Seasonal K9 moments

The Artdog Images of Interest

It's the end of the week, and for many of us it's the start of a holiday break. I thought you might enjoy some seasonal K9 moments on a Friday-before-the-big-events!

The calendar says winter's not here till tomorrow, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been cold already in the Northern Hemisphere. Time to test out the new winter gear!




Home for the holidays

One inevitable problem every year is the struggle to travel. We Americans live in a far-flung nation, so we're always going to grapple with travel woes. But it's far from only an American problem.

Crowding, bad weather, and security bottlenecks create chaos wherever we are (or are trying to go). How to cope? Working K9s will have many "seasonal moments." They'll be busy patrolling, screening packages at airports, and doing all they can to keep us safe.

Maybe this could help facilitate holiday travel?

But "home for the holidays" doesn't only apply to humans. Here's a story that takes place a bit after New Year's, but it's still a winter homecoming, so it counts as a seasonal K9 moment. And I hope if warms your heart.



Learn more about American Humane's Service Dogs for Veterans initiative. If you're looking for a place to make a holiday or end-of-year donation and you believe every retired service dog deserves a good home, consider this program.

Encounters with Santa

Would the holidays have as much sparkle without the chance to give and receive? Certainly not. And there's all sorts of potential for seasonal K9 moments with Santa, in the run-up to Christmas.

Holiday gift-giving

Silly memes aside, I'd also like to highlight some more serious thoughts about seasonal K9 moments. Specifically, some very special, life-saving holiday presents for working police K9s.

"Vested in time for Christmas" - San Antonio K9 Rick (shown here with his human partner, Officer Robert Acosta of the VIA Transit Metro Police Department) received a bulletproof, stab-proof vest in mid-December 2018, from Vested Interest in K9s Inc. These vests are expensive, but through donations the organization provides them to working police dogs at no charge to the department.

Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. was at it again this year, with (among other gifts) a bulletproof, stab-proof vest for K9 Roman (with unidentified sidekick) of the Clinton, Iowa Police Department, paid for entirely through donations.

I hope your holiday traditions include charitable giving. If they do, consider a gift (perhaps on Boxing Day, especially if you missed Giving Tuesday) to one of the K9 good causes I featured in this post:

• American Humane's Service Dogs for Veterans initiative
• Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.

IMAGE CREDITS

The YouTube video of the K9 in his new winter booties is from The Weather Network. It featured a Rapid City, SD K9 who'll undoubtedly need those booties, but that doesn't mean he has to like them. The "Here's an Idea" image is courtesy of Imagur's Service Dog Memes. Many thanks to The Dodo on YouTube and American Humane's Service Dogs for Veterans, for the video about Bakk's reunion with his human, and the programs they support. 

Many thanks to the German Shepherd Dog Community (the GSDC) on Facebook via Sheryl Pessell's Pinterest Board, for the "I'll be Waiting" meme (she has other good ones on there, too!). And double thanks to CHEEZburger, via I Can Has CHEEZburger's "17 of the Best Animal Christmas Memes" page, for both the "You Are Not Leaving" (via I Love my German Shepherd Dog and Add Text) and the "Bark at Santa" (via Bella German Shepherds) images.

Finally, thanks to My San Antonio, for the "Vested in Time for Christmas" photo of K9 Rick and Officer Acosta (with accompanying story). Thanks also to KWQC of Clinton IA for the photo and story about K9 Roman (unfortunately, his uniformed sidekick wasn't identified). And thanks very much to Vested Interest in K9s Inc. for their work!

Artwork at Archon 43

All sorts of Images of Interest
I did not receive the same license to shoot pictures at the Archon 43 Art Show as my rare opportunity afforded by Peri Charlifu to photograph his artwork at FenCon XVI, But I'd like to highlight three of the artists who are showing artwork at Archon 43, even so.

Setup for the Archon 43 Art Show began Thursday night before the convention.

Mitchell Bentley
Archon 43's Artist Guest of Honor is Mitchell Bentley, who owns Atomic Fly Studios. I've known Mitch since he and I were both very young, and just beginning to work out what sort of artists we wanted to be. He was living in Tulsa, OK, working with oil paintings. I was under the illusion that I wanted to become an illustrator. We've both evolved since then!

