I only draw for as long as the dog stays still - so mostly they are sleeping poses. Occasionally I bribe Lulu with a "goodo" to sit for me, but she does move around. A lot, so they are very quick gestural drawings.
Retrospectively, there were several inspirations for this practice already in place. I certainly don't claim this as an original idea - in one of my first art history lessons, we saw a gorgeous doco on David Hockney and his dog paintings - I loved the idea so much, I'm sure I have it written down in one of my visual diaries. (what wouldn't I give to see these paintings and drawings in real life).
I also remember seeing a write up of an exhibition an artist was having with a selection of drawings from her daily drawing practice, which was about nine years at the time. I was so impressed and remember thinking how much I would like to have that kind of dedication to my craft. Not that I even consider myself a drawer. Still. That artist is Rita Lazauskas who has an art travel company called Amazigh Cultural Tours Morocco, and Zig Zag Tours Morocco - art trips to Morocco, how very exotic. (Morocco is one of the (many) revisit places for me, oh the colours). She has incredible guest artists on her painting, drawing, photography, jewellery, textile and even yoga tours - Wendy Sharpe, Elizabeth Cummings, Silvi Glattaeur to name a few. We have actually had a few chats over the last year or so, which has been really lovely, very supportive. She even gifted me my current favourite "magic" pencil, which is a multi coloured lead which you insert into a holder. They don't make them anymore, so the gift was doubly special.
And I can't leave out A Dog a Day, who I have been following on facebook for quite a number of years now. I bought myself her book for xmas, I just love it, so humerous in her dog poses. I hold it as a goal to achieve. An internationally selling book.
I document these drawings daily on my facebook page and more recently instagram, I never sensor the drawings when I post, even if I think they are dreadful, for that is not the point, about how good or bad - that is entirely subjective. There will always be at least one line I am satisfied with, and that IS the point. Practice!
I have a massive box of loose drawings, Recenctly, I have learned to contain the drawings - I have a variety of sketchbooks in different sizes, the drawings range from about A6 to A4 size. As this is also the way I get to "play" with various drawing mediums, I now try to stick to the one medium per sketchbook in the hope I learn more about what I can achieve. So on we go. Lulu is 12 now, which is pretty great in Labrador years, so each drawing becomes even more a treasure.
I have nervously launched some linocut prints of my daily drawings out into the world recently. I love them, which is all that matters. It will be pretty awesome if others like them enough for their own walls, but I carry on regardless as I must.