Sketching class at Crealde School of Art branched off to sketch at Lake Baldwin Dog Park. It is only about a mile drive from the campus.
At Crealde I went over dog anatomy and showed them how to quickly sketch dogs from any animal from memory. The hope was that they could use what was learned to get dogs and their owners into a single sketch at the dog park.
After the dogs wrestle in the mud and splash in Lake Baldwin they often get a bath at this grooming station. Hoses are set up to spray the dogs down and owners often bring their own shampoos and lotions. On this day 50% of the owners were masked. Just keeping the dog on the platform is half of the battle.
Pam and I used to take Sprout and Donkey to this park rather often but we haven’t gone since the pandemic set in. On top of being around a bunch of mask less owners we realized that Sprout can not be run over by some larger dog while his leg heals from a knee surgery. He has been in isolation for several legs and he wears an inflatable Victorian collar that keeps him from licking his knee stitches.
This sketch demonstrated the basic principle I try and teach the students. I draw the stage and then add the actors. The setting is more important than the people who come and go while the sketch is in progress.