My Warrior Dog - Cheyenne

Each April I feel a little sad, as I recall saying good-bye to Cheyenne 6 years ago.
This year, instead of reliving the sadness, I am going to tell you how great he was.

I rescued Cheyenne from the Regina Humane Society in Sept. 2000. He was 6 months old and had been locked up for the first 6 months of his life. He was a scared little boy. Driving back from Regina to my acreage he stayed curled up and whimpered the whole trip. I thought "Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into?"

I put him in the sunroom which was to be his bedroom. He had his own full sized couch, food and water and lots of windows. The next morning, when I looked at my dog, I saw a total transformation. He was alert, curious and full of joy. Taking him outside the first few days was quite funny. It was all new to him. He was curious about butterflies, he hopped the hills chasing grasshoppers and literally smelled the flowers.  Look out for the bees!

I quickly became aware of what a gift Cheyenne was. His intelligence was none that I had ever experienced with a dog before. I would tell him something once or twice and he just GOT IT. I didn't train him. He just knew. He picked up on the slightest nuances, often knowing what I was going to do - before I did. He had an old soul of a re-incarnated swami.

We became quite the team in the Qu'Appelle Valley. My dog was always with me. His job was to protect. I had no problem leaving my vehicle unlocked with my purse in it, as long as Cheyenne was there. You know that old Peter Sellers movie where they say "Does your dog bit?" "Yes, my dog does bite - if he doesn't know you." As soon as I would tell him "It's O.K." then he would relax.

He quickly warmed the heart of my mother, who would say "No dogs allowed in the house. O.K. maybe he can stay in the porch. " Next thing you know, he was in the kitchen and it didn't take long till he was stretched out on the living room carpet doing some doggie yoga moves. "But don't tell the others", mom would say. I recall one Christmas when there were three dogs bounding across the furniture in the living room, and my mother just threw her arms in the air and laughed.

He was also the avenger of all things unjust. If a neighbourhood dog was getting picked on by another dog, he would quickly take down the bully. He also did his best to keep the coyotes off the property, often chasing them down the road. Cows were allowed only on the other side of the fence.

When I went to Mexico for a month and left him at the farm, I must say I was a bit concerned. My nephews were young and I feared that he might bite them if they got too rough. I obviously had nothing to worry about, as Cheyenne had such a gentle side to him.

My neighbours Ken and Irene absolutely LOVED Cheyenne and he loved them too. On another trip to Mexico I left Cheyenne with them for a few weeks. On my return, I went to pick him up and Irene said "I hope you don't mind, but since it was his last night with us, we gave him a burger for dinner and ice cream for dessert." No I didn't mind. There was a bit of a hesitation from Cheyenne when I told him it was time to go home. He was probably thinking, "Hm, maybe I could just stay one more night?"

Cheyenne got cancer. When I had to say goodbye to my beautiful dog, it was one of the hardest things I have had to do. You may say that I rescued Cheyenne - but in truth he rescued Me.

Thanks Cheyenne!

(oh dear, and now I am starting to cry).


Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Hosting a Workshop

I absolutely love hosting and facilitating painting workshops.

A few years ago, as part of our Island Arts Magazine services, we decided to start hosting workshops. How hard could it be?

There actually is a lot of planning that goes into these events. Researching and tracking down instructors is the main issue, as some of them are booking two years in advance. We try to bring in instructors from outside our area (mid-island) on Vancouver Island. We have to confirm dates, making sure that the venue is available. Next intensive marketing comes into play. Once the registrations start coming in and the day arrives, the FUN begins.

Our March 2016 workshop was called "Flowering as an Artist" instructed by Sandy Terry, an artist from Victoria. How refreshing to paint flowers in the spring.

We limit our class size to 12 students (11 actually as the 12th spot is mine). We had a lovely group of ladies for this class.

Most of our classes run for two days on a weekend. On the morning of the first day the students are anxious to get some instruction and start putting colour to canvas. By the end of the first day, they began to tucker out. "More coffee ladies?"

I like to position myself at the back of the classroom, and watch the canvases blossom. I enjoy the chatter amongst the students, as they paint, converse, laugh and sometimes even swear – for the good of the painting of course.

After a hard day of painting, on Saturday we like to gather at the local restaurant for a bite to eat, a refreshment or two and a chance to get to know each other outside the classroom. The artists love this part of the weekend.

In this class I worked on a tiger lily and was happy to see it come to life. I was able to take it home after the weekend, and finish it off with a few more brush strokes. All signed it is now ready for my Saskatchewan exhibition this summer.

Prairie Gift, 28 x 22", acrylic on canvas

As the host of these events, I am usually exhausted on Monday. But, I love doing them, I love spending the weekend with my fellow artists and I look forward to the next workshop in a month.

Oh dear!

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Buy 1 - Get 1 Free

At this time of year I like to clean up my studio and get ready for the new year. I am a prolific painter who lives in a very small house. I need to make room for some new work ...

I have decided to offer a special: Buy 1 - Get 1 Free

I have selected 12 of my pieces. These are all 8 x 10", acrylic and mixed media paintings on canvas board. They are perfect for popping into a standard size frame and onto your wall. They will also make a great Christmas present for someone special.

Some have been painted 'en plein air' while others are studies of a particular style or subject matter. They are all original Schaefer paintings.

Priced at $99. (+ shipping)

For a complete listing of titles and descriptions, please visit my online gallery.

Call or email me today with your selections.

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan

Remake - Three Old Neighbours

A few years ago I painted a piece called "Three Old Neighbours". I recall the struggle I had, often putting it aside for some time, before getting back to it. Finally I worked through my issues and completed it to my liking.

The original photo was taken on the prairies several years ago. I always loved the image and thought it would fun to try it again, having a few more years of painting experience, under my belt.

The colours of the first piece (on the top) are bold and strong, often being put on the canvas straight out of the tube of paint.

The painting on the bottom, completed recently took much less time to finish. It is also smaller then the first painting. Now I like to pre-paint the painting in my head before attacking the canvas. I might think about it for weeks before sketching it to canvas. That way I have worked out most of my issues, prior to putting paint to canvas.

I encourage you to try this exercise. It's fun to see the progress one has made.

To see more of my paintings, please visit my online Artist Gallery. 

Till Next Time ...

From the Prairies, to the West Coast and Beyond...

Susan