Sculptor of Deerhounds, Joan Creel

 

 

Sighthounds and in this case Scottish Deerhounds have been inspirational for artists, writers and poets through the ages. It is exciting that it is still so in the 21st century. I would like to introduce you to Joan Creel Winner of the Scottish Deerhound Club of America (SDCA) Art Competition at Lompoc California 2010.

Joan is the sculptor of this stunning bronze sculpture which is perfectly homed at Fernhill with Barbara Heidenreich and Richard Hawkins. How phenomenal  it is that an artist new to the medium of bronze sculpture would turn out such an outstanding piece as a relative novice. I should have asked Joan how many hours went into this piece, it probably would be astounding. I am reminded again that a latent passion to create should never be ignored; what a pity if a gift such as Joan’s were never to be realized. Thankfully Joan is creating new pieces and will continue to do so I hope.

I asked Joan to tell me a little about herself and her process, I am sure you will be interested to read Joan’s own words.

“After admiring and collecting Deerhound art for decades, retirement to Montana seemed the perfect time to explore a special interest — sculpture.  Having a foundry that casts bronze art pieces close by spurred me on, and after taking a short course class in the lost wax process, I started my first Deerhound sculpture, working in clay.

Casting in bronze is an interesting process.  First, a rubber mold is made from the finished clay and covered with a rigid shell to maintain the shape.  Melted wax is poured into that mold to create a wax replica of the clay original, and when it has cooled, the shell is broken off to reveal a wax replica of the original clay. A system of  wax rods called the sprue is attached to this wax replica to ensure that molten bronze will fill extremities, such as legs.  Next, the wax replica is encased in a heat-prooof material called the investment.  When molten bronze is poured into this investment, the wax burns out and is replaced by bronze.  Once this cools, the investment is broken off and you have a bronze sculpture, ready to be finished.  If the sculpture has been cast in pieces, they are welded together.  Then the sculpture is chased, or polished, to remove any rough spots, and the sculpture is ready for a patina.  Because the rubber mold of the original is not harmed by this process, a signed and numbered limited edition can be cast following the same process.

My first bronze, called “Dusk”  in honor of one of Isak Dinesen’s (Karen Blixen’s) Deerhounds at her Karen coffee plantation in Kenya’s highlands, turned out pretty well, so I donated one to the SDCA for a National Specialty fundraising auction.

Several people other than the winning bidder  were interested, and pieces from the edition of ten were cast to order for them.

Joan Creel's Dusk

 

Joan Creel's Dusk View 2

 Most important, Barbara Heidenreich and Richard Hawkins of Fernhill became my mentor/collectors, critiquing clays in progress as I moved on.

“Neil” & “The Chase”

The next project was for them — a larger outdoor bronze that now resides at Fernhill and can be seen on the Fernhill web site.   Step one in this process was to complete a small version, the maquette, or model, that an enlargement company used to measure data points that were entered in a computer-driven machining tool that carved a styrofoam enlargement  of the desired size. 

  After refining the styrofoam a bit, then covering it with a clay layer and doing the surface detailing,  two large bronzes were cast, one for Fernhill, the other for Mary Ann Rose, who joined Barb and Richard in supporting the project.   The maquette size piece became “The Chase” my second tabletop bronze.  Again, I donated one for auction at another SDCA Specialty.

For this year’s Specialty in Oregon,  my auction donation is a bronze from my newest limited edition, “I Know Where I’m Going”,  featuring a pup and named after a film beloved by Deerhounders.

I Know Where I'm Going

Deerhound on the Beach

Just completed in clay is “On the Beach”, a maquette for a piece initiated by Kris and Bayard Smith and Joan and Joe Giles after they visited Fernhill and saw my first larger bronze.  This maquette will be cast in bronze by Specialty time, where the Smiths and Giles will show it in hopes of generating subscribers for a Limited Edition of ten signed and numbered large bronzes.  The concept of sharing appealed to me, since dividing production costs among ten collectors makes sculpture far more affordable,  and it gives me another opportunity to work on a larger scale.

Deerhound on the Beach View 2

It’s been over six years now since I retired, and the time has flown, thanks to the most perfect creatures under heaven and the wonderful people who breed them.”

Heat Exhaustion/ Stroke the potential for Disaster and Heartbreak

Deerhounds are usually quite adept at pretending to be a prone statue if the thermometer reads more than 24 degrees celsius. There are occasions however; as I have found out when common sense gets left at the door (the dogs or mine?) and your lazy somnolent deerhound gets a little overly excited and runs like a mad thing on a very hot sunny day playing with  his/her friends. All kidding aside sighthounds have been known to run themselves to death due to heatstroke on the track and in pursuit of game. I am always mindful when hiking through natural areas that Cailean might suddenly remember that she really is a sighthound and has the potential to be a formidable predator.  It might not seem like it during a record breaking rainy spring but the inevitable scorching heat of summer will soon be here. It is not a bad time to remind you of a few safety and cooling tips.

• Like a broken record Don’t, Don’t leave any dog in the car, windows down or not. Go home drop the dog off and go back for the groceries etc. Even in cool sunny weather, the temperature in the car can climb above 48°C (120°F) in 20 minutes.

• If you must drive any distance in warm weather with your dog (remember dogs can’t sweat to cool their bodies), consider driving after dark if your car is not air conditioned.

