Cecil the Lion Art Auction & Fundraiser for WILDCRU

*Update 19 Sept 2015: We succeeded in raising hundreds of dollars for WildCru. Thank you for all of your support!

 

"My name is Alicia from Dawgart and this is a painting I made of Cecil the Lion. We are doing a fundraiser to raise money for the Wildlife Conservation Rescue Unit aka WildCru.org which is the program that was monitoring Cecil. We're going to donate 80% of the proceeds from the sale of this piece.

I hope to raise awareness. When you look at the numbers of how many are left it's staggering. Animals have a lot to teach us and their energy is so pure and vibrant and that’s what I try to capture on canvas. There’s been a lot of outrage over this incident. I’m the type of person that likes to propagate love instead of hate. That’s what my artwork is about. I would hope that instead of people rising up in hate, they would rise up together to accomplish a goal which would be to preserve these animals for future generations. The only way that we’re going to be able to save some of these species is if we make a concentrated effort to do so."

A beloved African lion named Cecil, who lived in the Hwange National Park, was illegally baited away from the park and killed on July 1st, 2015. Cecil, with his black-fringed mane, and the rest of his pride, have been studied by the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) in a program that has run since 1999. Cecil's movements have been monitored by tracking device as part of the study since 2008. Cecil's death has resulted in public outrage all over the world.

As an animal advocate, I found Cecil's death to be disturbing, bringing to the forefront of my mind the delicate and precarious hold that these big cats, and other endangered animals have here on 

Earth. I am sickened by the idea that my grandchildren could live in a world where these animals no longer exist.

As a painter, I often focus on the natural world and our relationship to it. I use bright colors to convey the intense energy these creatures embody. Through the colorful palette, I hope to capture the essence of living things, their purity, and their vibrance. 

I've created a painting of Cecil.

This piece was painted to honor the memory of Cecil the Lion, and to raise money for the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), an organization dedicated to the conservation and preservation of these animals.

80% of the proceeds from the sale of "Cecil" will be donated to WildCRU.

Bid Now!

The piece is 16x20 inches, acrylic on canvas, wired and ready to hang.

If you can't afford original art, you can get a print of Cecil's painting here in the Etsy shop. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of prints will also be donated to WildCRU.

Please share this post on all your social media outlets and help spread the word!

Landfill Dogs

Photo by Shannon Johnstone, from her series Landfill Dogs

I recently discovered the photography of Shannon Johnstone. If you're not familiar with her work, she has focused a lot of her time recently on the shelter population and euthanasia epidemic.  One series of photos documenting what happens inside of animal control shelters is quite disturbing.  Important I think, but disturbing.  As you know, I like to focus on the positive, so while I find that series eye-opening, I don't recommend it for sensitive viewers.  Here are links to Discarded Property and Shelter Life.

What I DO recommend for all viewers is her series, Landfill Dogs.  I encourage you to visit the gallery. The images are lovely, joyful, and poignant. Johnstone really captures the beauty and potential of each dog with her stunning photography.  Here is her artist's statement for Landfill Dogs:

"These are not just cute pictures of dogs. These are dogs who have been homeless for at least two weeks, and now face euthanasia if they do not find a home. Each week for 18 months (late 2012–early 2014) I bring one dog from the county animal shelter and photograph him/her at the local landfill.

The landfill site is used for two reasons. First, this is where the dogs will end up if they do not find a home. Their bodies will be buried deep in the landfill among our trash. These photographs offer the last opportunity for the dogs to find homes.

The second reason for the landfill location is because the county animal shelter falls under the same management as the landfill. This government structure reflects a societal value; homeless cats and dogs are just another waste stream. However, this landscape offers a metaphor of hope. It is a place of trash that has been transformed into a place of beauty. I hope the viewer also sees the beauty in these homeless, unloved creatures.

As part of this photographic process, each dog receive a car ride, a walk, treats, and about 2 hours of much needed individual attention. My goal is to offer an individual face to the souls that are lost because of animal overpopulation, and give these animals one last chance. This project will continue for one year, so that we can see the landscape change, but the constant stream of dogs remains the same."

You can follow the Landfill Dogs series on Facebook.

Our dog Toby was rescued from an animal shelter in Fruit Heights, Utah.  Luckily, it was not a high kill shelter, and he was allowed to be there for several weeks before he found us.  Toby could have been a Landfill Dog.  Instead, he was given a chance to fulfill his potential as a companion.  Tyler often says, "Toby was the best decision we made together. After getting married of course."  

Gandhi said,

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated."

Shannon Johnstone is doing her part to forward our moral progress.  Her work has helped find homes for many worthy animals. Each of us should stop for a moment and ponder on what we can do as well.