Mitch has moved several times, earned a Master of Arts degree and lived in a variety of places. I've stayed basically in the same place, but had several different art-related and art-adjacent careers.

Not all of Mitch's images featured in this post are among his artwork at Archon 43, but I thought they were representative of some of the things he does really well.

Quantum Presence, © by Mitchell Davidson Bentley

Starspawn, © by Mitchell Davidson Bentley

Wild Ride, created by Mitchell Davidson Bentley for the Yard Dog Press book, Assassins Incorporated, by Phillip Drayer Duncan.

Rachael Mayo
Rachael Mayo also has artwork at Archon 43. She "dragons" frequently, and she does it extraordinarily well. She has an active presence on DeviantArt as rachaelm5, and a devoted following at sf convention art shows.

Deep Rising 11--Finale, © Rachael Mayo, is the large show-stopper in her display at the Archon 43 Art Show.

Jazzdragon 13, © by Rachael Mayo

Shadowgorge © by Rachael Mayo

Lucy A. Synk
As you know if you've been following my blog this summer, I've been acting as Lucy A. Synk's agent at sf convention art shows this year. You've possibly already seen displays of her work on my blog posts and Facebook pages.

Here's a look at Lucy's Art Show panels at Archon 43. I had permission, for this one! This artwork is all © 2019 by Lucy A. Synk.

Here are some of her individual images you may enjoy. They were displayed and sold at sf conventions earlier this year.

Planet Archipelago, © 2019 by Lucy A. Synk

Three Sisters, © 2019 by Lucy A. Synk.

A Planet Called Amethyst, © 2019 by Lucy A. Synk.

These three artists represent only a fraction of the artists who are exhibiting in the Archon 43 Art Show. Each offers an individual and beautiful approach to a science fiction or fantasy subject. I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse of the artists and the artwork at Archon 43.

IMAGE CREDITS:  Jan S. Gephardt photographed the entrance to the Archon 43 Art Show, and first posted it on Facebook. The Mitchell Bentley images are all © by Mitchell Davidson Bentley. Quantum Presence,  Starspawn, and Wild Ride all came from Bentley's website.
The Rachael Mayo images are all © by Rachael Mayo. Deep Rising 11--Finale, Jazzdragon 13, and Shadowgorge come from Rachael's DeviantArt presence. 
Tyrell Gephardt took the photos of Lucy A. Synk's Art Show panels specifically so he could text them to her after he put them up. She gave us permission to blog about them. My company Weird Sisters Publishing LLC has licensed the use of the three individual images for uses such as this. All of Lucy's artwork shown here is © 2019 by Lucy A. Synk. 

Catcall and response

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest

Have you ever been walking down a city street, especially past a construction site, and heard somebody yell, "Hey, baby! Gimme a smile!" or similar stuff? If you've ever been a woman--particularly a young woman--you have. Guaranteed. Probably daily. (If you're a man, then probably not, and you may not see what's wrong with it).

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Stop Telling Women to Smile

While the occasional inexperienced country girl may mistake these catcalls for harmless flattery on first exposure, it soon becomes clear that the objectifying intent is neither harmless nor benign. Day after day, the merciless barrage can drag you down.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, My Name is not Baby 

It's recognized more properly as street harassment--and NO, women don't like it. But what can be done, right? Most of us just duck our heads and keep walking.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Harassing women does not prove your masculinity

Enter Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, and her "Stop Telling Women to Smile" public art campaign. All those things you so wish you could say to harassers? She says them. With large public art displays, right out there in the harassers' space on the streets.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Critiques on my Body are not Welcome

Fazlalizadeh has illustrated her messages with the faces of women she knows, women whose lives are impinged upon daily by these assaults. Her images empower all of us, not only her friends.

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Women are not Outside for your Entertainment

She speaks what all of us wish we could, in a way that few can mistake.

Which speak best for you? Please make comments below!

