A Little Drooping Holiday Spirit

Adirondack High Peaks to Climb

Mt. Marcy 5344'
Algonquin Peak 5114'
Mt. Haystack 4960'
Mt. Skylight 4926'
Whiteface Mtn 4867'
Dix Mtn 4857'
Gray Peak 4840'
Iroquois Peak 4840'
Basin Mtn 4827'
Gothics 4736'
Mt. Colden 4714'
Giant Mtn 4627'
Nippletop 4620'
Santanoni Peak 4607'
Mt. Redfield 4606'
Wright Peak 4580'
Saddleback Mtn 4515'
Panther Peak 4442'
Tabletop Mtn 4427'
Rocky Peak Ridge 4420'
Macomb Mtn 4405'
Armstrong Mtn 4400'
Hough Peak 4400'
Seward Mtn 4361'
Mt. Marshall 4350'
Allen Mtn 4340'
Big Slide Mtn 4240'
Esther Mtn 4240'
Upper Wolfjaw 4185'
Lower Wolfjaw 4175'
Street Mtn 4166'
Phelps Mtn 4166'
Mt. Donaldson 4140'
Sawteeth 4100'
South Dix 4060'
Mt. Colvin 4057'
Mt. Emmons 4040'
Dial Mtn 4020'
East Dix 4012'
Blake 3960'
Cliff Mtn 3960'
Nye Mtn 3895'
Couchsagraga Peak 3820'

A few years ago I started making my own holiday cards, featuring some of my art. As with most things I do, however, once I get started on something like that, I have to outdo myself each year.

This year, I spent some time with my lumpy Basset hound Simon and some holiday trimmings to get in the mood and get the right image to use for a painting. Simon has a certain droopy hound quality that reminds me of the dog from The Grinch, which was sort of what I had in mind. I would have considered Phoebe for the experiment since I haven't painted her yet, but she won't sit still for a second, much less walk around the house with a set of antlers on her head. Simon, incidentally, will wear the antlers, or a green elf hat we have, for hours until Phoebe takes them off him. He's such a good sport.

Two full days of painting later, and voila! My 2011 holiday card painting. Even after spending all that time working on it, it still cracks me up. I love how his deadpan droopy Simon expression came through.