Mom, please!" Ha! She lived a long life under our roof. Finally, Charlie, a golden retriever, rounded out the love fest. The rest of the pack are dogs my brothers and I have loved as adults. Only my Kinsey and Evan's Logan and Riley remain, but I don't think they'll be the last of the Smith pack.   

The Smith Kids with Tracy

Brian, Evan, Cary, and Leslie

Cary, Evan, Grandpa, Lucky, Brian, Grandma, Leslie, Charlie, and Mom 

"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.