We are United States Strong

In 2011 Hurricane Irene severely damaged many parts of Vermont.
In typical Vermont fashion, the citizens set to work repairing their state.
Rutland residents Eric Mallette and Lyz Tomsuden created this now iconic image — a black silhouette of the state over green with the words “I am Vermont Strong,” emblazoned in white — with the, “simple intention of producing good energies out of the disaster.”

On March 13, 2020, when Vermont’s governor Phil Scott ordered us to stay Home and Save Lives, I remembered the Vermont Strong slogan and adapted it to a Rufus Card. I have been using my border collies as characters since at least 1980, so this wasn’t a surprise.

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A small selection of the 100s of Border Collie images I have painted over the years.

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After Vermont, I began to paint other states–states where I have friends and relatives, states that are experiencing terrible outbreaks, states that need cheerful encouragement to follow quarantine rules.

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I felt it was important to to include areas of the US that aren’t technically states.

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Rufus can be quite bossy and he and his friends repeat the mantras of these strange times:: Stay Home, Wash your paws, Wear a mask, Vote by Mail!

Eventually my bulletin board was full, from west to east, from north to south, every state, district, at least one nation and territory.

Finally, Rufus embraces the entire country. This one is called
“No borders, just a Border Collie.”

Who wouldn’t want to listen to this guy?

All the images are available as giclee prints on my etsy site.

Life with Dogs: Part 10-Tula

Tula came to me as a scared, skinny runaway from Chico, CA, age unknown.

She’d recently given birth, had a dry, raggedy coat and kept her tail permanently tucked between her legs.

She refused to jump into a car, but broke three (empty) bowls by jumping onto the kitchen counter in search of food to filch.

She’d had a hard life to that point.

I took her to Holly Park on her first day in Bernal Heights so she could get  a view of her new neighborhood.

Tula never met another dog she didn’t like, or at least tolerate. I saw her growl only a few times, and she had to be taught how to bark again.

Though she always kept an eye on me, She liked and tolerated children of all ages too.

Tula got around.

As my black and white shadow, she traveled from California to points all over the East Coast.

On the Pacific Coast at The Sea Ranch,

At the Brooklyn Bridge with Illustrator Paul O Zelinsky.

And on top of Vermont’s Mt Abraham with Sabin Russell.

 Tula’s favorite spot was belly deep in some body of water.

but she was happy in all weather as long as I was there too.

After any encounter with moisture, she would joyfully roll in grass or sand or the dusty driveway.

Tula was the sweetest dog I’ve ever had and she will be profoundly missed.

The Joy of Beaches in Winter

Christmas at the beach-a California tradition.

Big storms sweep in from the west and huge tides bring in piles of tangled kelp and other beach debris.

The impossibly tangled piles buzz with Kelp Flies.

The Kelp’s gas bladders keep the long stem or stipes, floating upright in the water.

Northern California beaches are not known for shells but there are dense mussel beds and those shells are easy to find.  This sketch includes a scrap of Abalone shell, fish spine bones and crab claws.

I love collecting this sort of beach debris for my Beach Portraits.

And then there are the Harbor Seals, who haul themselves up to nap on the sunny rocks.

And sometimes there are the husbands, who nap anywhere they like.

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