• Don’t put yourself & your dog into an overheated car, ventilate for a few minutes at least & to avoid toxic fumes don’t start air conditioning with the windows rolled up.

• Carry a water bottle while walking the dog & keep a 2nd bottle in the car in case you need to wet the dog down or more for drinking (both of you). I always keep a towel, a bowl, extra water, & first aid kits in the car. If you think the dog is panting a little harder than you would like and are at all concerned wet the towel and apply to the chest, abdomen, head, ears, and foot pads moving it around.

• The only way to know for sure if things are not too good with your dog is by taking its temperature. Keep a rectal/ or digital thermometer in the cars first aid kit if summer walks take you further than a short drive from home.

• Your dog might be having too much fun to stop playing, don’t wait for the dog to refuse to go any further, go and hide in the shade or lay down at your feet. Anticipate a slower pace and leash an over-excited dog on a hot day. Useful in the car or your backpack is a spray bottle to add to your arsenal of cooling tools. As to the effectiveness of cooling beds and jackets, its worth trying although I haven’t heard of too many people who swear by them. I’d love comments from readers who might speak to this.

• If you happen to see wildlife in the area, leash your dog. Searching for a lost dog in the blazing heat of a long summer day is one disaster best avoided.

• As with most things in dog rearing knowing your dog, its body, habits and personality are key to knowing when something is out of the ordinary. Know what your dog’s gum colour is like usually, know how quickly the colour returns if you do a capillary refill test.  This test should be done when your dog is completely well so that you know what the baseline is for your pet. firmly press on the gum above a tooth with your thumb or finger for about 3 seconds. When the thumb is removed the spot will appear paler but after 1.5 seconds the colour should return.

•  If the dog is dehydrated, the membranes will be dry and the capillary refill time will be prolonged (>2-3 seconds).

 

http://www.spca.bm/petcare/heat-stress.php

 

Read more at Suite101: How to Check Your Dog’s Gums: Learn to Examine a Sick Dog for Gum Paleness or Discoloration http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_check_your_dogs_gums#ixzz0wba0oiQP

Heat stroke is most common in the large breeds and in dogs with short noses. Dogs mainly cool themselves by panting, or breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. The process of panting directs air over the mucous membranes (moist surface) of the tongue, throat and trachea (windpipe). The air that is flowing over these organs causes evaporation, thus cooling the animal. Another mechanisms that helps remove heat includes dilation of blood vessels in the skin of the face, ears and feet. Dilated blood vessels located on the surface of the body cause the blood to loose heat to the outside air. Breaths per minute. Puppies 15-40 breaths/ minute. Dogs 10-30 breaths/minute. Toy breeds (small dogs) 15-40 breaths/minute. Dogs that are panting – up to 200 pants/minute. If the animals abdomen is expanding instead of the chest on inhalation your pet is not breathing normally. You should seek veterinary care.

A dog’s normal body temperature ranges between 100.5 Fahrenheit (38.1°C) and 102.5 Fahrenheit (39.2°C).

Like people, dogs can become overheated. If it rises to 105 or 106 degrees, the dog is at risk for developing heat exhaustion. If the body temperature rises to 107 degrees, the dog has entered the danger zone of heat stroke. With heat stroke, damage to the body can be irreversible. Organs begin to shut down, and veterinary care is immediately needed. Death from heat stroke can occur pretty quickly. The shortest interval between exposure to high heat extremes and death is about 20 minutes & usually as a result of being left in a closed vehicle.  Dogs like people need time to adjust to the seasonal changes in weather. They are most likely to experience heat stroke as they are becoming acclimated to the heat and most likely in conjunction with exercise or excitement.  

WARNING SIGNS:

heavy panting,

hyperventilation (deep breathing),

discoloured gums (deep brick red – mild to Moderate heat exhaustion,

pale white gums in severe heat stroke),

increased salivation early then dry gums as the heat prostration progresses,

weakness, stumbling or a lack of coordination,

confusion or inattention,

vomiting or diarrhea and sometimes bleeding. As the condition progresses towards heat prostration or heat stroke there may be obvious paleness or graying to the gums shallowing of the breathing efforts and eventually slowed or absent breathing efforts, vomiting and diarrhea that may be bloody and finally seizures or coma.

The most common clinical signs of Heat Stroke are weakness, loss of balance, excessive panting, roaring breathing sounds, excessive salivation, decrease in mental awareness, collapse and death. Any time that heat stroke is suspected it is best to get an immediate rectal temperature reading and to begin treatment immediately if the body temperature is over 106 degrees Fahrenheit or to stop all activity and move indoors if the temperature is less than this but elevated above 103.0 degrees Fahrenheit. Body temperatures over 107 degrees Fahrenheit are a critical emergency, because organ damage can occur at this temperature and at higher temperatures.

Treatment consists of cool water (not cold water) bathes or rinses. If the water is too cold, or if ice is used to cool a heat stroke victim it can cause a decrease or loss of skin circulation, which can delay cooling. This should be done immediately for a few minutes and then the dog should be taken to the veterinarian’s office or to an emergency veterinary clinic immediately. Most dogs will not drink water at this stage of heat stroke and it is not a good idea to spend time trying to get them to. Just go to the vet’s as quickly as possible.

Immediate treatment is critical to success when dealing with heat stroke, so delays are potentially harmful, or fatal. http://www.vetinfo.com/dheatstroke.html