Rocky's Photo Shoot

Yesterday morning I decided to dust off my Canon DSLR.  For the past few years I have only used my iPhone 4 (yes I still have that old version lol)  and occasionally my Canon powershot D10. 

I love macro photography, always have, but I don't have a macro lens.  I supposed I just couldnt justify the expense when I don't use the camera much at all anymore.  But I did play with it couple of years ago in the AV mode.  

One of my subjects was of course Rocky.  He was pretty patient with me but there are quite a few blurry shots from him moving around when he must have about had enough of the photo shoot.  lol 

I am sure at some point I will be playing with these images on my iPad in some filter apps but until then I kinda like them just as they are.  One of the things I love about the AV mode is how much light it lets in and you can get that blurred background that mimics a macro lens.  These were all shot in black and white.  Love monochrome even in my artwork.  

What is your go to camera these days?  

Happy Birthday Rocky (A Day Late lol)

I meant to put up this post yesterday but somehow the day got away from me.  And I wasn't really that busy.  I am still trying to figure that one out!  lol  Anyway, Rocky turned 2 years old yesterday.  I took this photo of him when he was a puppy.  I used my big girl camera.  I wish I wasn't so lazy!  Its just so much easier and quicker to use my iPhone.  Nothing really can take the place of your DSLR.  I shot this in sepia and it was not digitally altered at all.  Its probably my favorite of him so far. Ok, note to self, get out the big camera again!

Wishing you all a nice holiday!  Its a quiet day for me.  Hubby is working all day.  The golf industry just doesn't take a break!  Be back tomorrow with a new painting to share!

xo

Sleeping Like A Human . . .

I wish I could sleep this good.  At times Rocky can be found turning our couch into a bed.  If you have a pug there is no way you will keep them off the couch or out of your lap for that matter.

I am determined though to keep him out of our bed.  That is where I draw the line! lol

I have a feeling that I may get a better nights sleep if he was in our bed because  he would be happy and more comfortable except that I would not.

If you have a dog, where does he/she sleep??

:)

Rocky's Favorite Toy

Thought you would enjoy this little snippet in the life of Rocky the pug.  My mom sent him this tennis ball for christmas and it has become his most favorite.  Its funny because Bosco would never play with any ball, couldn't even pick it up.  Just like people, the same in many ways and oh so different.  That is what makes us unique 

:)

A Crafty Pug . . .

Seriously?

 What kind of dog sleeps like this on the couch??  lol

He somehow figured out how to tuck himself into the back rest!

Rocky Needs A Tent . . .

This little guy never ceases to keep me on my toes.  And as much as I hate to admit it, he makes me smile sometimes.  

The other night he was laying on the couch and I threw a towel over his head.  To my surprise he loved it.  That would explain his love of hiding under things like the bed and couch. 

Maybe we need to get him a tent!  lol

Rocky vs The Snow

Lou shot this video last week.  It was Rocky's first romp in the snow.  This pug is fearless.  I mean more fearless than my Bosco.  Bosco was more like me, an old soul who lived a bit carefully.  This little guy is just here for the ride, the fun, and fears nothing!!  lol  Lou says he is like a jeep.  And in typical guy fashion Lou wrestles him to the ground when they play and Rocky's loves it.  Me not so much.  

There is so much we can learn from animals.  As I watch Rocky (like I used to watch Bosco) I am reminded that I need to just be in the moment.  Whether it is laying in the sun, romping in the snow or taking a nap.  It is all good. 

I want to live more like a dog
lol

Rocky Strikes A Pose

And the sentiment behind this goes something like this . . . 

"There is no way you are gonna get me off this couch .  Don't even think about it!
Its all mine now! "

~Rocky Bueti

Missing My Boy . . .

One year ago today I said goodbye to Bosco

 I miss him everyday . . .

I'm A Year Old Now . . .

Rocky says "Hey lady, its my birthday and I can lay down wherever I want to even on the couch so you have no place to sit."

I took this photo on July 3rd, Rocky's first birthday and forgot to post it!   

I guess this is his tough guy look? lol

Cute but stern  :) 

Leave Me Alone Lady . . .

I am guessing Rocky did not want to be disturbed 

for this photo op!

What do you think??

This Pug Is Crafty !

We are still having issues with Rocky. I realize he is still in puppy hood but the lack of sleep we have had for the past 4 months he has been with us is quite maddening! He is consistently up at 3am every morning ready to party.

This photo was taken the other night during an attempt to keep him up during the evening. We are wondering if that it is the reason he is up in the wee hours of the morning . Well, as you can see this is where the craftiness of the pup comes in. Rocky had just about taken enough of us and wanted to lay down somewhere and sleep. So he went behind the couch and snuck between the couch and end table. He then proceeded to climb up on top of the pillow I lodged in there to keep him out.

I knew it was the perfect photo op. I felt bad having to get him out of there but I was worried about his little body being jammed in such a tight space. He was not happy with me at all!

Any suggestions for getting your pups to sleep through the night? I would love to hear from you!

An Unexpected Surprise

original pencil drawing by James Watson

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted through my etsy shop by James Watson, an artist requesting my permission to sketch one of my pug photos. I was very surprised especially given the amount of pug images listed that he would want to sketch mine.

It was also emotional. As most of you know my pug Bosco passed away back in September. It is still hard for me to look at his picture. Although he is all over my etsy store and on my computer! I cannot go too far without seeing his sweet face.

This is the image he worked from . . .

