Welcome to Week 2! Week 1 was a great success, I was touched by your submissions last week and look forward to buying another box of Kleenex to get through your entries this week. The resulting dog portrait of Bailey (under the table and dreaming) is above, next to her photo.
Each Monday, I will post the weekly Call for Entries along with the previous weeks completed portrait. I may change the subject theme each week, or leave the theme open, so please pay close attention to the details in each announcement.
Entries will be accepted through Friday afternoon, at which time I will close comments and select one winner from the entries received. I will post the completed portrait with the following week’s Giveaway announcement.
Qualified entries will include a valid e-mail address, and the comment should include one link to a photograph owned/taken by the entrant. If you do not have a place to upload photos to link one, you can e-mail it to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.
If your entry is not chosen, you may enter again. I encourage you to include a short story with your entry.
WEEK 2 : CALL FOR ENTRIES
Theme
- : Open – Single subject (person, pet, place or thing)
Deadline
- : Friday, January 9, 2009 (4pm CST)
To Enter
- : Leave a comment, include a link to your photo. For e-mail submissions, leave a comment with your story, attach your photo to an e-mail, and send to gallery *at* intricateart dot-com.
Note: *G* Rating only
Your challenge? To inspire me! Choose your photo wisely – I will select a winner based on how the photo and/or story moves me.
Good luck!!
Don’t want to wait? Commission your own 5×7 graphite custom portrait
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{24 Comments}
You are truly a lovely human being. {{hugs}}
You are so prolific. How do find the time to giveaway such intricate portraits? And your website is looking really nice with all the changes that you keep making!
OH OH OH…my goodness! I know I have said others were in my list of favorites..but this one moves to the top….SO INCREDIBLE. Yes, this portrait definitely SPEAKS to me. Bailey was the perfect choice!
Pam – thank you. When pondering the question “How can I contribute more” (after I read that book recently), this is what developed in my mind. It might not be big, but it comes from the heart.
Kim – thank you! It just flows, at the right time, for the right reasons. I wondered how week 1 would go, and I’m very pleased. I hope that each week is better than the last, keep the momentum going!
Karen, thanks! I know you know why I do what I do and how I came to choose Bailey – and I’m grateful for your support and encouragement!!
Here is my link for my pic:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/0ceanlady/3171289310/
Chase is really in love with WALL*E. He thinks that WALL*E lives on the other side of town. He is his buddy. lol
I’ll enter Mr. Pooh Bear again, because he’s the cutest single object in the household.
This picture is one of my favorite of him. Whenever someone sends me flowers – for birthday, valentines, whatever – Pooh Bear has to inspect them before I can enjoy them. He will sit and stare at them, sometimes howling, until I put them on his level so he can smell them. You know that saying “take time to smell the flowers”? Well, he takes it literally. He was so insanely happy with these particular flowers that he started to “snurfle” (roll around on the floor with joy) next to them. That’s how I got a photo of him upside down.
it is my personal take that he is of the opinion that the flowers couldn’t possibly be for anyone else but him, as he is the king and ruler of the house.
http://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h176/cs94wahoo/?action=view¤t=poohupsidedown.jpg
This is the picture:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v69/Tinkerbell-NL/Pets/Foofmetbot.jpg
In 1999 Foofur and I met when his previous owner brought him to the pet shelter where I’m a volunteer. The big dog didn’t like the little one (they tried it for one whole day…). He was just 10 weeks and it was love at first sight for both of us. It took me some time and effort to convince my hubby, but now we both love him to pieces.
In 2002 we were rebuilding at home. I went out for some errands with Foofur. Of course we went into the pet store. I said he could pick his own bone; he chose the biggest one he could carry! He had to hold it exactly in the middle, otherwise he fell over. Proudly he walked all the way home, warning every dog that came too close. He walked into our home and started eating it in the middle of our rebuilding.
I’ve made many, many pictures of Foofur, but this one will always be my favourite! 🙂
Love, Tink
This one is a no-brainer for me.
My daughter, Danger Girl, who is currently recovering from a concussion and a lacerated liver, is coming home today. This child has taught me so much about life and love, it kills me to think of her in pain.
So, there you have it. Entry complete.
P.S. I totally agree with Pam.
Willie was my first love. I’d had other pets, other cats and dogs, but Willie was different. I first saw him at my step-brother’s house. He was tiny. Turns out he had been kicked out of the house for chewing up the baby’s bottle nipples. He was sent outdoors to fend for himself and was forced to eat from the dogs’ bowl. He was so skinny. I took a hotdog from the house and snuck it to him and vowed that if he was still there when I came back in a week I would take him–and I wasn’t going to tell my brother.
