Oct 15
This weekend, we stayed close to home so we would not lose our off-street parking spaces due to a marathon taking place in the city and a home football game! In any event, Biscuit enjoyed a fun weekend! He went on multiple walks; chased an outdoor cat; went to dinner with us in his Hound About; and met a new sheltie friend, McSorley! Biscuit is definitely enjoying the cooler temperatures! Some photos are displayed below! Enjoy!
Yesterday I wrote about the joined cheetah and panda totem that I had made by Laura Johnson, Le Animalé, as a gift for Doug for our four-year wedding anniversary. I decided to learn more about Laura’s totems and her art making process, outlined below! You can also read why Laura chose to call her animals totems here. I hope that you enjoy her totems as much as I do! It was a pleasure working with Laura! Happy Friday!
KATHERINE CARVER: When and how did you being making animal totems?
LAURA JOHNSON: I started officially making totems in May 2011, but made pieces every now and again before that time as gifts for friends. I didn’t have a particular style before I started le animalé, though.
KATHERINE CARVER: Did you study art formally?
LAURA JOHNSON: I studied music formally, but not visual art. I play classical saxophone.
KATHERINE CARVER: What was the impetus that inspired you to begin making animal totems?
LAURA JOHNSON: There is a lot of background behind the totems. So much actually that it is a little tough to weed through and write it all out without either writing a short book or being really confusing, haha. So I’ll try to be concise. I’ve always loved animals, collections, and miniatures – especially animal figurines. I started collecting tiny animals several years ago and would rarely come across realistic figurines that weren’t either just plastic toys or statues over 4″ tall. I have a variety of materials in my own mini animal collection: stone, wood, ceramic, bone, pewter, crystal – but I am always a little extra excited to come across more realistically painted pieces. Even better, realistic with a subtle twist of some sort. I figured if I was going to start making animal figurines myself I may as well make them what I’d love to discover as a collector of animal figurines. That’s part of the reason why I don’t add eyes to my animals (that way they are realistic… almost). If you’re curious about why else I don’t add eyes, I wrote about it here. To put the icing on the cake with my figurines, I decided to give them personalities and energies so they could be more than just a figurine, but a totem: a little sidekick or source of inspiration, support, good luck or whatever the totem’s keeper needs.
KATHERINE CARVER: What was the process to make the panda and cheetah totem?
LAURA JOHNSON: The panda and cheetah totem was a bit different than anything else I’ve made since they are joined together. But I love new challenges. I typically don’t sketch before sculpting because I work with a very organic process and just sort of jump right in and ‘dance’ with the medium until the piece looks right. There is give and take. I had an idea of what I wanted the panda and cheetah to look like together – even though they are joined at the hip I wanted them to appear stable in their own poses as well. To create some movement and connection between the two animals, I turned their heads in slightly toward one another (a suggestion from Katie, actually) and also wrapped the cheetah’s tail onto the panda’s back. In the final piece they are two strong animals but with clear affection, love, support and stability for one another, shown below.
KATHERINE CARVER: What are you working on now?
LAURA JOHNSON: Right now I am working on so many things. But what else is new? There are two collaborations in the works that are super special and super exciting. They will both be released in time for holiday gifts, and if you’d like to stay connected and hear about them when they launch, please sign up for my newsletter. You won’t want to miss them! I’m also gearing up for the holidays – stocking up on totems and supplies and working on custom orders. Custom orders will only be available for Christmas deadlines until mid November, by the way!
KATHERINE CARVER: Do any artists inspire your work?
LAURA JOHNSON: Not particularly. I am inspired by other artists’ work, but more as a collective idea. If I dig through art sites or go visit a gallery, any art, any gallery, I’ll practically come running out with the NEED to create some sort of art right then, right there. Like a fix. It never fails.
KATHERINE CARVER: What advice do you have for aspiring artists?
LAURA JOHNSON: Create what you love and create it consistently, even if you aren’t feeling particularly inspired. Share what you make with the world so people can find it and enjoy it. Enjoy the process, and don’t get discouraged. I don’t believe that there are things any particular person can’t do. It’s just a matter of putting enough time into it to gain the skill, and asking questions when you don’t know how to do something. And if you are already talented in your area but have fear of putting yourself out there, or fear of failure, or any fear (and we all do), know that “inaction breeds doubt and fear (-Dale Carnegie)”, so move forward, make things happen, and “always do what you’re afraid to do (-Emerson)”. If you do that, soon enough nothing will stop you. I didn’t always believe it, but yes you can absolutely make a career doing what you love… so go for it.