IMAGES: Many thanks to the Huffington Post, for the image at the top. Deepest gratitude to Katherine Brooks's  2017 Huffington Post article, "Public Art Project Addresses Gender-Based Street Harassment in a Big Way," for My name is not Baby, Critiques on my Body are not Welcome, and Women are not Outside for your Entertainment; and honor and props to  Tatyana Fazlalizadeh and her "Stop Telling Women to Smile" page, for Harassing women does not prove your masculinity. I plan to feature more of these posters in future Images of Interest.

What is food insecurity?

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest 

November is the month of Thanksgiving, a traditional celebration of feasting in the United States (several other countries also celebrate Thanksgiving days of one sort or another). We traditionally think of this as a time of harvest, of feasting, and of plenty.

But for much of the world, much of the time--including in our own USA--food on the table isn't a "given" at all, and "plenty" is an abstract concept. My Images of Interest for the rest of the month will examine aspects of food insecurity and ways to address it, both at home and abroad.

IMAGES: Many thanks to Hunger Free, via World Vision's Pinterest page, for the illustrated quote from Norman Borlaug, and to the Australian organization Foodwise, via Ecologic Media's Pinterest page, for the attractive and informative infographic on food insecurity.

Love, loss, and music for All Souls Day

The Artdog Images of Interest for All Souls Day

IMAGES: Many thanks to the Beers and Beans Blog article "Graveyard Musicians-Oaxaca, Mexico," for the photo of the mariachis in a graveyard on the Days of the Dead; to the Genealogy Bank Blog's "101 Genealogy Proverbs" for the Chinese proverb; to Quote Ambition, for the "Sympathy-Loss-Love" quote image; and to Amazon for the "papel picado" banner designs.

Badly shaken

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest

Embed from Getty Images

I'm trying a new thing! Getty Images has allowed non-commercial blogs such as this one to embed short slide shows of their images, legally, for free.

I've been watching the news, and have been concerned about all the damage, injuries, and deaths that resulted from the recent earthquake in Lombok, Indonesia. I was particularly struck by the terror worshipers at a mosque must have felt when their roof began to cave in.

Where is Lombok? It's in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands. If you're interested in making a disaster relief donation to help these folks, one trustworthy agency I've been able to find is GlobalGiving's Indonesia Earthquake Relief Fund.

Lombok has been leveled. (Photo courtesy of GlobalGiving).

It sometimes seems to me that August is the Disaster Month. Last week I featured a "fire tornado" from northern California. This week I thought I'd share an image from Indonesia. Thanks to Getty Images, I'm able to share five, plus a bonus image from GlobalGiving.

IMAGES: Many, many thanks to Getty Images and their Slideshow Embed function for these images. I deeply appreciate the amazing photographic work of Ulet Ifansasti. I also want to thank GlobalGiving for the other photo from Lombok.

Kansas City represents, at SoonerCon 27

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest 
I hope you can endure one more post about SoonerCon 27, held June 22-24, 2018 in Midwest City, OK. This one's about Kansas City artists at SoonerCon 27.

At left is my SoonerCon 27 Art Show display; at right is my friend Rachael Mayo, another Kansas City-based artist who specializes in dragons. One of hers, titled Shadowgorge 4, very deservedly won a Peer Choice Nucleon Award in the Professional Artist category. She came in second to John Picacio, which is not doing badly at all.

Rachael and I weren't the only Kansas City artists in the SoonerCon Art Show, however. Fellow Kansas Citian Allison Stein filled several panels with her small, one-of-a kind mixed-media artworks featuring quirky animals with attitude.

Also present but not exhibiting work in the Art Show were Kansas City author/artists Sherri Dean and James Hollaman.

IMAGES: Both photos in this post were taken by me (Jan S. Gephardt); in the case of Rachael's photo, with her permission and cooperation (I asked her to smile. This is what she gave me. Twice. "That is my happy face," she said). If you wish to reblog or re-post these images, please attribute both me and Rachael, and include a link back to this post, if possible. Many thanks!

Classics

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest 

Isaac Asimov does not need my reviews, as so many contemporary authors do. But after having recently completed the classic "Robot" Trilogy, these three reviews were a pleasure to write. If you haven't yet taken this walk back into an earlier view of the future, you really might want to give them a try. They're classics for a reason. Dated? Sure. But even so, there's a lot to enjoy.

