Outperforming Dog

Dermott holds the fort

Have you ever wondered what it's like to live with an outperforming dog? Performing dogs I can relate to. It's simple - they do tricks for treats. An outperforming dog takes your ego by the scruff of the neck and drags it off to the old bones heap.

What is all this about?, you might ask. It's about the annual Making a Mark Awards (MAMA), that's what!

Making a Mark is an exceptionally popular blog about art. Each year at this time its creator, Katherine Tyrrell makes a number of well deserved awards to people who blog about art. However, for the past two years Katherine has recognised our dog and his blog. In 2007 it was two awards - the TALES FROM THE FRONTLINE MENTION IN DESPATCHES and THE AMUSING MUSINGS TROPHY. This year - he gets a Special Mention in THE MOOSE AWARD for the Best Animal in an Illustrated Blog.

Dermott is occasionally featured in my art:

But have you ever seen Dermott produce art? I thought not! This dog doesn't have anything to do with art. This dog thinks a painting is good 'if the eyes follow you around the room!'

So, I come to that time of year when I have to review my artistic goals set twelve months ago:

My Goals for 2008

1. Learn to make more use of Photoshop & Illustrator. FAILED.

2. Study Italian EVERY day. FAILED

3. Sell a painting (and I don't mean to a friend). FAILED

4. Come to grips with oil painting and become faster and more confident. FAILED

5. Paint more Watercolour and pen & ink sketches en plein air. FAILED

6. Share more of our life in Tuscany through my blog. FAILED

7. Achieve a quick sketch every day. FAILED

8. Be more risky and playful. WELL... this one wasn't a top priority after all.

Now do you see what I mean about being outperformed by a dog?!

I'm currently compiling My Goals for 2009:

1. BEAT THE DOG (and I don't mean outperform!)


AND A VERY, VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.

Dog with Opposable Thumb

Click to read captions

It was bound to happen! Dermott, our Old English Sheepdog, seems to have grown an opposable thumb. This is because there was a personal request, via a comment from Katherine of Making a Mark , for Dermott to reply to my cartoon - A Day in My Life - in which Dermott seems to think he was short changed (or big bummed, more likely).

Anyway he just slapped this sketch (above) on my desk. It seems he would do anything for Katherine, which may have something to do with the fact that she gave him a special award in her annual Making a Mark Awards (MAMA) for 2007.