S T R E E T D O G S O F I N D I A
THREE PUPPIES IN INDIA 1/1
Media: Multimedia, photolith, oil paint, gouache and Prismacolor on BFK archival paper Date: 2018
Frame Size: 20 x 16”
Print Size: 11 x 14”
In 2014, my husband and I took our first trip to India. As an artist and former museum director, I was interested in learning about Indian culture over the centuries. We subsequently returned to India twice more to explore the rich historical, environmental, and culinary aspects of this intriguing country.
On our second trip in 2017, we traveled from Mumbai north to Ahmedabad and Aurangabad and then south. It was on this trip that we first experienced the “Street Dogs of India.” As we set out to explore the back streets of Ahmedabad,
we saw an amazing site. In a blind alley, circled with large and imposing motorcycles, we confronted dogs sitting on or next to the handsome machines. Some dogs managed to defend more than one motorcycle. I was fascinated,
and as we hurried along, I stopped to photograph the dogs. This accidental encounter was the beginning of my prints about the various dogs.
We returned to India for the third time in 2018, resulting in another barrage of photographs of street dogs in Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Calcutta. Our guide asked why I was so interested in dogs. I replied that we had had many house dogs over the years, but here in India it appeared that the dogs we were seeing in the street were protecting apartment doorways, cars, and motorcycles. Thoughtful residents provided food scraps and left over garments and rugs for beds. Sometimes people pulled sweaters over the front legs and backs of smaller dogs, which made for an interesting parade of found dogs with found sweaters and shirts. Now and again I saw smoldering coal warming fires for the homeless
that were shared with the dogs. With COVID reducing India’s economy,
I am anxious about charity towards the dogs as well as people.
Following that trip, in the summer of 2018, I was an artist-in-residence at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. Anderson Ranch is a non-profit providing upper level art instruction in many areas of studio art. Located on a former ranch, Anderson Ranch specializes in fine art disciplines such as printmaking. Intensive courses require many long hours of work; hence the
artists live on site in dorms and are provided with meals and gallons of coffee
for the late nights. My table partner in the printmaking studio loved the idea of dog images in my prints with hand-coloring to enliven the dogs’ details.
That led to the concept of a series, “Street Dogs of India.”
Recently, I volunteered with the Spay and Neuter Clinic at the Española
Humane Society in Española, New Mexico, about a 30-minute drive from
my home in Santa Fe. Outlying animal humane clinics such as this are our
front-line defense against a population explosion of dogs which, if
not adopted, would be euthanized.
India has a long way to go to control its street animal population, even if
some of these dogs are fed and given casual outdoor beds. The dogs we saw
were some of the luckier ones. India reportedly has about 30 million stray
dogs. Because many cities have exposed garbage in the streets, the dogs
stay relatively healthy and have puppies, swelling the population of strays.
Rabies is also a concern, and people are often afraid of packs of dogs,
although these dogs are rarely aggressive. Some cities, out of fear and
ignorance, try to reduce the stray populations by inhumane ways. But there
are also many legitimate animal charity clinics in India that spay
and neuter and provide veterinary care to the street dogs.
The clinics and organizations have websites that can be accessed in the US.
They, of course, accept donations, and, as one knows, every bit helps.
I hope that exhibits such as “Street Dogs of India” will bring an
awareness of the dire situation inthat part of the world.
On our second trip in 2017, we traveled from Mumbai north to Ahmedabad and Aurangabad and then south. It was on this trip that we first experienced the “Street Dogs of India.” As we set out to explore the back streets of Ahmedabad,
we saw an amazing site. In a blind alley, circled with large and imposing motorcycles, we confronted dogs sitting on or next to the handsome machines. Some dogs managed to defend more than one motorcycle. I was fascinated,
and as we hurried along, I stopped to photograph the dogs. This accidental encounter was the beginning of my prints about the various dogs.
We returned to India for the third time in 2018, resulting in another barrage of photographs of street dogs in Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, and Calcutta. Our guide asked why I was so interested in dogs. I replied that we had had many house dogs over the years, but here in India it appeared that the dogs we were seeing in the street were protecting apartment doorways, cars, and motorcycles. Thoughtful residents provided food scraps and left over garments and rugs for beds. Sometimes people pulled sweaters over the front legs and backs of smaller dogs, which made for an interesting parade of found dogs with found sweaters and shirts. Now and again I saw smoldering coal warming fires for the homeless
that were shared with the dogs. With COVID reducing India’s economy,
I am anxious about charity towards the dogs as well as people.
Following that trip, in the summer of 2018, I was an artist-in-residence at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado. Anderson Ranch is a non-profit providing upper level art instruction in many areas of studio art. Located on a former ranch, Anderson Ranch specializes in fine art disciplines such as printmaking. Intensive courses require many long hours of work; hence the
artists live on site in dorms and are provided with meals and gallons of coffee
for the late nights. My table partner in the printmaking studio loved the idea of dog images in my prints with hand-coloring to enliven the dogs’ details.
That led to the concept of a series, “Street Dogs of India.”
Recently, I volunteered with the Spay and Neuter Clinic at the Española
Humane Society in Española, New Mexico, about a 30-minute drive from
my home in Santa Fe. Outlying animal humane clinics such as this are our
front-line defense against a population explosion of dogs which, if
not adopted, would be euthanized.
India has a long way to go to control its street animal population, even if
some of these dogs are fed and given casual outdoor beds. The dogs we saw
were some of the luckier ones. India reportedly has about 30 million stray
dogs. Because many cities have exposed garbage in the streets, the dogs
stay relatively healthy and have puppies, swelling the population of strays.
Rabies is also a concern, and people are often afraid of packs of dogs,
although these dogs are rarely aggressive. Some cities, out of fear and
ignorance, try to reduce the stray populations by inhumane ways. But there
are also many legitimate animal charity clinics in India that spay
and neuter and provide veterinary care to the street dogs.
The clinics and organizations have websites that can be accessed in the US.
They, of course, accept donations, and, as one knows, every bit helps.
I hope that exhibits such as “Street Dogs of India” will bring an
awareness of the dire situation inthat part of the world.
CURLED SLEEPING IN INDIA 1/1 Variation
Media: Multimedia, photolith, oil paint, gouache and Prismacolor on BFK archival paper
Date: 2018
Frame Size: 20 x 16”
Print Size: 11 x 14”
SEE YOU IN INDIA 1/1
Media: Multimedia, photolith, oil paint, gouache and Prismacolor on BFK archival paper
Date: 2019
Frame Size: 20 x 16”
Print Size: 11 x 14”
YELLOW DOG 1/1
Media: Multimedia, photolith, oil paint, gouache and Prismacolor on BFK archival paper
Date: 2018
Frame Size: 20 x 16”
Print Size: 11 x 14”
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SECURITY DOG AHMEDABAD 1/1
Media: Multimedia, photolith, oil paint, gouache and Prismacolor on BFK archival paper
Date: 2018
Frame Size: 20 x 16”
Print Size: 11 x 14”
A-SLEEP IN CALCUTTA HEAT 1/1
Media: Multimedia, photolith, oil paint, gouache and Prismacolor on BFK archival paper
Date: 2018
Frame Size: 20 x 16”
Print Size: 11 x 14”
INDIA DOG SEE ME Unique
Media: Multimedia, photolith, oil paint, gouache, Suminigashi, and Prismacolor on BFK archival paper
Date: 2018
Frame Size: 20 x 16”
Print Size: 11 x 14”
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