Department of Use and Beauty

Nyxie

2012-02-26T22:06:00.020-08:00

In memory of Nyxie, B.D.E. (Best Dog Ever)

Adopted at age 5,7/1/2006 - 2/3/2012

When I first brought the BDE home, she'd been called Smilin' Liza at the Oregon Humane Society.

I didn't yet know she was the BDE. In fact, I went through a spell of buyer's remorse when we witnessed her prey drive and total lack of training. How could I have been so bedazzled by her beauty and sweetness? It was a tough few weeks, but I decided to commit to giving her the home she deserved. A few good trainers helped me to help her stop maniacally pursuing the cat.

It turns out, it was she who gave me a great home, not the other way around.

First day home

Photo by Donna Dunaif

I named her Nyxie, for the goddess Nyx in Greek mythology who rules the night sky.

We cured her fear of the car with a camping trip on the Long Beach peninsula. After that, she joyfully went along everywhere!


Meeting Chelsea Clinton at Hillary HQ during the 2008 primaries

With fabulous Gigi, a campaign staffer for Hillary Clinton.

One of our favorite hikes, by Catherine Creek in Lyle, WA

Lovely brown-eyed girl

Hilarious videos of Nyxie smiling!

Nyxie and Tyche eventually became buddies

(Tyche was named for the Greek goddess of luck and fortune)

buddy Oliver

On a wonderful hike in the Gifford Pinchot.

Making herself right at home chez Scottie

Nyxie's come-hither looks....

...inspired digital visits to far-away friends who once lived nearby. (hi Shalini!)

...and other silly doodles.

Nyxie was diagnosed with Wobblers Syndrome in February 2009.

It had been showing up in fits and starts for about a year prior to the diagnosis, beginning with her hind legs - they'd completely give out. We thought they were seizures; I'd find her under the table paddling away furiously with her hind end; front end would be ready to get up and go. I'd help her up, and once she was up on her feet, the episode was over.

Then one day, she refused to jump in the car, and was moving way more slowly; she wouldn't run on our daily bike ride (the only way lazy moi could get her enough exercise, if there wasn't time for an hour walk.)

An MRI showed the condition, which is congenital and often progressive to full paralysis. I felt lucky with her level of mobility. She could walk, albeit with a wide stance and bunny hop. There would be no more running, hiking, skiing, or romping of any kind. (We cheated on the romping here and there, ya gotta live.)

I considered surgery but decided against it. I went through a grieving period, losing my agile athletic friend was hard. On to the "couch potato" phase, which is actually nice work if you can get it.

As time went on, she needed more and more help getting around. There were plateaus of "new normal", then the occasional slide downward, sometimes scary - but for the most part, workable; creating another "new normal".

Last summer, we tried a wheelchair, donated generously by Britton Munoz. It never quite fit; she needed more support under her belly. I do wish I'd gotten her a custom wheelchair earlier, one small regret. We could have extended our walks by quite a bit. Nyxie responded well to acupuncture.

No matter how wobbly or poky her gait became, for Nyxie, every outing was an adventure!

In January, my vet and I had a frank discussion about her time left. In addition to a dramatic decrease in her mobility, Nyxie had been losing weight rapidly for several months, despite eating nearly 3x her normal amount. We stopped that trend with herbal support, but she never returned to a healthy weight, and her muscle atrophy was progressing. She likely had cancer; it wasn't going to be helpful to diagnose, so we didn't do any imaging.

I had a party in her honor on 1/28/12, but I still thought I had a couple months with her, not a couple weeks.

Marian, BNE (best neighbor ever)

Ashley, BDWE (best dogwalker ever)

During Nyxie's last week I moved the camping cot into the living room so we could hang out. (her condition had banned her from the couch long ago). We also enjoyed fabulous sunny, mid-50's weather in Portland, so we spent hours out back doing some totally relaxing patio camping.

love love love ya Nxyie.

.................

Did you know....


... that Saint Dominic is associated with the Dalmatian? In Portland, the stained glass windows at the Church of the Rosary feature a dalmatian puppy in each scene.

iPad in the Figure Studio

2012-02-09T13:05:00.001-08:00

I decided to venture over to Hipbone Studio with my iPad2. I'd just downloaded Sketchbook Pro, and am still adapting to the tool. I look forward to the day I can draw and paint with less effort - changing brush size, opacity, color still feel cumbersome. It's a great app, but I do wish there were a fabulous pressure-sensitive stylus. This looks incredibly promising: Jaja.

Sketchbook's set of Bug brushes come in handy to keep the blog family-friendly.

