How can two dogs of the same breed be so completely different? Duvel was a sweet dog, even when he was a puppy. As a senior he was a charming Irish gentleman who made you smile when he was naughty now and then. We lost Duvel in August of 2022 and miss him dearly. We are glad that we took a year “off” to travel to far away places and are now able to give our new little “terror” Woody the attention he claims.

Woody was born mid June 2023 and we picked him up in northern Germany when he was 9 weeks old. We were shockend how restless he was compared to our first Irish Terrier. Woody is not taking “no” for an answer and keeps us busy 24/7.  What a character! Slowly but steadily he is beginning to turn into a dog, instead of a little gremlin. He is starting to be a bit more affectionate towards us, a trait his breed is known for. He loves to be outside, running and playing with other dogs in the nearby forest, as well as on the beach where we used to go with Duvel on Sunday mornings.

We cherish our memories of living with Duvel in the Hamburger Treppenviertel, the long walks along the Elbe. He came into our lives in 2009, when we still lived in Hamburg. The gallery below shows him as a puppy. He loved to carry around sticks and other trophies. Later we moved back to Holland and had just built our new house when Covid locked us down and Duvel was recovering from his first surgery. He went over the rainbow bridge in the summer of 2022. He will be remembered…

Sketchbook birds

Birds can be big, small, ugly, beautiful, funny, scared and scary. To illustrate them you need to study them, even if they will be phantasy birds. How they are “constructed”, their proportions, their silhouettes, how they fly. Then comes the question of technique. How to visualize feathers, textures and coloring in your own creative style. I prefer using collages of drawings, patterns and elements I develop along the way.

“Pooh, great to be away from the house, always busy, always things to do. It is too hot to move anyway. Summer in the city! Great that we have the river. Ah, look at that nice boot. Come on Little bird, relax, enjoy!” “Funny Bird, you can’t just leave our friend there. This is not funny. He will melt. You have to help me dig him out again! Where is Duvel when we need him? At least he would have helped me to save Big Bird.” 

“Whoa, snow. I love it. Much better than all that rain. Not to mention the stupid toweling afterwards. Come on Funny Bird, throw that snowball, I want to chaaaaaaaaase it! No, not too high. Yes, like that…” “Duvel, I am cold. We have been doing this for hours. I want to go home and eat. Then I would like to have a nice nap under a pile of blankets. Look at my poor bird friends, they are freezing.” “Pah, you couldn’t care less for them. All you think about is food. Come on, one more. This snow will be gone in no time, we have to celebrate this one day of winter!” 

“Duvel, bist du krank?” “Nein, aber lass mich bloss in Ruhe! Meine Trimm-Frau pflückt schon seit einer Stunde an mir rum. Manchmal versuche ich sie mit Schmusen von der Arbeit abzuhalten, aber das klappt auch nicht immer. Jetzt ist sie kurz weg und ich versuche ein bisschen zu schlafen. Ist ja toll, diesen alten Mantel auszuziehen, aber irgendwann habe ich keinen Bock mehr. Meinen Bart will sie auch noch schneiden. Das gute ist, sie hat tolle Leberwurstkekse.”  “Ach das wird schon wieder alter Kumpel. Gleich gehen wir an den Strand und düsen eine Runde. Aber, habe ich das richtig gehört, du sagtest irgendwas von Keksen…?” “Du gefräßiger Vogel! Diese Leckerli verdiene ich mir mit meiner sanften Geduld! Vielleicht gibt sie dir ja auch was, wenn du mal den Schnabel hältst.”

“Duvel, stop this stupid digging of yours! It is too hot to dig. I am trying to enjoy my shade and you keep on ploughing sand into my face. Why don’t you go swimming?” “Funny Bird, I will not go swimming, I never swim. You are so selfish. Look at you, you are alone under that parasol. Poor little bird is nearly melting in the sun. And where is big bird? Oops, I must have buried him.” “No problem Duvel, I am used to being bashed, at least this sand is nice and cool. So keep on digging please…” 

“Happy Birthday Duvel, five years as a publisher’s dog, quite an achievement old chap. Oh, Oh, don’t give me that look! Come on Duvel, I know you think, we are a nuisance, but it is your Birthday. We will be really nice today, I promise. We will not steal the bosses cookies, mess up her office or dig through the rubbish for goodies. We will even leave your precious sticks alone, ok? Look at that cute little toy. I wonder how long that will last. But anyway, cheer up. It is a happy day. Look, we even brought you a present. You will love it. You don’t have to share, if you don’t want to…”