I took him home with me a week later and immediately to a vet, where I discovered he MIGHT have been six weeks old and didn’t even weigh a pound. The vet said he was days away from starving to death and it was a good thing I took him when I did.
Willie began to grow. His hair grew, his body grew. He was like no other cat I’d ever known or had. He was laid back. He walked on a leash and went with me to visit my grandparents for Sunday dinner every week. Everyone I met thought he was a cool cat. Everyone I ever met offered that if I ever needed another home for him, they’d take him off my hands.
Willie liked to lay on his back and he had the softest sweetest meow. He got along with other cats and dogs. I’m pretty sure he was part maine coon.
I got married. I had kids. Willie remained. I began to see white hairs in his coat, but I didn’t think anything of it. He was only nine. Then I picked him up one day and was startled to find he weighed half what he used to. He seemed frail. He’d gotten sick, and never let me know. He carried on, just like always. Always my sweet, cool cat.
I took him to the vet and they tested him and turns out he was FIV and FeLV positive. It would take thousands of dollars to give him more time, thousands I didn’t have. And it wouldn’t cure the FIV or the FeLV. I had to make the decision to have him euthanized. It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I still miss him.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sleepingmommy/317179139/
THis is my kitty Scout. She adopted us 14 years ago and she is still with us. She’s getting old and we hope she lasts a long time.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=319&l=a45f8&id=1589730030
Aww Leanne.. such a beautiful portrait once again. That sweet dog reminds me of that disasterous pit bull we rescued… it turned out better than it started. All of these beautiful animal pictures. Wow… You rock woman… I am still waiting for my books that I ordered. {{{{Hugs}}}}
Here is my entry for this week. This is Brandie. She is the Pug that we got my mom shortly after her beloved Zoe (a Shitzu) passed away at only 1 year old from underdeveloped kidneys. The part that was the hardest was that she died 2 months after my dad did and the last picture of my dad that was taken and blown up was of him holding Zoe as a pup. So.. to help to ease the pain, we got her Brandie…. Ms. Puggaliscious….
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/23/38784723_75c3829b1e_o.jpg
This was taken after we brought her home. She had been outside and was smelly and needed a bath.
Sue
I would love to have a picture of my angel Tank who after a very short life was put down due to severe hip dysplasia. We adopted Tank and his sister (Newfoundland Golden retreiver mixes) awaited their birth with the breeder who is also my friend and brought our bundles home in Sept of 07. My husband always wanted a Newfie and we figured this was as close as we would ever get. They were black little fluff balls but Tank was always a little slower than his sister and just laid down more after short bursts of energy. At about 4 mo we really started to notice him limping more and more. We were thinking oh this is just growning pains. Well at Christmas my father in law was very concerned about him and yelled at us to get him in to the vet, as he was due for his rabies shot anyway and they were going to be getting neutered and spayed soon I just wanted to wait til after the holidays.
Well as we were afraid xrays confirmed that he hardly had any hip sockets and his legs were really not connected into his hips very painful condition. We took him to several Doctors and all said he would never be comfortable he would have arthritis his whole life and we just felt this was not fair. My husband and I cried and talked to the breeder who guaranteed him and she was so upset we cried on the phone together and made the decision that he was to be put down. Of course my husband could not do it Tank was his baby. So the deed was left to me. My husbands birthday is coming up soon and the one year anniversary of Tanks death is this month. I would love to give this picture to my husband for his birthday! Thanks for your consideration.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=722707076&ref=name#/photo.php?id=774363614&pid=1875312&cp=722707076&cps=2f8f29f990
Attached is one of my favorite single-subject nature photographs.
It’s a very simple photo, taken at the Popcorn Zoo in Forked River, New Jersey.
They have such beautiful wildlife there and it is so accessible to the public.
As stated on its website (http://ahscares.org/page2.asp?page=aboutzoo&style=2), the Popcorn Park Zoo was established in 1977 for the sole purpose of providing a refuge for wildlife that were sick, elderly, abandoned , abused, or injured, and which could no longer survive in its natural habitat. As time went on, they expanded to include exotic and domestic animals. It is run by the Humane Society.
http://naturephotographybyjeannie.wordpress.com/2009/01/05/5-january-2009-macro-1/
Thank you for running this wonderful contest!
—
Jeannie
Wow! What a generous giveaway and some great entries here!
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg258/3u2_album/happyplacechair009.jpg
This is Ashleigh, a British Shorthair who has been a loving member of our family for almost 18 years. I will be a complete wreck when we lose her.
