It's past bedtime, but I'm sitting in front of this glowing screen with my 3 dogs right by my side. They are snoring gently and their popcorn toes wiggle now and then- hopefully they dream about a fun hike!
Earlier today, I stumbled on my old dog blog and realized how much I enjoyed capturing and sharing moments. (Back in the day, I worked as a pet photographer and we helped raise two assistance dogs.) I felt curiosity bubbling, what if, perhaps,… could I…
Start a Substack for DOGvision*?
* DOGvision has been the name of my website, project, and social media handle for all things dogs for almost 2 decades now. I've been sharing stories about our move up north, hiking, camping, paddling lakes, and some creative experiments.
Last autumn, on a gloomy day, I got stuck on the sofa with one of my dogs sleeping on my lap. As a well-trained dog mom, I obviously did not move, but as quiet as I could, I did an Elastigirl move to grab a sketchbook and a pencil. Curious dog-shaped lines appeared in the tiny sketchbook. First my dogs, then a few hairy Insta-friends.
By the time 2025 arrived, this sketchbook was filling up quickly and I decided to properly commit myself to drawing (at least) one dog a day.
Why?
Good question.
- It's fun.
- I'm an artist and illustrator, but the idea of drawing dogs felt overwhelmingly difficult.
- A challenge/commitment helps to get better at something difficult, one small step at a time.
- Dogs are awesome. (other animals too, so there are some guest appearances).
It's been a fun and colorful challenge, and with all the goodest dogs in the world, there are still so many to draw (and so much to learn too).
One sketch a day.
But now, I'll join my dogs in the land of dreams, because tomorrow we'll be off for some winter adventures.
If you're up for the journey and you are not afraid of some slobber, welcome and see you soon :-)
Fenne/DOGvision