The Caves of Steel
The opening novel of this major science fiction trilogy from the 1950s is a classic, odd-couple, "buddy cop" pairing. Elijah Baley is an Earth-born detective who profoundly distrusts the high-and-mighty Spacers, who think they're better than those who stayed on Earth--and that goes double for the Spacers' robots, who threaten to do away with ordinary people's jobs and livelihoods. So of course when a prominent Spacer is killed while on Earth, and Baley is assigned to investigate, who should they name as his partner but a robot? And not just any robot. R. Daneel Olivaw is made in the likeness of the murdered Spacer, right down to the smallest hair. Cultures clash, misunderstandings ensue--but there's a mystery to solve. This book opens a world of wonders (some of them highly improbable, given today's understandings) and strong prejudices. A major theme is pushing one's boundaries to open up new tolerance to "the other." It's a theme we could profitably revisit today.

The Naked Sun
I think this is my favorite of Asimov's three classic "Robot" novels. It's a well-made mystery, and once again involves a cast of interesting characters in a very unusual culture. Elijah Baley is promoted and sent (against his will) away from Earth as a special favor to the powerful Aurorans. His mission: unravel a seemingly-insoluble murder on another planet, Solaria, for which the only suspect is a beautiful young woman named Gladia Delmarre--who swears she didn't do it. Baley is teamed up once again with the inimitable R. Daneel Olivaw. Together--and occasionally at odds with each other--they unravel the mystery in a way that only someone willing to "think outside the box" could do. Meanwhile, Baley continues to expand his horizons and push himself to new lengths against conditioning he's accepted all his life . Some of the extremely dated assumptions underlying the entire world made the whole work even more interesting to me.

The Robots of Dawn
By the time this third installment was written, some of the tech was already looking and feeling a little obsolete--but Asimov is regarded as a master for good reason. This book brings Earth Detective Elijah Baley, his sometimes-partner R. Daneel Olivaw, and the Solarian, Gladia Delmarre, back together again, in new circumstances on the primary Spacer planet of Aurora. But Gladia's in trouble again, and Baley still has un-dealt-with feelings for her from their earlier encounter. This book explores them and brings the trilogy to a resolution, while allowing Baley, once again, to use his powers of deduction in a way only a man NOT of Auroran culture could. Another fascinating take on culture clashes and assumptions made—even while it remains blind to some of the assumptions of the time period in which it was written.

IMAGES: I took photos of the covers of books in my possession, to make the composite as consistent as possible. The cover art for The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun are both by Stephen Youll. Cover design for The Robots of Dawn is by Kiyoshi Kanai.

New artwork debuts at ConQuesT 49!

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest 

Gerberas and Gold #1, 2016-2018, © by Jan S. Gephardt

Gerberas and Gold #2, 2016-2018, © by Jan S. Gephardt

As promised in the mid-week post, today's Images are my newest finished artwork. They go on display today in the ConQuesT 49 Art Show, along with most of the rest of my current work. Can you tell I don't have the best setup for photographing my artwork right now? Believe it or not, both mats are the same color.

These two pieces feature another variation on the "Gemflower" idea (these are based on Gerbera Daisies), that I started playing around with in 2016.

Each little dragon is not only hand cut, sculpted, and assembled, but it's also touched with metallic gold and/or copper paint, and each dragon is posed slightly differently. Each is genuinely unique, while preserving the overall look of the series. More variations on this theme are in the works. I plan to debut a third, larger piece in this series at SoonerCon 27.

IMAGES: Both of these artworks are © by Jan S. Gephardt. You may repost or reblog them, as long as you don't alter them, give a full attribution, and provide a link back to this post. Thanks!

Stronger than one building

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest 

Shotgun, Third Ward #1, 1966, by John T. Biggers.

John T. Biggers painted this image, Shotgun, Third Ward #1, in 1966--yet to me it hauntingly resonates with recent headlines.

Likely inspired by a rash of arsons in black churches during the early-to-mid-1960s, Biggers chose to focus on the community, rather than the sensationalism of the fire.