Below are some more examples of Laura Johnson’s work. You can checkout Laura’s website for further examples and reading. Enjoy! We are getting a totem made of our little Biscuit! These totems are darling!
Here is a link to a 360 degree example of a finished dog totem!
Do you see the cheetah and panda totem in the background!
Laura also makes custom necklaces. A few examples are shown below.
This is how your totem will arrive!
Photographs were used with the permission of Laura Johnson, Le Animalé.
You can read additional interviews here.
Oct 11
Below is a photograph of a custom hand-made cheetah and panda totem that are joined together. Laura Johnson of Le Animalé recently made this custom cheetah and panda animal totem that we are very happy to have displayed in our home! I had this totem made as a gift for Doug to commemorate our four-year wedding anniversary! We love cheetahs and pandas! Laura is very talented, and you should check out her website to see her vast selection of animal totems! She also includes a stat card with each totem she makes. She can make anything, and we will likely have a totem made of little Biscuit as well!
This post below is from Life With Dogs. My husband, Doug, always says that he wishes the he could take our little Biscuit to work with him as it would be a huge “morale boost!” Biscuit is usually always up for an adventure, except for adventures to the vet’s office!
Every day millions of lucky dogs and their humans get to go to work together, and many people support the idea that it makes the workplace feel less stressful and generally creates a happier atmosphere. Erin McCormack, who works at Authentic Entertainment in Los Angeles agrees, saying ”They are a calming force. When things get stressful, you can lean down and pet your dog or take a walk and pet a nearby dog. You get a more efficient workplace, one that’s not consumed with stress.”
McCormack’s dog Molly, a Maltese mix, is one of the fortunate dogs who gets to spend every Friday at work with her mom. In addition to making the workplace less frantic feeling, McCormack says ”It’s such a great way to create a productive atmosphere. It makes the environment more conducive to creativity.” As well, it saves dog owners the cost of dog walkers or day care since they can walk them on lunch breaks. There is also support for the argument that this contributes to the overall health and well being of staff since it gets them out of their chairs and out into the fresh air, also contributing to improved productivity.
An American Pet Products Association survey indicates that one in five business in the United States is pet friendly, including Google Inc. and Amazon Inc. who both say that it helps keep employees happy and therefore boosts retention. ”Engineering and software companies are often the type of company that is pet-friendly,” says Len Kain, cofounder and editor of DogFriendly. com, which lists dog-friendly companies in every state.
Allowing dogs to come to work is also a way for companies to show that they are “different,” that they care about people and their quality of life. And of course, dog owners want to give their dogs the best possible quality of life, so everyone benefits.
Oct 9
Below is some interesting information from a recent Men’s Health article concerning dog friendly cities in the United States.
No one wants to hear that his city has gone to the dogs. But in this case, it means canines are king, and Portland leads the pack. Men’s Health crunched the per capita numbers of dog parks (Trust for Public Land), dog-friendly apartments (Apartments.com), vets (MyVeterinarian.com), animal shelters (Petfinder.com), and pet stores and services, along with the percentage of dog owners (both SimplyMap). Finally, Men’s Health factored in state laws against animal cruelty, dog fighting, and puppy mills (Humane Society). The results are outlined below to see where you city ranks in terms of dog friendliness. Hopefully, you live in a dog friendly city!