She has harlequin markings, not as distinct now as when she was young. Half her face is blue, half cream, with a line down the center. She had a litter-mate sister with the opposite coloring. Her coat is a gorgeous blue-cream mottle. Her hair is particularly soft and thick, like a rabbit.
Her eyes have lost their beautiful golden color as she fights blindness, but they don’t seem to bother her and she manages well.
Hi Leanne
My entry is my nephew, Brodie, who is almost 8 months old. I am so thankful for him because he has brought my brother and I closer together. Also, just look at him! He’s so cute!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=1307136&id=701572542
This is a story of my friend Sharon. I’ve actually never met her, but if she called with the news I still long to hear, I’d be on the road tomorrow.
Sharon’s story inspired a group of people from all corners of the country to meet, work together, cry together, hope together… we are now all friends, we share phone calls and e-mails, in some cases visits… friends with whom I’d trust with my most valuable possessions. Sharon’s story has also inspired this group of friends, these otherwise strangers, to form a non profit group to help others in difficult situations, perhaps one similar to Sharon’s…
Sharon breeds, raises, trains and shows Siberian Huskies. She’s had a lot of dogs, but one in particular touched her heart. His name is Blue. Blue is an amazingly handsome dog and very smart. Blue at a very young age acquired a number of titles in Agility and was a favorite sire of her kennel.
On May 8th of 2007, Sharon’s father passed away. During the confusion of that sorrowful day, Blue escaped from his home. Sharon was hit with a double whammy of grief. She did everything she could think of to recover her beloved Blue – she hung posters and flyers, checked animal control facilities, rescue organizations, set live traps in areas where there have been sightings, incorporated the help of animal communicators, balloonists and anyone she could rally to help her find her dog.
After Blue had been missing for several months, it became evident that Blue could have gone further than originally thought. What if someone found him and transported him 100’s of miles, what if he roamed hundreds of miles. What if he ended up in a shelter that had no idea he was missing? A group of other husky owners from across the country organized an effort to help Sharon with the scope of the search . I was one of them.
We wanted to take some of the burden off her. We created a website, http://www.WhereIsBlue.com, we assigned people to check lists of regional shelters on a weekly basis. We printed thousands of flyers and mailed them to hundreds of pet store, vet office, humane society, newspapers, truck stops and rest areas in a wide radius of Blue’s home, we had dozens of people donate time, money and resources, we bombarded newspapers in the region with letters of the editor.
A newspaper reporter in Michigan called me to do a story on Blue and asked me why Sharon & Blue? Thousands of dogs are lost all the time… I don’t know if I have a good answer other than, why not Sharon and Blue?
Blue is still missing and if my heart breaks to think of it still, I can only imagine Sharon’s pain. Sharon still receives sightings and the website still monitors and investigates leads and receives a good number of visitors each week. We still are hopeful. Strangers send their wishes and prayers to Sharon via the website and tell their stories of hope… someone found their beloved cat after 3 years, their German Sheppard found his way home after being gone for many years, but mostly they share stories that they won’t give up hope either.
I named my recent rescue Taysia Blue in honor of Blue; I brought her home near the one year anniversary of Blue missing. I think of Sharon and Blue every day, I have a picture of Blue in my office. Sharon, as well as all of us, still has a glimmer of hope that one day he will find his way home.
I’d love for you to complete a sketch of Blue for me to give to Sharon. The gift would represent hope, remembrance and friendship; all because of a dog named Blue.
His picture can be found on the home page of http://www.WhereIsBlue.com.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanlmullinax/202314477/in/set-72057594113868095/
My brother and I on his first birthday
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/S7zv5W3mdJe0FztMla4HHQ?feat=directlink
This is my 3 year old daughter. This picture was taken in July of ’08 in my backyard in South Central Pennsylvania. Yes, her hair is naturally curly like that. And No, neither me or my wife have hair quite that color or quite that curly. I especially like this picture because of her Mona Lisa like not-quite-a-smile. The not centered composition and the light/shadow should make a very interesting graphite portrait.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/S7zv5W3mdJe0FztMla4HHQ?feat=directlink
Thank you all for your entries! I’ll review them tonight and announce the winner tomorrow!
[…] entries for week #2 of my custom portrait giveaway were AMAZING!!! Seriously, folks, I want you to know – each of your […]
[…] to Week 3! I truly enjoyed each of your submissions last week and wish I could have drawn them all! The winners portrait, Foofer (little dog, big bone!) is […]
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