A Day at the Dallas Arboretum

Into the Woods, 11X14, Oil on Linen

Into the Woods was painted on location at the Dallas Arboretum with a little help from a 9-year-old friend. If you notice a particularly gorgeous smudge of dark purpley brown in the bottom left corner, well that was the mark of what will likely be a future Picasso in the making. I never got her name. After she made her mark, she gave me back my brush and began hopping up and down and spinning in circles in her red dress.

Fredericksburg and Hamboogers

Indian Blanket

A Scene from Fredericksburg, Texas

11X14, Oil

Every year we try to make a trip down south to Fredericksburg, Texas, for a family vacation with the puggies. We have discovered the absolute best pet-friendly place out there and took Winnifred Wigglepants and the Stinky Boys a couple of times last year before Winnie Wiggles got sick. We lost Wiggles in January this year to GME encephalitis, but some of my best memories of Winnie will always be in Fredericksburg. While visiting there last spring, Winnie drew quite the adoring crowd in her polka dot harness and pink pearls shopping downtown at the fabulous must-see store for woofs of all sizes and shapes, Dogologie. Winnie also had dinner at a five-star restaurant with us (on the patio) where she enjoyed a five-star frenchy fry and the unabashed adoration of the waitresses.

We are planning another family trip in June and I can hardly wait to be on the road with the piggypugs. This painting, Indian Blanket, was completed from a sunset photograph taken in Fredericksburg last May.

The best part about traveling to Fredericksburg, according to Howard Pee Pugpants and Java Cheesybritches, are the bites of hamboogers they will get on the way up and back. Howard also particularly enjoys barking at every vehicle that dares to come near us on I-35. He keeps an eagle eye on the rear view mirror to ensure these pesky cars and trucks do not ambush us from behind. Java only howls for the first 50 miles, then drops off into a snoring snooze.

This year will be Anniebelly Bossybritches' first trip with us on family vacation. I'll need to start explaining now that she can't pack all 50 of her favorite toys.