If you read my story “adman’s chronicle” I talk about my love for pencil artwork. You will also learn in other blog posts how for my entire career I created and produced a myriad of advertising and marketing campaigns and materials that I referred to as “art that works not works of art”. For nearly 6 decades my call to action has been a client based need, answered by my plan of action. That plan of action typically involved a graphic element; at that point my artistic ability was put to work and returned to my tool box till needed again.
In June of 2016 our Grand Dog Ceazar succumbed to the horrors of Canine Cancer. Soon after we accompanied our Son to a dog breeder where he selected a beautiful Whippet Puppy; during this engagement we fell in love with the runt of the litter. Within weeks after 14 years we were back to being dog owners. Zara immediately took over our life our home and our daily routines. Whippets are a great breed; smart, impetuous, quiet, clean, loyal, loving, and beautiful; however their biggest joy is, running like the wind in pursuit of what they are focused on. If you own a whippet part of their daily routine should be some form of running, walking, and fetching activity. To do this you need to find dog friendly parks, trails, and beaches. With 2 whippets in our family, we do many together activities, especially when we are home in New York.
Early one morning in august of 2018 on a 3-4 mile hike I mentioned to my son “I really wonder if I could still draw” some other conversation continued. That thought kept coming back…again and again over the next couple of days. You cannot believe the stress that developed in my head. No matter the reason I had not picked up a pencil, pen or brush to do anything that wasn’t fee based in over 50 years, art was not a hobby, art was for one purpose “being the end to a means” arts only joy was a completed paid for retainer, period.
It took a few days and I relented. I went into my art supply storage bin. I took out the basics; a non repro-blue pencil, a pink pearl eraser, and 2 #2 pencils and some bright white paper. I sat down at my desk not a drawing board and froze. What should I draw? Oh S—T!… OK! as a kid I loved to draw and design cars. After a few minutes I pulled out a photo I had taken a few days earlier of a 1947 Hudson Yute…after an hour or so the sketch was done…OK I can draw! “No big deal, my early career involved all sorts of industrial illustrations in; pencil, pen, ink and airbrush.“ nuts bolts, industrial equipment, the LEM, scientific experiments, buildings, electronics, appliances, graphs, charts, ships hulls, you paid I drew it!” This was not what I wanted; I guess I wanted to see if I actually could enjoy drawing.
I thought for a while and decided to challenge myself, except for a few requirements I rarely needed to illustrate people and animals in realistic forms. So rather than insulting my Grand Children! I pulled out a photo of Zara and worked for quite a while. In the background I listened to a little Margaretville and Wow! I found it…Since then I have worked on many 8”x 10”s of AKC breeds and some of Zara’s Friends. My intention is to illustrate every AKC breed. With Zara, and her original portrait as my inspiration. I have launched a “Pinterest” Gallery to exhibit all AKC breeds as well as one for Mix Breeds. I am working on a website offering commissioned portraits of your dogs. If you would like your dog to be part of the AKC or Mixed Breed Collection there will be special offer.
If you would like Your Pet to become part of my Gallery or would like to be on a list of my gallery special promotions please Login Here…
Thank you for your interest,
alan b. meschkow
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