Oaxaca sleeping dogs
Posted: November 13, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized 7 CommentsAs a resident of a suburban neighbourhood where all canines are leashed, I was fascinated with the behaviour of the stray dogs in Oaxaca City, and probably could have spent my full five days drawing them. The first one that caught my eye was the one who was napping in the middle of a pedestrian street near a noisy market. Seemingly in a sound sleep as cars, delivery trucks and crowds of people circulated around him, he simultaneously jumped up and went into a full snarl as soon as another stray entered his territory. Needless to say, the other dog skulked away.
Another morning on our way for breakfast, we watched a very muscular sleeping dog on a street corner suddenly leap up and begin stalking his prey. The prey in question? A pigeon that was walking along the sidewalk. The dog slealthily followed the bird for quite some time, hoping to catch it for breakfast, no doubt. When the bird flew away, he was undeterred. He made a quick u-turn and tried to chase down a passing Toyota, narrowly escaping having his legs run over.
The dog that I finally ended up drawing was one of a group of dogs who dig themselves into the cool sand to take a siesta on the main square. They all seem very well fed and as much a part of the scenery as the balloon sellers and the tamale vendors.
A note about the materials for this sketch: I used my Etchr sketchbook for the whole Oaxaca trip. While I haven’t been working much in ink and wash these days, I find that the thick Etchr watercolour paper takes an ink line really well. Even though you can’t correct your lines (like the one across the dog’s face), I enjoyed reconnecting with my Pitt pens on this trip.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Good Afternoon dear friend Shari,
I love these fellows very much. I have one pet ‘Spitz’ breed, very smart and intelligent, more than our humans. No separate bed or room, sleeps with us on our bed and roams freely in the house in all corners and I never use belt.
In addition I look after 4 slum dogs, feeding them daily. They are all very loving and cheerful and happy to see them that way.
Hope to see more of them in colors too.
Blessings.
Uma
Blessings
,
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Nice sleeping dog sketch. It is amazing to go places and find dogs wandering around loose. I found that to be the case in Athens and Istanbul…very different from here.
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Well drawn. I love the relaxed positioning of the legs and paws.
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Thanks for writing Caroline. That’s what I liked about the dog’s relaxed pose too.
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[…] What I am looking for in a sketchbook is very different from many other Urban Sketchers! I know that my friend and incredible watercolour painter, Shari Blaukopf, absolutely loves working on the Etchr CP. See here and here. […]
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Patricia, all you have to do is put your email in the box on the sidebar of the blog where it says “Follow this Blog”. Then you should receive all of my posts.
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