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Living Sculptures by ~Embers:iconEmbers:

Categories Artisan Crafts > Miscellaneous

©2009 ~Embers
:iconembers:

Artist's Comments

Once again I could ask what category this belong to? Yes, they are photographs but that's not the point... :|


These pictures explain a bit why I've not had much time to draw recently... I've been grooming poodles (mainly show dogs) for three years now. These pictures show some of the dogs I've been working with. In the middle you can see a three picture series of one dog: 1) before clipping, 2) finished, 3) the dog with the leftover hair... :O

I never meant to start doing this, I just planned to learn to clip my own poodle (her picture is the first on the left on top row) but once I could do that people started to ask me about clipping their dogs as well. So, here we go... because I'm too bad at saying no. Well, it's all creative fun anyway and they've got some very nice results in shows. Very challenging and time consuming hobby though, but works as any art: it takes you away from your worries by making you concentrate on something. And as a nice bonus, people pay for it. Cannot complain.

If you think it looks like something ridiculously easy... you might want to consider thinking how it would be like to create with a pair of scissors a three dimensional sculpture of hair that never stays in the same position (because there's a living creature beneath it) but should look good from every direction, both when the dog stands still and when it moves. It should be balanced and slightly differently done on every dog to hide their possible faults and enhance their best parts. I don't believe anyone can ever be finished learning to do it.

You've seen me draw and photograph these creatures... but this is the only real way of making art of them. ;)

Comments


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:icongingerc:
~GingerC Jan 17, 2009, 3:34:55 PM
Very good work! Scissoring was always my favorite part of grooming.

--
Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude. Alexis de Tocqueville
:iconmoodymand:
*moodymand Jan 18, 2009, 11:36:48 AM
these are so amazing... it must be difficult to learn how to do this, as you say on a live moving animal... keeping everything matching and level on both sides. It is a pretty cool 'hobby' to have I think. it's quite a specialist thing... I imagine it takes a certain amount of patience, which we know from your drawings you have much of :D

--
~ artwork *moodymand // *moodycam photography ~
:iconembers:
~Embers Jan 18, 2009, 2:56:46 PM
Thank you. :)

--
.: my gallery .:. You cannot like it if you haven't seen it. :.


Whatever walks in my heart will walk alone......
:iconembers:
~Embers Jan 18, 2009, 3:14:20 PM
It's one of those things you cannot even get to learn if you haven't got your own dog to learn with, and once you finally manage to get a promising show quality puppy from a good breeder, guess how often they want to groom the dog and prefer you not touching it at all. If you don't dare to just try and learn with the risk of the breeder getting mad, you can never learn. And the only way to learn more is to get to clip other people's dogs and why would they bring their show dogs to you if they are not sure you already can do it? :P So it's one of those things you cannot practise if you don't already know how to do it. :crazy:
It's a cool hobby, and if my parents at first thought it was mad waste of time their thoughts have strangely changed when they noticed that people pay for it. If they are ignorant about my drawings, this is my creative side they obviously have accepted.
Oh, and it definitely takes patience. But my word it's more often that I need amazing amounts of patience because of some annoying dog owners who refuse to understand how they should take care of their dog's coat. Of course especially young dogs can be... lively :eager: and wouldn't like to stand still one second ;), but still they are never as bad as the worst owners. :sarcasticclap: :lol:

--
.: my gallery .:. You cannot like it if you haven't seen it. :.


Whatever walks in my heart will walk alone......
:iconsweeneytodd2010:
~sweeneytodd2010 Jan 18, 2009, 8:53:59 PM
wow. gorgeously scissored poodles. have you considered competing in grooming contests? you would do very well.

--
You Sir, How about a shave?
I dont hate my life, just the existence of those who are in it.
WATCH FULL Sweeney Todd MOVIE HERE
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:iconembers:
~Embers Jan 20, 2009, 4:47:35 PM
Thanks again. :thanks: I've still got a lot to learn but I guess I've come a long way in just a couple of years.
I doubt there are any grooming contests over here... at least I've never heard of one. I don't know if I'd like to compete either, it might make it too serious. I'm too much of a perfectionist already, it could make me mad if I should enter in a contest. ;)

--
.: my gallery .:. You cannot like it if you haven't seen it. :.


Whatever walks in my heart will walk alone......
:iconsweeneytodd2010:
~sweeneytodd2010 Jan 20, 2009, 5:54:51 PM
thats a good thing to be a perfectionist. esp. in the competition world. you can google dog groomig contests and find one close enough to you. my mom is willing to drive up to 3hrs from home to get to them. so you definately wont find one right near you, but certainetly within a couple hours. where are you anyway?

--
You Sir, How about a shave?
I dont hate my life, just the existence of those who are in it.
WATCH FULL Sweeney Todd MOVIE HERE
CLICK HERE--> [link]
[link]
:iconwhisperingwolf:
*WhisperingWolf Jan 22, 2009, 11:19:54 AM
I must say, I've never liked the poodle's cut but poodles themselves I find comical and very appealing dogs - but your own dog is a total stunner! Very proud and majestic ^^
I've always considered dog grooming, my aunty does it and I helped her out so I will not say that clipping this breed to show-quality is easy stuff! She just grooms them to neaten them up; where as this is an art!

And you do it wonderfully ;P

--
..:::blackrose:"The sun is sleeping quietly
Once upon a century
Wistful oceans calm and red
Ardent caresses laid to rest":blackrose:::..
.:~*Lyrics by Nightwish*~:.
:frail:
[link]
:iconmoodymand:
*moodymand Feb 9, 2009, 11:03:21 AM
Lol I can imagine how difficult it must be with lively dogs. And yeah you will always get the owners like that. You would think though that no-one would think to purchase a breed like that without some kind of research or past experience of owning one... they are obviously specialist, high-maintenance!

--
~ artwork *moodymand // *moodycam photography ~
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