Just discovered FanartReview - do you know it?

I'm having a blast with FanartReview. Basically, it's like Deviantart, but less complicated and should I say, a little more refined.   You set up a profile and then begin downloading your artwork.  They only let you load 2 works in each 24 hour time slot.  Which is great because they don't want things to get saturated by one artist (you know who you are).  I've loaded about 17 of my pugs over the past 20 days and they've been really well received.  I think it's because most of the stuff on there is either completely digital art or really professional stuff done with real paint and canvas.  My stuff is a bit of a break from the norm, to say the least.  I've been posting things like this:

Do you think they'll notice that these aren't exactly fine art?  hahhaa

The whole idea with FanartReview is that you earn points by reviewing other people's work and commenting/rating it.  You also earn when people review yours.  As your member money adds up, you can buy banners and certificates and things to promote your own art up through the ranks.  Each evening the ranks are totaled and updated.  Each night they make a notation showing how many spots you've moved up.  At the end of the year, there are awards.  There are trophies and cash prizes.  It's a ton of fun.

By the way, I've been meaning to tell you that you can also now find me on Pinterest, Facebook, FanartReview and DeviantArt.   Just search The Pug's Pajamas and something should come up.  Gotta love google.

The Story of Wendel

Wendel's story is simple and I know anyone who has a pug will relate immediately.......the crux of it is, if you have one, you just have to go get another one.  And that's what happened here.

Cricket was almost a year old and hubby and I were in the middle of shift changes at work.  We had just moved to the country and were now further away from work.  This meant we were spending long days when you factor in the commute both ways.  Crick was home too long alone.  We decided we had to get her a buddy.  So, back I went to the breeder and Oh My God.  All I can say is, this little beggar completely melted my heart the minute I laid eyes on him.  Picture this.......Old farm house, one room at the front specifically set up to house puppies with little whelping style boxes all along one wall .  The floor out front of the boxes was old, antique pine that looked like it had seen a billion puppies and all the traffic that goes with it.  There was one large farmhouse window without trimming on it and the sun was beating in as brightly as if I was standing on the sun itself.  But the room was eeriily quiet for a puppy nursery.

Then I spotted him (which was hard because his blonde coat blended in with the floor), sitting, like pugs sit and like he would famously continue to sit to this day, with one little teeny leg splayed out to the right, perched on the haunch of the other, shoulders slumped, wrinkled forehead and wrists, belly and dink resting on the floor.  He was the only soul in the room and he looked up at me and made one teeny little yelp.  He was so friggin cute and pathetic all at the same time.  I was so glad it was I who walked in to that room and not someone else.  He was meant to be mine.  That's not him on the right, but that's exactly how he was sitting!  lol....

So, home I went with him and immediately plopped him on the floor in front of Cricket.  At first she thought he was a new chewy but in short order, she realized he was live and it was going to be her job to boss him around - something else that continuously occurs to this day.  They became fast friends immediately, Wendel learned from Cricket but he was/is a very different pug than she is.  He's not physical and he's all love and affection.  She;s a jack russell in a pug's body who is aloof.  When he can catch her, they wrestle, but for the most part, he just watches her torque around or sleeps while she does it.

Wendel now outweighs Cricket by 20 lbs!  He's 36 pounds and she's about 16.  They are quite the pair.  Kinda like Laurel and Hardy.....ha!

The Story of Cricket

When hubby and I moved into our new shack in the country, it was mutually decided that we would get a fur-face, specifically a dog.  Problem is, he’s a German Shepherd guy and I’m, well, I’m not.  While I admire them and think they are a gorgeous creature for say policing or locating dead bodies, they aren’t my favorite for cuddling and jumping on the furniture.  So, we ended up at an impasse and decided to find a breed somewhere in the middle that would satisfy us both.  That breed never seemed to present itself and so I waited………and waited……….and waited.  Unable to stand it any longer, I took action and got online “just to see what I could see”.  And what I could see, were pugs, lots of ‘em.

Found a breeder, went to see Cricket and just about died when I laid eyes on her.  Not only was she the runt of the litter, she was the most feisty and tenacious – something that hasn’t ever left her.  Picture a hummingbird amongst a bunch of mourning doves!  That was Cricket.  That was it, I was in love, she was coming home with me – even if hubby wasn’t 100% on side.  Friends told me that it was a 50/50 shot that he’d fall in love as soon as he saw her too.  Being the positive, glass half full kinda gal I am, I decided to just go for it.  He’d warm up, I knew he would…..

As soon as he pulled in the driveway, I grabbed up my little bundle and met him in the driveway.  I was so excited, I was gushing.  Hubby, being the gentle, loving soul that he is, stopped dead in his tracks, dropped his lunch pail and said, “Oh……………my………………God.  What have you done?”.

Years later and despite all the goings on about her not being a Shepherd, he has taught her commands in German, he has trained her to clear the property to ensure we are secure from Chipmunks and nuisance Grackles, he has taught her to adhere to the rules of the property line so she can enjoy a life unencumbered by a leash.  She is also the subject of many of his photographs and can be found no less than a foot from him most of the time.  If you were to ask him, he’ll tell you she’s okay, but she’s not his favorite.    Then all she has to do is cock her head and look at him with those monstrous, glistening brown eyes that say, “that’s okay, you’re a work in progress too Mister and my plan is to totally win you over”.  In my mind, there’s no question………he’s toast.

To see some unique Pug Art, please search The Pug's Pajamas on Pinterest, Etsy, Facebook and Fanartreview.

The Pug's Pajamas - Art inspired by Cricket and Wendel since 2007

Welcome to my blog.  You might wonder what "art inspired by Cricket and Wendel since 2007" means.  Cricket is my little female pug.  She 's 6, functioning at a 1 - 2 year old level.  She's a runt - that is, she has topped out at 16 full pounds when a standard female pug is between 22 and 26.  She's lightning quick and is never without copious amounts of energy.  The best way to describe her personality is to say that she's a cat.  She is aloof, lives life on her terms, requires very little attention and picks and chooses with whom she will be affectionate.  Even then, the affection is very short-lived.  She is hilarious, she is loveable she is as fugly as they come with her perma-scowl, but OH MY GOD is she special.

Then, there's Wendel, Cricket's brother.  He is 5.  He is the polar opposite of Cricket.  Firstly, he's portly.  No, he's chubby.  No he's fat, topping the scales at a whopping 36 pounds.  He is 1000% attached to his person, will soak up every ounce of affection you can offer and beg for more.  He loves massages.  He does not move very fast.  He will get the odd "spurt on", but then it's off to bed for the afternoon.  He loves his TV shows and sleeps, full frontal nudity, on his back, always.  I love his precious butt with all my heart.

The antics these two get up to inspire my art.  I find myself spending many an afternoon doodling them while they play.  The stream of inspiration is endless when it comes to my pugs.  So much so, that I MUST create.  Therefore, the reason this blog exists.  I must also talk about them and pass on the cool things I've come to know and learn about pugs.  I hope you'll stay tuned as I explore the world of everything pug through stories, art and events.  I laso hope you'll share yours, particularly if you're in Canada.  My intention is to post at least weekly, perhaps on Sunday nights.

Here's a sample of some of the silliness I call my art.   Garth is wearing the green hat.  You can see my whole portfolio at www.Fanartreview.com  Just search my name -  PJPug.

Garth