"Missing You"

available on etsy

James' work is AMAZING!! My husband and I love this drawing!! He captured the emotion in my photo and sometimes I think it looks better than the original image! He sent me a scanned image that I printed out and will frame. The original sketch is available in his etsy shop. He also does commissions.

Check out James' work on etsy HERE and on facebook HERE !!

Rocky's First Christmas

Hope you all had a lovely holiday!

Hard to believe its over already! I had a wonderful weekend with my boys. Lou had 4 days off from work which were much needed for him. Rocky was pretty happy to have his buddy around everyday! He is stuck like glue to Lou. Follows him everywhere. I can see they already have a special bond.

Rocky's first Christmas was a good one. Here he is laying in the sun. All the fun must have been too much for him as you can see!

He just loves his bed and is content as long as he is near us. (well, mostly Lou) ;)

Despite the fact that Rocky and I were off to a rocky start (he was very appropriately named wasn't he?) we are getting along better these days. I have to say he did melt my heart just a wee bit when he came over and hopped in my lap last night. Maybe it was the heat from the wood stove or maybe it was just me . . .

Our holiday was quiet, just the three of us, a staycation of sorts. And for that I am grateful.

xo

Meet Rocky

Most of you know by now that we have a new addition to our family. We lost our sweet Bosco back in September and Rocky joined us in late October. He was a surprise from my husband that I felt I was not ready for. My heart was too broken and still is. Truth be told if it were up to me I am not sure how long it would have taken me to feel "ready" for another pup.

So after 5 weeks I am now finally ready to introduce him to all of you! The adjustment has been very difficult, there have been many nights of no sleep, crate training trouble, and lack of patience on our part. But now we are getting into somewhat of a groove, getting to know each other better, and settling in with each other.

My husband bonded with Rocky right away while I was trying my hardest to resist even liking him. I am still finding it hard to risk another broken heart. Slowly though I am feeling better about it all and am letting myself get to know him, hold him, and hopefully love him one day.

He is starting to break the ice around my heart with his funny ways, cute face, and mischievous behavior like when he hopped up on the laundry bag and started chewing the strap! I just had to get a photo of this moment. Look at that face. He knows he is busted! lol

These are the moments when I enjoy him the most, like in this shot where he is just laying in his bed quietly enjoying the sun like Bosco did. Sometimes I see Rocky looking at something in the room that I don't see and I can't help but wonder if it is Bosco stopping by to show him the ropes . . .

Say Hello To Rocky !

It has taken me 3 days to put up this post! Mostly because I have been at the mercy of one little pup named Rocky. Our Newport trip was a bust unfortunately and we ended up coming home the very next day. The short of it was that we had serious issues with the cleanliness of the hotel and decided to leave. We were both so very disappointed and bummed out about it but made the best of the rest of the weekend home her in NY. And we were able to bring this little guy home earlier than planned.

We picked him up on Monday and I have hardly slept since and not from sheer excitement either. This poor pup has skin issues and has been scratching the daylights out of himself for the past 3 days. A trip to the vet and its precautionary meds, benadryl, and antibiotics to prevent an infection. It has been very overwhelming to say the least. The vet visit alone pushed me to tears and brought a flood of emotions back about losing Bosco. Lou and I are both exhausted from no sleep staying up all night with this 15 week old pup who is not sleeping.

I am feeling weird and disconnected from the new guy. I am hoping that will go away at some point.

Needless to say I have not had any time to create, no photography or painting to be seen. I miss it. But I did manage to find time to get a little video of Rocky and thought it would be fun to share it with all of you! Of course I will be posting some pics of him very soon along with some backstory as to how this all came about.

I will be sure to visit all of you soon! Can't wait to see what you have been up to!

Texture Tuesday . . . Love

click on image to view larger

When I heard that the theme for this week's challenge was "Love" of course Bosco popped right into my mind. He is there alot these days and I miss him beyond words. I found this super cute image I shot of him a few years ago. The top of the couch was where he loved to hang out!

I used Kim's "scripted autumn" texture on this image both in soft light and multiply. I was able to remove the texture layers from bosco's face which is something new for me to but I figured it out! I also adjusted the saturation and hue to get it in a lovely sepia tone which I think works well with this texture. I don't often add text but these words came to mind and I thought they were fitting given the theme for this week.

Here is the original image. . .

As always, head over to Kim's blog and check out all the love being shared this week!!

Click HERE!

Wordless Wednesday

bosco playing in the yard, 2011

Wordless Wednesday . . .

bosco in newport, 10/04

Remembering A Sweet Moment. . .

Lou and Bosco

Newport, RI 10/7/04

As you all know creativity is a healer. During the most difficult times of my life I have turned to my writing, photography and now painting to help get me through. This time is no different. I am still reeling from the loss of my pug and some days feel as though I won't ever stop crying. On Saturday I went looking through some photos of my Bosco, shed some tears, and then put my focus to creating something beautiful.

I love this photo I shot of Lou and Bosco 7 years ago on a trip to Newport. There is something so amazing about capturing those candid moments that cannot never be posed or planned. I thought this image would be great with texture and I cropped it in such a way to leave room for an inspiring quote I found about dogs.
Lou loved what I did with this photo and I do too. The words really complete it for me. It made me feel a little better taking my pain and translating it into something beautiful.

Thought you might like to see the original image . . .

Thank you all for your ongoing support and kind words as I weave my way through this maze of grief.

I am grateful for all of you . . .
xo