Monthly Archives: June 2007

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New Decopaw art piece- Lucy Soft Sun

This art piece is for Lucy’s mom, a gift from her son (Lucy’s moms son, not Lucy’s son).

It’s funny- more often than not, my favorite proof ends up not to be the favorite of my clients. Out of the 4 proofs that I design it almost never fails that my favorite ends up sitting on my harddrive.

That is the beauty of this design process. Everyone has their own tastes in art, which are very subjective, and this process gives me the flexibility to really nail down a piece that they are really happy with. Being able to make changes once the initial proofs are done is great too- it’s something I usually end up doing with each piece to make slight tweaks or even major color changes.

I am super picky about art- so if it was me commissioning one of my own pieces, I would be sending me paint chips and hand-drawn sketches and pages from magazines, and references to tons of examples. I would be a pain in my own butt, lol!

So, back to the proofs that end up sitting on my harddrive, I have decided to post my favorites (‘rejects’, lol), here so they don’t feel left out. :-)

This is Lucy. She is a Papillon. It is french for ‘butterfly’. Just like their ears (um, butterflies, not french). Oh whatever! (I need some coffee…)

Enjoy!

This is my fave

“Lucy Winter Sky”

and this is my client’s fave (and his mom’s b-day gift!)

“Lucy Soft Sun”



New Decopaw art piece- Sasha Winter Sky

I have been furiously playing catch up with art commissions this weekend, annoying friends and family who call and say “let’s go play!”. I say “no! I have work to do!” I love what I do and they don’t seem to realize for me that work is play, lol.

So I have been trying to catch up on art commissions, which I have fallen behind on the last couple of weeks while caring for a sick relative and taking care of some marketing projects. My apologies to Sasha’s mom and Lucy’s T.’s dad and Kiera’s mom and Gizmo’s dad, and Lucy K.’s mom. Oh- and Carlos’s mom! I swear I will have his canvas ready this week!

I just finished the proofs of Sasha for her mom. Sasha’s mom requested all warm colors, to go with Sasha’s fur colors. Sasha was a beautiful rottie who has sadly passed.

While playing around with the sliders in a gradient (which I often do), I stumbled upon a beautiful combination with Sasha. However, Sasha’s mom was pretty clear that she didn’t want any blue or green in the piece, so instead of selfishly putting a blatantly blue proof in Sasha’s gallery, lol, I decided to have it live here. :-)

I love this one as I think it has all of the visual drama that I normally think of when I think of rottweilers. Sasha was so beautiful (with a remarkably large head!), and I think the black of the trees and the hint of sunset provide a nice contrast to her black fur and auburn eyes.

Enjoy!

Lucky Dog Daycare photography event 6/16

I decided to put this post up just in case any of the folks who are signed up for my event at Lucky Dog Daycare in Tacoma on Saturday the 16th just happened to stumble onto the blog looking for information.

I would have posted this info sooner but we are still finalizing details. I swear whenever I work with Lucky Dog I am always late with the planning stage, lol.

I am very excited however as this will be the 11th (12th?) event I have done at Lucky Dog. I have done 10+ ‘Decopaw Daze’ events at Lucky Dog Outfitters and I just love Jen and Tara (the owners) and their customers.

What the event is:

Customer Appreciation Photography Event featuring the services of Cowbelly Pet Photography

Who is it for:

30 Lucky Dog Daycare patrons and their pooches

What is involved:

A mini shoot of/for each of the dogs owned by the ‘lucky’ daycare patrons signed up for the event

What time does it start?

The daycare has the list of the folks who are signed up, and what time their appointment times are. The first shoot starts in the morning and the last shoot ends in the late afternoon. Check with the gals at the daycare if you need to find out your appointment time.

What does it involve?

It will involve a documentary-style shoot of your pup in their favorite romping place- the daycare. We will take some outdoor shots on the playground, and in the yard, some indoor shots, some shots on the bus, whatever your pup likes. We can find out from Jen and Tara where their favorite spots are and what they love to do. We will be documenting “A Day in the Life of “YourDoggie” at Lucky Dog Daycare”. :-)

What is included?

As far as I know (and again, these details will be ironed out by weeks-end), each client will receive a free 5×7 print and have the option to purchase discounted print packages, plus a special offer only available to daycare patrons.

The whole process will be super easy and fun.

What should attendees do to prep?

Nuthin! Unless your pup has been rolling in goose poop, no preparations are needed. (Goose-poop rollers may want to get hosed down and spritz on some cologne first).

IF your pup is concerned with looking good for his/her photo shoot, he/she may wish to have a manicure, and spa treatment prior to the shoot (read: bath). They may even elect to bring a change of wardrobe if they are of the fashion-minded canine set (read: cute outfits, hats, etc). If they are concerned about being anxious for their big moment, they may wish to go for a short run to blow off some steam so they can be nice and relaxed for the shoot.

What should attendees (doggy parents) do during the shoot?

Again- nuthin!

The best shots come when there is the least amount of involvement from the parent. Sorry- I know this sounds terrible but it’s true, lol!

The rules are basically: don’t call or say your pups name. Don’t make hand-gestures to get your pup’s attention. Don’t worry if it looks like it is taking longer than it should, or if you think they aren’t doing something they should be doing or are doing something they shouldn’t be doing. Don’t worry about me getting frustrated- it rarely happens.

Your job is just to relax and watch and have fun and watch your pup shine!

If I need your help I will be sure to ask for it. If I need to place you in a certain spot I will give you direction. If I look confused, it’s just because I am visualizing the next shot. (I tend to look like a deer caught in the headlights when trying to envision something, lol).

What if I have more questions that aren’t answered here?

Please don’t hesitate to ask! Feel free to email me anytime at info@cowbelly.com

And by all means feel free to get excited about the event- you (and your pups) deserve it!

Looking forward to meeting you! :-)

Jamie Cowbelly

Ditch those boring cell phone screensavers!

And get yourself a brand-spanking new one that expresses your love (or obsession) with pets!

Several months ago I put up a post about the new mobile website I contribute content to called Pet Lounge. Well, I was so excited that I accidentally jumped the gun because they were still in beta mode at that time. (woops).

Well now they are totally live and they are just waiting for folks to come and download their favorite pet-themed ringtones and screensavers! At less than $2 for a wallpaper, it’s a super affordable way to add a little bit of color and joy to your life. Heck- you could even have one for every day of the week and still not break the bank.

Along with lots of Decopaw art screensavers from yours-truly, there are also a whole host of other fun images, including some of the cutest kitten photos I have ever seen.

Or, if it’s your ringtone that really makes you yawn (or annoys the people in your office), try downloading a houndog or purring kitty ringtone- they are so cool! I guarantee you will be the only person in the elevator whose phone is mooing, lol.

Click on the link to be taken to their site: http://www.petlounge.net/

PetLounge.net; Funky Pet & Animal Wallpapers & Ringtones for Your Mobile Phone

Be sure to bookmark the site- they will be adding new content soon- including more decopaw and standard Cowbelly photo wallpapers and some fun and colorful decopaw flash screensavers.

Have fun!!

Jamie Cowbelly

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