Artists put on the dog for show

A dog-loving artist is bound to produce portraits of dogs.

That's certainly the case for Janice Druian of Tumalo and Annie Painter of Sisters. Both artists are among those featured at The Dog Show at Sisters Art Works (SAW) opening August 1 and running through September.

Druian is a serious landscape painter and she doesn't do much figurative work; but she was willing to share some canine portraits for the show produced by Kathy Deggendorfer.

"It's a closet sideline," she said of her dog portraiture.

Her subjects are her own slightly eccentric dogs.

"I have two Australian cattle dogs," she said. "One of them is a rescue dog... So I have this goofy little dog who's a heeler, but he's not brave like a heeler and has no idea how to handle cattle."

The other dog doesn't like it when it's too hot or too cold.

But Druian loves them, and her affection comes across in whimsical paintings.

"I'm a major dog-lover," she confessed.

Annie Painter is a dog-lover, too. Specifically, her Visulas. She loves walking the Hungarian hunting dogs in the forest, watching them frolic in the outdoors. From that activity comes her canine art.

"They're all just kind of fanciful, partly really stylistic and partly realistic because they come from a real place," she said.

Painter is a highly regarded arts educator who has recently begun to focus again on her own work, striving to "dedicate pretty serious time every week to working on my ideas, my own art."

The artists will be on hand for a reception at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 4 at SAW as part of a day dedicated to celebrating the special bond between human and canine.

The event kicks off with a fun run/walk on Saturday, August 4, at Sisters Art Works, 204 W. Adams Ave. Registration starts at 8 a.m. and the run begins at 9 a.m. Dogs are, of course, welcome, but must be kept on a leash at all times. Participants without dogs are also welcome.

Registration fees will benefit the Furry Friends Foundation, providing food to pets in need, and the Sisters High School crosscountry team. Entry forms can be found at www.sistersrecreation.com.

The reception follows the run and there will be plenty of other dog-related activities.

Central Bark will be on hand to offer demos of dog-powered scooters and the Redmond Humane Society and All For Dogs will provide information on pet adoption. The Bend Spay and Neuter program will also be represented. There will be swimming pools available for dogs to cool their paws.

Kathy Deggendorfer will do a demo on iPad drawing, featuring her "iPad dogs."