Then as now, the church is more than just a building, although churches were a central gathering place for the African American community during the Civil Rights era. Thus, attacks on black churches were attacks on civil rights activism, as well.

The word Shotgun in the title refers to the houses, not the weapon--and not, as popularly alleged, because a fired shell would travel through from one end to the other. Indeed, the African word "shogon," which means "house of God," is more likely the origin of the term (bringing us full-circle back to the church).

Shotguns, 1987, by John T. Biggers

The narrow, rectangular design, in which several rooms in a row open directly into one another (with no hallway) was popular for several decades, especially in the South. By the 1960s, however, "Shotgun houses" were associated with poor people, especially impoverished African Americans. Biggers returned to the image of the shotgun house for his iconic 1987 painting Shotguns. 

IMAGES: Many thanks to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, for the image of Shotgun, Third Ward #1, and to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) blog, for the image of Shotguns. I deeply appreciate both.

Improvisation on a classic

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest

Kehinde Wiley, Officer of the Hussars, 2007-Collection of the Detroit Institute of the Arts Museum

Today I get to feature one of my absolute favorite pieces by Kehinde Wiley, an artist I've been aware of, and admired increasingly, ever since I ran across one of his amazing portraits several years ago at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. That painting was part of a traveling exhibition, I didn't retain the name in my memory, and I haven't been able to scare up information about it online.

But periodically I'd run across another Wiley--and, as you can imagine (if this is your first Wiley, God bless you, now you know!), once you've seen Wiley's work you don't forget it. Recently, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art acquired another Wiley, his painting St. Adrian. 

Wiley's Officer of the Hussars is based on another painting I've known and loved for years, The Charging Chasseur, or An Officer of the Imperial Horse Guards Charging, 1812, by Théodore Géricault. You may remember seeing a reproduction of the artwork (the Wiley, not the Géricault), if you've watched the Fox TV Show Empire.

I'm a Géricault  fan, too, not only for his dramatic compositions and masterful renderings, but because he liked exotic places and people who didn't all look just like him. At his best, he portrayed many of those "exotic" people as individuals.

I do tend to think Wiley improved on the original--but you can compare, and decide for yourself.

The Charging Chasseur, 1812, by Théodore Géricault - Collection of the Louvre, Paris.

You'll see more Kehinde Wiley art from me in the months to come, if all goes well. He's got so many wonderful paintings to share!

NOTE: While researching this post, I also discovered that former President Barack Obama shares my enthusiasm for Wiley's artwork: he recently chose Wiley to paint his official presidential portrait. It will hang in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, alongside an Amy Sherald portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama.

IMAGES: Many thanks to Deadline Detroit and Alan Stamm, for the photo of Wiley's Officer of the Hussars, and to Wikipedia for the photo of Géricault's painting.

Remembering Jake

The Artdog Image(s) of Interest
I'll write the planned post about another endangered beauty spot a different time. Today I simply want to remember a beloved friend. My dog Jake has gone on ahead of me, as dogs too often do, taking a journey I'm not yet ready to take.

Jake in the back yard with me, in October 2016--Photo by Signy Gephardt

Jake was my writing companion, the co-inspirer of certain dragon body-shapes in my artwork, and my exercise buddy who made sure I took walks as often as possible--at least until his lungs gave out.

He was a rescue dog, an Italian greyhound-whippet mix (thus, a "whiggie") who came into my life around the turn of the decade. He died this week of lung cancer, at the age of almost eleven.

He will be sorely missed.

Mine's missing someone at the moment, alas.

IMAGES: Many thanks to my daughter Signy for capturing a moment between Jake and me in 2016, and to Defining Wonderland's post "Adventures in Dog Watching," for the Roger Caras quote. The source they cite for the quote image is no longer there.

Drill, baby, drill?

The Artdog Images of Interest

As I noted last week, this month's theme is working toward a better future, and my Images of Interest for the rest of the month feature amazing places in the United States that are threatened or actively under attack. As long as they continue to exist, we can still fight to save them, even if things are looking bad at the moment.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is one such place that is under threat. Not immediately, but the Trump Administration has green-lighted the initiative to begin drilling there, so the process has definitely started. 