MOST DOG FRIENDLY
1. Portland, OR A+
2. Colorado Springs, CO A+
3. Wilmington, DE A+
4. Seattle, WA A
5. Denver, CO A
6. Tampa, FL A
7. Manchester, NH A-
8. St. Louis, MO A-
9. Pittsburgh, PA A-
10. Las Vegas, NV A-
11. Madison, WI A-
12. Tucson, AZ B+
13. Omaha, NE B+
14. Cincinnati, OH B+
15. Minneapolis, MN B+
16. Aurora, CO B+
17. Austin, TX B
18. Norfolk, VA B
19. Burlington, VT B
20. Lincoln, NE B-
21. Baton Rouge, LA B-
22. Des Moines, IA B-
23. St. Petersburg, FL B-
24. Reno, NV B-
25. Chesapeake, VA B-
26. Portland, ME B-
27. Atlanta, GA B-
28. Plano, TX C+
29. Tulsa, OK C+
30. Virginia Beach, VA C+
31. Little Rock, AR C+
32. Raleigh, NC C+
33. Orlando, FL C+
34. Sacramento, CA C+
35. Albuquerque, NM C+
36. Salt Lake City, UT C+
37. Greensboro, NC C+
38. St. Paul, MN C+
39. Miami, FL C
40. Winston-Salem, NC C
41. Charlotte, NC C
42. Bakersfield, CA C
43. Columbia, SC C
44. Jersey City, NJ C
45. Cheyenne, WY C
46. Rochester, NY C
47. Nashville, TN C
48. Kansas City, MO C-
49. Charleston, WV C-
50. San Francisco, CA C-
51. Anchorage, AK C-
52. Boise City, ID C-
53. Durham, NC C-
54. Chicago, IL C-
55. Fort Wayne, IN C-
56. Phoenix, AZ C-
57. Oklahoma City, OK C-
58. Houston, TX C-
59. New Orleans, LA C-
60. Birmingham, AL D+
61. Lexington, KY D+
62. San Diego, CA D+
63. Providence, RI D+
64. Washington, DC D+
65. Indianapolis, IN D+
66. Milwaukee, WI D+
67. Sioux Falls, SD D+
68. Wichita, KS D+
69. Lubbock, TX D+
70. Riverside, CA D+
71. New York, NY D+
72. Jacksonville, FL D+
73. Fargo, ND D+
74. Dallas, TX D
75. Billings, MT D
76. Cleveland, OH D
77. Philadelphia, PA D
78. Fresno, CA D
79. Toledo, OH D
80. Stockton, CA D-
81. Baltimore, MD D-
82. Honolulu, HI D-
83. San Jose, CA D-
84. Fort Worth, TX D-
85. Memphis, TN D-
86. Oakland, CA D-
87. San Antonio, TX D-
88. Columbus, OH D-
89. Boston, MA D-
90. Laredo, TX D-
LEAST DOG FRIENDLY
91. Buffalo, NY D-
92. Louisville, KY F
93. Jackson, MS F
94. Corpus Christi, TX F
95. El Paso, TX F
96. Detroit, MI F
97. Bridgeport, CT F
98. Anaheim, CA F
99. Newark, NJ F
100. Los Angeles, CA
“I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive.”
– Gilda Radner
There are two reasons why your furry family member rolls up in a ball to snooze. When dogs sleep in the wild, especially where it is cold, they will dig a nest and curl up into it. This gives the dog warmth and tucking into a ball conserves body heat. It also protects dogs’ most vulnerable organs in the abdomen area from predators.
Second, if a dog is in unfamiliar territory, he will revert back to the instinct-based, curled-up sleep position. Thus, giving your dog a blanket can help him dig a nest with the bedding material before he lies down instead of digging a hole to China in your carpet!
Biscuit enjoys his duvet, and often times he spends quite a bit of time getting his duvet in just the right position for him to sleep! Biscuit can be quite particular!
Other times, Biscuit likes to be wrapped up like a little burrito!
Oct 3
I came across a powerful quote by Rainer Maria Rilke. You can substitute the word “write” in the quote below for any art form.
“Nobody can counsel and help you, nobody. There is only one single way. Go into yourself. Search the reason that bids you write; find out whether it is spreading out its roots in the deepest places of your heart, acknowledge to yourself whether you would die if it were denied you to write. This above all — ask yourself in the stillest hour of your night: Must I write? Delve into yourself for a deep answer. And if this should be affirmative, if you may meet this earnest question with a strong and simple, ‘I must,’ then build your life according to this necessity; your life even into its most indifferent and slightest hour must be a sign of this urge and a testimony to it.”
-Rainer Maria Rilke
Oct 1
We recently discovered that Biscuit was appearing in Orvis stores around the country in connection with the Orvis Petfinder Commitment, promoting dog rescue. Below are some photographs of Biscuit with his poster at the Tysons Corner Orvis store.
Orvis was kind enough to send us a smaller version of the Orvis Petfinder poster shown below.
Sep 28
We recently discovered that Biscuit was appearing in Orvis stores around the country in connection with the Orvis Petfinder Commitment, promoting dog rescue. Below are some photographs taken by my parents of Biscuit appearing in the Royal Oak, Michigan Orvis store! Soon, we will be taking Biscuit to the Tysons Corner Orvis store so that Biscuit can see his poster! Happy Friday!
We recently received Biscuit’s Doggles in the mail! He actually does not mind wearing them! We will have to try out his new Doggles while he is riding in his Hound About! Below are some recent photographs of our little Biscuit wearing his new Doggles!
biscuit's space | The blog of photographer Katherine Carver 