Today is the last day to get an item in the Dog Days of Summer Sale. Just scroll through the postings from last week to see what is available. Then email me at kwalker@doubledogdesigns.com with your desired purchase.
As I mentioned briefly last week I had family visiting for a few days. My niece, Morgan, and sister-in-law, Debbie, were here. You met Tam, the Westie in one of the posts last week – Day 5 of Dog Days of Summer Sale.
My “boys” are always thrilled when they come because Morgan has loved them forever. Especially Truman. She came to see him the first day he came to live with me when he was 5 1/2 weeks old and she was just 6 years old.
It’s hard to believe that either of them were this small at one time but they were. This photo is from December 1999.
And ever since she has squeezed, and kissed, and hugged, and anything else you can do to love an old basset hound.
Truman has always been great with children and I think it is because Morgan did everything a kid possibly could to him and Jeffie when they were little and they just rolled with it. They loved it.
And Truman still loves her.
Jed is learning how much fun it can be too when he sleeps in the bed with her. He knows that he is not allowed under the covers but when Morgan is here he jumps right in, knowing that it will be all right. (Look how grown up Morgan is now!)
Truman knew that he wasn’t allowed to lay on the quilts and sheets but because we had company, he took advantage.
And because Truman was so tired from doing all the things he is not suppose to do, Tam had to take up the watch out post on top of the sofa to guard us all from whatever might show up in the front yard to bother us. He did a good job!
And just because we always have, Morgan and I played dress up with Truman one night. We found a prissy rose collar that once belonged to Rosie and we decided to put it on Truman’s head.
He let us….
…But only because he was very tired. Having company really wears an old boy out.
“Purple and Orange Trees I” is a representational abstract in acrylic on paper. It is matted and framed, measuring 16″ x 20″ and is on sale for 
“Abstract I” is an acrylic on canvas measuring 18″x24″. It is on sale for 
“Abstract II” is an acrylic on canvas measuring 18″x24″. It is on sale for 
“Loose and Free” is an acrylic on illustration board measuring 9.5″ x 16.5 and is on sale for 
“Bell and Geranium” is an oil on canvas measuring 10″x8″ and is on sale for 
“Daisy I” is an oil on Masonite panel measuring 7 1/4″ x 8″ and is on sale for 
“Mountain View V”
“Poppy Field” is a watercolor, matted 10″x14″, and is 
“Moon Over the Mountain” is an acrylic on canvas measuring 16″x8″ and is framed and available on sale for 
Today’s theme for the Dog Days of Summer Sale is water.
“Two Eggplants” is an oil measuring 8″ x10″ unframed and is on sale for 
“Trio of Olives II” is an oil on canvas measuring 8″ x 10″ unframed and is on sale for 
Isabella is my private student. She comes once a week and we work in acrylics. She’s a very quick study and has done some really nice little paintings.
Here she is hard at work.
There is a group of Plein Air painters that have been meeting for several years around the Front Royal area on Thursday mornings to try to capture the beautiful scenes where we live. The Shenandoah Plein Air Painters met at Philip Carter Winery yesterday morning for our painting session. And boy, was it ever overcast. 
This is my reference photo for the painting. One thing I didn’t have to worry about that is often a problem for plein air painters was the changing light. The light was a steady dull grey…no sun to be seen anywhere. 
But I got a great start on this little painting despite the weather. And I was really enjoying the solitude out at the winery early in the morning and then….
So I took another quick photo of the painting and the scene….
And then I finished it up at home. I love these quick sketches of the scenes around the valley…even if the weather is iffy!
Here is a sunflower for Carol Ann! It’s her birthday and sunflowers are her favorite. Happy Birthday!
Tug of war is their favorite game and Jed thinks he is as big as they are. He says, “It’s hard to be a Great Dane when your legs are this short!”
Lucky me! I got a new easel for my birthday last week so I did a practice run with it this weekend out at the cabin and painted the Red Chair that I posted about a few days ago. 
And here is the finished sketch. It is an oil on canvas panel measuring 8″x10″ and is 
The Studio 