30 minute pose

10 minute pose

Max Folks

2012-01-30T12:00:00.000-08:00

Riding the Max, obsessed with my device. Watching folks watching their devices.

Created on iPad 2 with SketchBook Express, by Autodesk

New Work

2011-07-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

Rose in Winter

Oil on canvas
20 x 24 in.

On View at at Orleans Candle Co.
5036 N. Lombard Portland, OR 97203
http://orleanscandleco.com/

Resonate 2

Oil on canvas
20 x 24 in.

The Last Summer

2011-07-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

with Netflix in my mailbox. Or maybe not - I adore Netflix. In any case I was moved to take out my oil pastels and mess around; it's inevitable that someday DVDs will go the way of VHS.

Talking Heads

2011-07-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Sketched quickly with a Wacom tablet in Photoshop.

July 6th on Tavis Smiley.

Recently Sold

2011-06-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

Resonate, 24 x 30 inches, Mixed media on canvas, by Karen Jones

More work on view at Orleans Candle, 5036 N. Lombard Portland, OR 97203
http://orleanscandleco.com/

I had to make this painting to express a visual obsession with tuning forks as a symbol of a singular vibration. It's about working from love and from the deepest part of yourself. Leaving it in the caring hands of Tanya and Jonathan at Orleans eased my anxiety around letting it go.

Live Sketch, Bravo! Vancouver

2011-05-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

During Sunday's amazing performance, I couldn't resist sketching with Doodle Buddy on my iPod touch. Maria Manzo, pianist, is also co-director of Bravo! Vancouver and a powerhouse presence.

Small screen, big fingers - can't get too precise, which is a perfect way to work in the moment.

Bravo Concerts

Back to the studio: portrait painting workshop

2011-05-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past few weeks re-connecting with my oil paints, and took a workshop with Eduardo Fernandez, a gifted artist and excellent teacher.

Love my iPod Touch!

2011-04-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

For years I've yearned for affordable digital finger-painting, and found it at long last, with the Doodle Buddy app. It's free and wonderful, and I especially love that each stamp has a unique and silly sound effect.

These crayons rock!

2011-03-07T12:24:00.000-08:00

Soy crayons, shaped like rocks. They're delightful when worked to full intensity and pure saturation. Crayonrocks. I bought mine while browsing at Granny and Nonna's in St. John's. They make a great base or under-painting for alkyds on paper. After two days, this is still wet but so far the colors are holding true:

Collage

2011-02-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

It's delightful to get out the glue and scissors, and work simply and intuitively without deadlines, goals, or concepts.

Bound

2011-01-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

I haven't created anything sculptural for a while, beyond the occasional cardboard prototype for a handheld product design. I'd like to share an art project created in 2005 at OCAC for Attachments and Connections class. The assignment required us to use any types of cables, crimps, strapping, hanging, rivets, grommets, to wrap / hang / strap. Serendipity intervened to guide me to the library where I landed on a book on foot binding in China. This horrific practice began sometime around 800 AD and was outlawed in 1911, yet lingered in some remote provinces through the 1950′s.

I wanted my object to illustrate the trauma inflicted on a woman to achieve the ideal 4 inch foot, while conveying an unsettling combination of dainty/petite/decorative and forced/mutilation/broken/aggressive. I drilled through the bottom of my size 8 clog, wove a cable through the upper and the heel, and pulled like hell with pliers, (assisted by brute strength of roommate) and secured it with a u-bolt. I created a new upper with painted and stitched Rives paper, and attached it with glue and stitching. Finally, I balled up a stocking to create a 4 inch foot-like object, and bound it with a measuring tape.

Heartbreaking

2011-01-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

This image was created in response to the BP Oil spill off the Gulf Coast last year, but it also speaks to Saturday's senseless tragedy in Arizona.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T13:00:00.001-08:00

The Department of Use and Beauty was chartered today. Welcome and happy 2011!

In addition to featuring my new Department at kjdesign, I've also started a blog. The latest post will be featured here at kjdesign.com. Envisioned topics: all things visual, creative, innovative, and of course, useful and beautiful.

Following a recent business trip the Seattle area, I stayed the weekend to see the Picasso exhibit at SAM. The show was inspiring, but I was more delighted to discover an Alice Neel portrait, and to re-connect with my long-lost friend Bonnie. Alice Neel (1900-1984 ) is by far my favorite painter. Bonnie lives an ever-beautiful life aboard her boat in Ballard.

Richard Lang, 1978
Oil on canvas
Alice Neel
American, 1900-1984
50 x 35 in.
Gift of Jane Lang Davis