Darby

Darby hears an interesting noise

Going to see all of the dogs in their kennels made me feel like a celebrity. Everyone was staring at me with the world's saddest, biggest eyes. There were so many adorable dogs, but Darby and I really hit it off. I knew he was the right dog for me because he didn't jump up or bark when I walked past. He was very polite and sniffed my hand like a perfect gentleman. He also has the coolest eyes. Darby has heterochromia, meaning he has one blue eye and one brown eye. I think this gives him a distinctive look, which will definitely be a part of my representation. 

A volunteer put him on a leash and we went outside to take pictures. Darby was not a very good model. He was very focused on sniffing things, so I couldn't get a good shot of his face until he was in his kennel again. 

Although he was not very photogenic, he had the sweetest personality. He was nice to the other dogs and loved to be outside. His favorite thing to do is find and follow interesting smells. I could tell when he was thinking because he would perk up his ears and hold up one of his front paws, like in the first picture. 

It was really hard to put him back in his kennel. He didn't bark or whine, but he obviously didn't want to go back in. I had to sort of pick him up and block the door. When the gate shut, it looked like his heart broke a little. I really wish I didn't have to leave him behind. 

Luckily, I get to represent him for this class, so maybe someone will adopt him. I was considering combining a painting with words. I've done several paintings of dogs before for some of my extended family as well as representations of my own dog. I was planning on using acrylic paint because that's what I'm most used to and I think it'll create a bold and bright picture. 

A memorial picture of my grandpa's beloved dog Winston

Since I don't have any pictures that are perfect on their own, I'll probably create a composite sketch of the best parts of several images. I have to include his unique eyes, but I would also like to capture his expressive ears and the way that he holds up his paw as if to say "Wait a minute guys, I found something." For the background, I will use a flat background of blue or green, so that people can imagine Darby in any setting, such as their own home *wink*. 

I'd also like to include a small written piece with a description of Darby, a paragraph or two about what a special dog he is. I would describe him as quiet, sensitive, and shy. He loves having his chin scratched and he has extremely soft ears. I may use some amount of anthropomorphism to give an idea of his personality, by describing what he would be like as a human. He's sort of the boy-next-door dog. Not the loudest or most playful dog, but very gentle and sweet.