Jennifer Salo Two-Axe - Top Dog
Born on a cold winter's eve, in Cherry Alley, directly behind the General Worth Hotel, the runt of the litter learned early on how to beg for scraps from the kitchen help at the magnificent hotel. One particularly raw day, having been allowed in the kitchen quarters by a scullery maid, Bonnie, the now fully grown, handsome dog met a local mobster delivering spirits. The man took a fancy to him and from that day forward, the golden-colored dog was nicknamed "Studs" and became the toast of the town; Hudson's very own rags to riches canine - Top Dog.
Ali Hermann - Cheshire Dog
I think the info packet for artists mentioned that this was the 'brother or cousin' project to the Catskill cats from last year....the packet definitely put 'cats' on my brain, so, I got thinking.....a cat-type dog, that could be fun. I know I sat on the couch brainstorming ideas off to my boyfriend and both felt Cheshire Cat could be really great with that creepy/eerie smile and googly eyes. I've always wanted to paint one of these forms as opposed to gluing something on them (as I did in the past). I thought stripes would be fun, but being a meticulous perfectionist on these projects.....in the end, I found stripes were not all that easy.
I was amazed that I could actually work on the dog in my lap, probably the smallest form ever!what else...I've always wanted to have a giant alice in wonderland themed croquet party where people dress up as a character and eat and drink from a mad hatters' table (me making all kinds of funky ceramics for of course! and serving my cookies and treats that I bake)
I don't know if I've given you anything to put on my page....I can tell you that I am working on putting together a proposal for another public art project.....this time making funky mushroom stools for people to sit on....very much like the cheshire cat...but we'll have to wait and see if that gets approved.
Darcie Cristello - Woofgang Amadoggus Mozart
I titled the design for my dog “Woofgang Amadoggus Mozart” after the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I have memories of seeing the movie “Amadeus” while in college and I especially remembered the flamboyant costuming for the actor who played Mozart. I was also influenced by several portraits of Mozart, namely Barbara Krafft’s posthumous painting of him from 1819. In her painting, Mozart is wearing a bright crimson red coat and a fancy lace cravat which I have incorporated into my design.
Piano keys were painted around each cuff on the coat to pay homage to Mozart’s musical instrument of choice. I sculpted the shape of an 18th century style white wig directly onto the dog to give him the look of Mozart’s era. Sculpting the wig on my dog also enabled me to set my dog apart from the other Best in Show designs. The owner of Pro-Printer’s in Hudson (who had chosen to sponsor my dog), owns a chocolate lab and he was thrilled to see that I decided to paint my dog a dark color similar to his own beloved pet.
Last but not least, having a musical theme to my design was also influenced by my boyfriend who is a musician. His passion for music inspired me to create a design that would strike a chord with him (no pun intended!).
Karen Bennett - Settler
My friend suggested I come to her house to sketch a dog to be entered in your contest.
I spent a few hours on a Saturday afternoon and drew various symbols of Hudson's past (I love to read about Columbia County's history) and at first thought I would just illustrate my ideas in black ink. As time progressed the idea blossomed into actually carving my symbols much as the whalers of Hudson's past had done.
I found a Dremmel carving kit in my late husband's workshop and ran through two bits carving first the 1700's on one side of the dog, then the 1800's on the other. A fellow artist friend suggested I use a buttermilk color for the base coat of my lab and then rub a raw umber over the carvings. I had only worked in pen and ink, water color and colored pencil prior to my dog. Now I am diving into the world of oils...working on my dog has expanded my horizons.
Kseniya Bikler - Nature Dog
My ultimate inspiration behind this pet is Columbia County and the views of the adjacent county. I greatly enjoy the rich historical countryside, streams and vast forestry. Inspired by the seasons and the vistas, Columbia County has a beauty that’s just breathtaking. And on the dog’s shoulder is a red Victorian house, a nod to the Dog’s sponsor, Mount Merino Manor, a luxurious and stately Manor house inside and out.
Kseniya Bikler - Sunshine
Inspired by the lost of a co-workers pet, the attached poem entitled Rainbow Bridge inspired me to create a dog displaying all the colors of the rainbow which essentially represents the abundant love of each pet owner that has ever had to bid farewell to their beloved pet(s).
Rainbow Bridge Poem
Svetlana Baldwin - Kitty Coat, Blue Tatoo, The ideas for my dog designs came from my imagination. I was fortunate that 3 of the 4 designs that I submitted were accepted. I sculpted 3-dimensional details from epoxy, and painted with acrylics. The Kitty Coat dog glows in the dark. Blue Tattoo has 36 small Swarovski crystals epoxied into the design. While I was working on the project my cat Ichabod was first suspicious of the dogs, then came to like them, as you can see in the photograph. One day while I was painting the dogs outside, a woman was walking her dog – it was a similar breed to the fiberglass models I was painting. The dog got very excited and wanted to jump on them and play. The woman finally told her dog, “Don’t be foolish – they aren’t real!” Also while I was working on the dogs, a groundhog came to check them out. Perhaps he wanted to be painted too. You can see him in the background.
It seems like everyone has a favorite among my dog designs – men like the Mans Best Friend dog with tools, women like the Kitty Coat, and kids seem to like the flowers on the Blue Tattoo dog. From the design statement submissions:
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All the Best in Show dog photos by Scott Schaffernoth