This is Lynn, blogging for Vickie, who is at the Bar Pipe Ranch in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada competing with her dog Gale in the Canadian Border Collie Association Championship Sheep Dog Trial. The finals and double lift are tomorrow, and Vickie and Gale are in!

The Painter's Chair

There is a beautiful art gallery in my hometown of Coeur d' Alene called The Painter's Chair

http://www.painterschairfineart.com. It has long been my goal to have my art hang in such a handsome place and, God willing, if I live past Friday night, I will be able to say I have seen that through. The gallery has accepted my art work. It will hang for an event called Art Walk. It is tomorrow night from 5 pm to 7 pm, there will be wine and hor devours. If you are local, and love art, I hope to see you there. If you are local, and are not so fond of art, well you can come for the small tidbits of food and wine......... kind of like Costco, but without the hair nets. If you are not local, well then, this sneak peek is just for you.......... This is called "Cutting Reflections", named that for the reflection of the cow in the horse's eye.

"Rebecca"

This is the second of my Limited Edition prints. It is 20" x 28" in size, there will only be 250 printed.

I made this image at Becky Maloney's farm. Norman was busy with lessons, and I was left to my own devices. It was a rainy, cold day, with glimpses of snow off and on.

I loved this piece the moment I created it. This smart little ewe stood there with her eyes shining. Her beautiful, hand-grown, wool sweater was wet, and messy with hay and thistle.

In just one look, I knew she could teach my dog, and I, a thing or two. Her jewelery tells the story of her travels, and her life. If you look closely at her yellow tag, it says Munson 332. As it turns out, she actually belonged to Cheryl Munson, She had come to Becky's farm for lambing.

When Cheryl saw my image, she knew the ewe, "Number 332, I believe she went to Ken & Sandy Johnson's place." It's a small world!

Rebecca, as I fondly named her, is probably teaching their young dogs a thing or two.......

Now then, where were we?

Oh yes, we had arrived home, had a rest, and then headed out to several fabulous trials and clinics, including Sue Wessels's Dirt Blowing Trial, the Hilltop Trial, put on by Wendy Schmaltz, and Lee Lumb's Cold Stream Clinic & Trial, where Norman was a clinician.

And we went to the Calgary Stampede. We have had several nice successes: Lucy won the nursery at Cold Stream, and Jake placed in the Pro-Novice at the Dirt Blowing Trial & at Cold Stream. Hanna was 9th out of 80 in the 2nd round at the Stampede; Gale ran really well for her first year in open; Gwen brought a check home at the Hilltop Trial; and, if memory serves, at the Dirt Blowing Trial as well. We have also had our share of failures and near misses. Norman was seventeenth at the Stampede, missing the top fifteen by inches. But all in all, we are very pleased with our dogs.

Limited Edition Prints

So here is what's been keeping me really busy, I have released 6 new prints, along with an entire line of greeting cards. My work was accepted into a Gallery in Coeur d' Alene, and at The Club at Black Rock. I will have a booth at Soldier Hollow and Meeker, I have been in high gear preparing my art and I am thrilled to share it with you all. You can view it, and order it, at www.vickieclose.com but in the meantime, here is a sneak peek. This print is called "The Dirt Blowing Trial." It is of Lora Withnell's Nell. It is a limited edition 10x 20.

Lora asked if I would photograph her dog at the trial, turns out little Nell was quite the subject. This is one of several great shots of her.

Dogs for Sale

We have a couple of dogs going up on our sales page today so check them out at www.normclose.com then click on "sale dogs."

More news to come.......