Dog Making Its Mark

At secondary school I was taught German and after many years a few words still remain in my brain. I remember two German sentences: "Lieselotte ist nicht meine tochter" ("Lieselotte is not my daughter") and "Ich Mag Bremsspuren" ("I like skid marks.") I have yet to find a German on whom I can use these statements but I'm sure I will one day.

On the subject on skid marks I thought I'd paint a dog leaving its mark on a stretch of thick carpet. This happened in my bedroom. I've looked after a few dogs and I recall one running into my bedroom and using its front legs to drag itself across the carpet and leaving a magnificent skid mark. I had to squirt some warm soapy water on the bendy skid mark and then spray it with some air freshener. This seems to leave a more distinctive mark in the carpet.

Anyway, that dog has compelled me to this painting. How to start? To ensure the viewer knew this was an indoor scene I drew a window, curtains, skirting board and a set of drawers. After adding the dog I also added a cat just to ensure the scene wasn't boring (note the cat has caught a mouse.) The dog was the most difficult bit - doing the hind legs thrust to the front and its arching back. Things flowed well and the acrylic undercoat was soon superseded with oil paints. Is that a Golden Labrador or Labrador Retriever - I'm not sure.

Over the years I've seen a few dog paintings in art galleries I've attended but not one soiling a carpet. Perhaps you'd like it for a dog-loving friend's birthday present? This can be yours for £16,000. I need the money fast. I was on a long drive to the coast and - to prevent boredom - I thought I'd see how many Kinder Eggs I could squeeze into my underpants. Struggling to fit in the 24th egg I got distracted, veered across the carriageway and crashed into an ice cream van. It will cost £16,000 to replace it.