Pup Art For Guide Dogs WA 2018

Ahoy Me Hearties! As you may know, I am a self-confessed Crazy Dog Lady and of late, my art has been as crazy as my addiction to all things furry, so when a new project popped up on Facebook seeking artists to paint a donation for Guide Dogs Western Australia, I just knew I had to apply. What an awesome paint project it has been! My pup started like this... and after my paintbrushes worked their magic, it’s ended up looking like this... Introducing Pirate Pete...the best looking Scally Wag on the Indian Ocean. Though it’s been a fun canvas, it’s for a very serious and worthy cause and I’m so happy to be giving back. With over 25 dogs being painted, Pup Art will go on parade on National Dog Day, which happens to be the day of Art Upmarket, 25th August, at The University of Western Australia. The People's Choice voting links are now Open...find the voting Here. Just go to your favourite Pup to donate online or if you are visiting the Art Upmarket, drop some coins into your favourite pup there. The pups will then migrate to Perth city for a two-week exhibition, before being auctioned online. Here is the link to buy one of the pups here. 100% proceeds are going to Guide Dogs WA. Here are the full details via Guide Dogs WA. Let me take you on a guided tour of my pup... He’s a pirate obviously, complete with bandana, scarf and worn out clothes, but I’ve painted some serious symbolism into the humour. I decided to paint my pup as a pirate after hearing what Scally Wags the puppies can be during their training. I’ve owned two Golden retrievers and my brother has had three Labrador's and I absolutely know the intelligence, playfulness and crazy naughtiness these beautiful dogs have in them. It takes real commitment and many, many, many hours, weeks and months to train a pup into the helpful dogs that graduate as Seeing Eye Dogs or Assistance Dogs. Every Scally Wag needs a parrot...and Pirate Pete’s parrot is symbolic of the constant companionship a Guide Dog brings to its owner. Pirate Pete sitting on a treasure chest is symbolic of the treasure they are to the visually impaired. The map is symbolic of how guide dogs are trained to guide their people and help keep them active members of society. They keep their people on the move and able to remain independent. The candle is the light they bring to darkness. How these incredible assistance dogs light the way to independence for the visually impaired. The pearls and jewellery are symbolic of how precious these dogs are and the coins remind us that much gold and silver is needed to train the pups into the wonderful companions they become. It is after all, a coin donation statue and these funds are an important part of the puppies training. A Pirate always comes with a message in a bottle...mine contains a message via Tao. ‘The heart that gives, gathers’. Subtle Encouragement. Then I added a few cheeky details just for fun. I hope you like my Pirate Pete as much as I do. Here's the People’s Choice vote once again, the dog that ends up with the most donation inside it wins, so go check the dogs out and choose your favourite...though I do hope it’s Pirate Pete! Wink, Wink 😉! Mia x Sign up for my monthly newsletter here!