Pet Monologues

I would just like to share my upcoming on-line painting exhibit featuring some animal and nature paintings. I have a whimsical, fun style you may enjoy. The exhibit’s virtual opening is on Saturday, September 13. There will also be original line drawings for sale of dog art (my specialty) and a link to my etsy shop that carries my book, For The Love of Dog. Please stop by on Saturday at ronniannhall.com

Community Under the Sea, acrylic on canvas, 11×14 framed

Lucy, acrylic on masonite board, 12×14

Thanks! Ronni Ann Hall, Designing Fairy

Bless the animals.

World Animal Day occurs annually on 4 October. Animal welfare groups, sanctuaries, and individuals throughout the world hold special events to heighten public awareness of animal issues and to encourage people to think about how we as humans relate to animals.

World Animal Day Mission Statement

* To celebrate animal life in all its forms
* To celebrate humankind’s relationship with the animal kingdom
* To acknowledge the diverse roles that animals play in our lives from being our companions, supporting and helping us, to bringing a sense of wonder into our lives
* To acknowledge and be thankful for the way in which animals enrich our lives

“In this photo the Rev. Ron Spahn blesses an equine member of the 10:15am service at Christ Church Grosse Pointe. It was like Noah’s Ark without all the rain.” Photo: Brendan Ross/brossphoto.com

Designer: “Puppy” by Eero Aarnio

History

World Animal Day was conceived at an ecologist’s convention in Florence, Italy in 1931 as a way of highlighting the plight of endangered species. October 4th was chosen as World Animal Day because it is also the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a Catholic Church holiday which is often celebrated with an annual “blessing of the pets”.

Since then, it has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and has been widely celebrated around the world. It is intended as a day of celebration for anyone in the world who cares about animals. It is not restricted to any one nationality, creed, religion, political belief or ideology. Read the rest of this entry »

Strutt was born in England but spent a great deal of his life in Australia. He is known for his work as an illustrator and later for his commissioned works. One of his most famous pieces is titled Black Thursday, February 6th which depicted men and animals running from the bush fire that swept across Victoria, Australia.

William Strutt ‘Cultivating an Acquaintance’ 1889 Painting, Oil on Canvas

William Strutt ‘A Warm Response’ 1889 Painting, Oil on Canvas

In the two above paintings, Strutt’s dog is a Jack Russell Terrier. Fitting with a JRT’s instincts to harass or harm small animals, this dog attempts to mess with a crawfish…and the crawfish sets him straight!! ouch!! Read the rest of this entry »

For the highly structured bloggers, or those that long to be, here is a blog, Watermark—a poet’s notebook, that has been posting Cat items on Friday’s. It suggests a great way to create that “something fun to look forward” mindset. To introduce you to Watermark here is one of the earlier posts that went all the way back to August 2004! The title is “Badly Drawn Cats” and the premise is this: “it’s all very simple—drunken doodling leads to challenge to friends leads to asking random people in pub to draw pictures leads to knocking up web site leads to obsession!”

Here are several to admire:

Source: Watermark—a poet’s notebook.

An endangered animal story by Sabina, age 10.

It was a happy sunshine day on the northern coast of Florida, when Sara Hawksbill was told to come out to play with her friends. It is like tropical weather, with its humid climate and fresh smell. When she returned, her mother scolded her because she just finished cleaning the house and now she had more work. She told Sara to go take a bath while she cleaned Sara’s muddy mess.

Sara thought that her mother was just saying this, but with the look on her mother’s face she went anyway. Once Sara got there, she saw her friend, the fisherman, having trouble-catching fish. So she went to him and told him, “I will get some fish for you.” Then she went down in the water and grabbed some fish with her hooked beak. The fisherman was overseeing her with interest because under the water her body really looked like a hawk. She had a patterned shell and beautiful body that had two claws at the front flaps. When she returned and gave the fish to the fisherman, she realized that she had to take a bath. After her bath she came home and saw that mama did not return yet. So she went to get dinner ready for mama, papa, and herself.

Mama still didn’t return. Even though when papa returned home from work, Sara asked him, “Did you see mama while you came this way home?” Read the rest of this entry »

It’s the word that I long to hear my husband say, but he has so much trouble uttering it - it begins with an “L” and he’s just too shy and self-conscious to say it aloud in public, but in the privacy of our home he’s not afraid to say “Labradoodle.”

I first noticed this at the park. When a woman asked what kind of dog was attempting to strangle itself at the end of our leash, I began to say “labradoodle,” but my husband steamrolled over me and said, “Oh, he’s a mutt. Some kind of lab mix. We aren’t really sure.” Her curiosity satisfied, she went on her way and I gave my husband an inquisitive look, which he shrugged off.

Next our neighbor, who isn’t exactly a dog person, asked where we got the blond wookie. A big strapping guy who spends way too much time polishing his Harley Davidson and too little riding it, he first remarked that we needed another dog “like Iraq needs sand.” Ha-ha. Then he pointed out that the dog looked like a big poodle. My husband bristled a bit. “Hey, he’s a lab. Well, he’s mostly lab. He’s not a poodle.” Read the rest of this entry »

An endangered animal story by Nina, age 10.

I, Sara, a squirrel monkey, was hunting for my daily meal in the rainforest’s canopy: bugs, berries and leaves. I suddenly heard this noise that was so loud, it almost broke my eardrums! The tree I was in started to shake and I practically fell off! I quickly jumped into another tree, and the one I was in fell to the floor of the rainforest. After that exciting moment, I looked down, and saw a human with what I think was a chainsaw!

Illustration by Nina using Kid Pix.

I quickly called all the animals, (yeah, even that pesky ocelot that kept on chasing me). We had a meeting to come up with a plan that would stop the human from cutting the canopy, and make him go back where he came from. “How about we tie him up with vines and send him down the Amazon!” Jaguar exclaimed. Read the rest of this entry »

An endangered animal story by Kyle, age 10.

One day in the Woods of No Return a sheep was attacked by a pack of Timber Wolves. At first the Timber Wolves broke the sheep’s leg, and made it bloody.

Illustration by Kyle using Kid Pix.

Then out of whom knows where came Balto the Red Wolf/Dog with his reddish brown fur and brown eyes. Balto chased three wolves away. Four of them howled and shouted out at Balto, “Timber.” Then out of who knows where came an avalanche. Balto quickly pushed him and the seriously injured sheep to the side while they watched the huge mass of snow go by.

Then Farmer Fred came out of his house, and saw Balto next to the sheep and thought he tried to kill it. So he rushed into his house and got his rifle, but Balto was gone by the time he got outside. The one thing Farmer Fred did not know about Balto is he does not eat live puny sheep he only eats dead puny sheep. Farmer Fred was eager to get Balto, and all the Red Wolves that live around him. Red Wolves are endangered and Farmer Fred wanted Red Wolves extinct. Red Wolves are endangered because they go after sheep and farmers kill them. Read the rest of this entry »