What kind of damage is that likely to do? That first link may have a dated lede, but the rest still applies. It's also true that tundra "heals" after disruption extremely slowly.

ANWR is so enormous, no single picture can hope to capture its variety and beauty. It's true that five won't do it either, but I've tried to find a good variety to give a small taste of what's at stake.

IMAGES: Many thanks to William Bonilla and Defenders of Wildlife for the polar bear photo taken in the ANWR; to Robert Salazar and Origami for an Interdependent World (what a cool idea!), for the photo of the famous Porcupine Caribou, a subspecies; to Peter Mather and The Wilderness Society for the lakeshore-and-clouds image from the refuge; to Florian Schulz and The Audubon Society for the aerial photo of the braided river, plains and mountains in the refuge; and to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for the photo of the mountain foothills. sloping down to a plain in the ANWR. I deeply appreciate all!

Nature can teach kids about the world and themselves

The Artdog Images of Interest
Last May, I blogged in some detail about ways that kids can learn to think better and be creative by getting out into nature. That series was focused on keeping kids learning and teaching them to value nature during a summer away from school.

But just because they're back in school now, that's no reason for them to stop learning from nature. I'd like to hope that they benefit from classes that teach science on beaches and riversides. But if their schools can't afford field trips, I hope they get an opportunity somewhere.

I'd like to hope they get to grow things in school-run gardens, to learn about plant life cycles and where food comes from. But if they don't get that experience in school, I hope they get it from someone.

Maybe they'll be sent on nature scavenger hunts. Those always make great homework projects. But if the schools are forced to teach to a different test, maybe their moms, dads, older cousins, Scout leaders or someone will take them out to find the wonder in nature, anyway.

Perhaps they'll have a class project to observe a variety of clouds and learn to tell them apart. But if they don't, I hope some caring adult will take the time to show them.

Perhaps their school will have a birding club, or they'll take a trip to a zoo, aquarium, or nature preserve. Wouldn't it be great if they could learn to observe animals with quiet respect? But if the school's too busy drilling on grammar and math facts, perhaps an uncle, aunt, grandparent, or other trustworthy adult can help them learn the joys of such excursions.

Family is the first resource when schools are stretched too thin, but if your family can't take on a full-fledged nature and science curriculum, remember there's help available in faith communities and community groups. 

Importantly, there also are active youth organizations, such as Camp Fire, Girl Scouts, and Boy Scouts of America. Yes, I know both Girl and Boy Scouts have been embroiled in controversy recently. But don't let that make you lose sight of the fact that they've enriched the lives of several generations, and I'm here to tell you that both organizations still contain plenty of committed adults who only desire to help young people grow into knowledgeable adults. (Full disclosure: I was a Girl Scout myself, a Camp Fire summer camp counselor, my daughter was a Girl Scout who deeply loved her summer camping experiences, my son is an Eagle Scout, and I served as a Boy Scout Merit Badge counselor, so I'm not exactly unbiased about these organizations--though I'm also not blind to their flaws).

Whatever you do with your kids and wherever you do it, remember that an enduring connection with nature is a lifelong gift for your children--and a vital survival understanding for all of us.

IMAGES: Many thanks to Wikimedia Commons for the photo of young kids with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife agent observing life along a riverbank. I also want to thank the Green Corn Project Blog, for the photo of the enthusiastic class of second-grade gardeners; to Connecting Youth with Nature for the photo of the kids with magnifying glasses and Small Talk SLP via Pinterest, for the Nature Scavenger Hunt page; to InnerChildFun for the photo of the little boy with the "weather window," and to E is for Explore! for a different variation on the "Weather Window Cloud Identifier" idea; to EDventures with Kids for the Animal Observation sheet, and to Cornell Labs' Bird Sleuth K-12, for the photo of the budding birders with binoculars. Finally, I'd like to thank C&G News, and Harper Woods, MI Girl Scout Leader Anna Jochum for the photo of 2nd- and 3rd-Grade Brownie Scouts on a winter survival exercise, and to the Utah National Parks Council of the Boy Scouts of America for the photo of the Scout leader teaching a group of boys a little about leather tooling. I deeply appreciate all for sharing!