Dog Sketches...

Perfect day for sketching as it did not stop raining cats and dogs. Phrase to rain cats and dogs is attested from 1738 (variation rain dogs and polecats is from 1652), of unknown origin, despite intense speculation. One of the more idiotic assertions is that it refers to pets sliding off sod roofs when the sod got too wet during a rainstorm. Ever see a cat react to a rainstorm by climbing up on an exposed roof? I really would like to find out where this phrase originated though. If you ever come across an interesting entry please do "comment".

Babette and friends stayed indoors all day. I simply love using conté crayon and pressed charcoal to draw my perfectly obedient and very patient dog and cat models while they lounge around and calmly chew their chews. All is peaceful until there is the much dreaded lightening right after a loud thunder, then they loose their cool and it is complete "bordello" in the house (as "we" pooches are still very scared of this phenomena) It is too bad, because their momkeep used to love to watch this particularly spectacular Nature show.

I will post more when I have more complete drawings of my 3 Graces together.. For now enjoy the below sketches by 17th century Flemish painter Francis Snyders. You can view more of his work and 17th century European Animal Genre Painting at Louvre's on line collection