CMAppleton

Ginger

Ginger is a sweet old Bloodhound who would love to have a forever home. Find out more about her by contacting Prince George's County Animal Management Division, Upper Marlboro, MD, derpets@co.pg.md.us, 301-780-7200. This portrait and other shelter dog portraits are available for purchase with proceeds going to animal rescue organizations. Contact chris@dacom.com.

Juno

Juno is a beautiful Bull Mastiff mix who would love to have a family of his own. Contact FOHA, Friends of Homeless Animals in Merrifield, VA, www.foha.org, if you would like more information about Juno. This digital painting and many more are available for purchase with proceeds going to animal rescue organizations. Contact chris@dacom.com for more information.

Angel

Angel is a sweet Golden Retriever who needs a home. Information is available through GRREAT, Golden Retriever Rescue, Education and Training in Falls Church, VA, www.grreat.org. This digital painting of Angel is available for sale, and all proceeds go to dog rescue organizations. Contact chris@dacom.com for more information.

Zane

Zane seems like a funny name for a Silky Terrier, but this guy is spunky and hoping for his forever home soon. For more information about Zane contact Pet Connect Rescue in Potomac, MD, www.petconncectrescue.org. This painting is available and proceeds go to dog rescue organizations. Contact chris@dacom.com for more information.

Rescue me too

This is Abe, a Bassett Hound mix who is hoping to find his new family and forever home soon. Information about Abe is available through Adopt-a-pet at www.adoptapet.com. Abe is in my series of 28 shelter dog paintings and is available for sale, proceeds will go to animal rescue organizations. Contact me at chris@dacom.com if you would like more information.

Rescue Me

This is Nikon who is in an a shelter and is hoping for a forever home. Information on Nikon is available by contacting Bully Paws in Fredericksburg, VA, www.bullypaws.org. This digital painting is part of a series of 28 paintings now on exhibit at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. All the paintings are for sale and all proceeds go to animal rescue organizations. Nikon (the painting) was sold, but the real dog is still available at the shelter! I will be posting paintings of the other shelter dogs on this site, most are available for adoption and many of the paintings are available for sale. Contact me at chris@dacom.com if you are interested.

New Paintings

Line Dancing I
Line Dancing II
Line Dancing III These are my most recent paintings. I am doing a series (sold all so far) of paintings that are created using many layers.... paint layers, drawing layers, some collage. I start with a loose unstructured texture (washes, splatter, drips, whatever) and then on top of that do detailed drawing or maybe collage. Then more loose texture, unstructured line and color shapes, then more structured line and images. Repeat, again and again. It's a long process but fun. I put a layer on, go do something else while it's drying, another layer, etc. They've all been either diptych or triptych, but not exact....they are loosely connected and can be hung in any order. Getting ready to move on soon... maybe landscapes, but not literal landscapes. Spring is here, sun is here, loving the growth that's going on right now. May need to do something that expresses my elation with the fact that, thank GOD, winter is GONE. Bailey ate Dan's brand new (bought yesterday) beautiful Pendleton wool hat this morning. Bad dog.

The Brown Dog

We adopted a new dog "Bailey" because our sweet old Riley seemed lonely and needed a pal. I will try posting a picture of him here but I haven't tried to do that with my iPhone yet so I don't know if it's going to work. Dan can't seem to remember his name so he calls him "Brown Dog" or "Mike." (?) He's a one year old chocolate lab with a lot more energy than we (or Riley) have. He's very sweet and is absolutely in love with Riley. He ate a brand new pair of shoes yesterday (haven't even worn them yet). He does absolutely nothing I tell him to do unless I'm holding a snack ... and then he sits, lays down, rolls over ... the whole bag of tricks comes out for a tiny square of cheese. Each day I get more attached to him and so does Riley.

Last Bath

As I was mopping up the flood around the mini-tub after my bath this morning (30 days and still haven't figured out how to avoid the flood) I was thinking "one more time." One more bath in Dinan. One more night sleeping in the cozy little bedroom. One more cup of strong coffee with creme fraiche from the red pot. Tomorrow we drive to Paris to spend our last night in France near the airport (where I will take a long shower and maybe a bath too.) We fly home Friday afternoon. Today we had our last walk up the dreaded hill, and it was still hard, but maybe just a little less hard. We packed today and have two more suitcases than we came with...the art supply suitcase is so heavy I'm not sure how we will lift it to the trunk of the car. So much stuff. What will I miss about this place? Everything except the tub really. The food is the best and most consistently wonderful food I've ever had anywhere. I will miss the people of Brittany . . . so warm and friendly, relaxed. The pretty river with the sailboats floating by. (Above are photos of the Rance River in Dinan, about two blocks from our cottage. The boat in the top photo takes tourists up and down the river. The bottom photo shows some of the old houses and their reflections into the river). I'll miss sitting at one of the green plastic tables in a green plastic chair on the lawn of the Rossignol B&B (across the street from our cottage) drawing the people at the other tables. (And eavesdropping on their conversations, though only the Brits, my French is too poor to eavesdrop on them). The comical waiter who came by and asked where he was in the drawing and I told him he just moved too fast . . . "You're there, but just a blur because you move too fast." The butter, the bread and the coffee, will miss them. The sweet cows, love them. They walk up to the fence and say hello and look so pretty standing around in little clusters on the rolling green hills. I am going to stop eating beef, for sure. I will not miss the cars that go a bazillion miles an hour past the cottage. Or the nasaly whine of the Vespas. Won't miss Euros and having to do the math in my head. I will be happy, also, to get back to normal food that isn't fried and isn't loaded with butter and filled with ham. I LOVE the food here, but also love my arteries and I don't think the two are good for each other. How are so many of these people still alive, the way they eat and smoke . . . must be the stress factor. They are so relaxed and seem very happy, joyful. The only thing I don't like about the French is the fact that they eat horses. Yes, really. I didn't believe it either....saw it on a menu, looked it up on the internet and it's true, they eat horses. Sad. One more thing, if you are an artist and you want to spend an amazing month in this wonderful medieval village, send me a note, I have the info. (chris@dacom.com) The only cost to you (besides your travel and food, etc.) is that you must donate a painting to the Yvonne Jean-Haffen Foundation. The deadline for applying for the next selection period is November 1st. I have looked through the material from past artists and they are abstract, traditional, every medium, some very good, some not so good, some are portrait painters and others do still lifes, landscapes, every kind of artist has been here. When the ladies from the foundation visited us they said they need more applications and they "love Americans." Yes they actually said that! They didn't say why or if they did I didn't understand. It's been a wonderful experience that I will remember always.