Melody Reed - She's just my dog

The title is purposely understated to emphasize the actual grandeur and complexity in the 'mundane'. This visual consciousness is cultivated from practicing my craft daily (for many years). But even now, it is not always there for me, but I strive to get to this active 'walking' meditative state which is like walking through the land of Oz or experiencing a special scared meaningfulness in the things I encounter in a normal day. I try to instill the cultivation of this conscious state in my photography students, to have an appreciation of the (seemingly little or unimportant) things around them. Whether it is how someone's face is put together or how one's hair falls, or how the top edge of a skyscraper resolves itself with the negative space of the sky, or in this case, seeing who your dog really is. Another part of the meditation is to get away from labeling things. If I don't put a label on something (or someone) I can see them as a unique individual without any prejudice of past associations, ie, 'oh that is just a dog' ... Because of a particular affinity I have with dogs, I do my part to advocate for them whenever I have a chance. Whether it is rescuing a dog in trouble or depicting them in my art where the viewer must look them in the eye and see their humanity. My hope is that after seeing the dogs sensitivity and real emotion, at least some will be moved to treat their dogs with more kindness and respect, and drop the label. Shayna, my most recent rescue, was plucked from a Pit Pull kill shelter, (just in time) where she had spent the first 9 months of her little life as a 'dead man walking'. Her exuberance and appreciation since she's had a home is overwhelming (for all of us). Ironically, her best qualities, of strength and playfulness, probably resulted from surviving and loving all those big Pit Bulls she was locked up with. There is so much to learn from our animals about the real riches in life, particularly LOVE. This particular piece started out as a 'photographic sketch' in Bryant Park (42nd St.) I uploaded it and worked on it with digital painting tools for over a month, off and on; trying to find the best way to project the specialness and uniqueness of Shayna, both inside and outside. When I print my pieces I sometimes experiment with 'post print painting' techniques, using physical art tools, ie., colored pencils, acrylics, etc. on top of the paper or canvas.