Andy Warhol's Cats & Dogs In 1954, Andy Warhol, a renowned cat lover, published a series of 25 cat portraits in book form. Printed on limited edition, hand-colored Arches watermarked paper, the prints were privately printed and made as a Christmas keepsake. He named his book 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy. He had originally meant it to read "... Named Sam" but his mother, who did the lettering, left off the "d" and Warhol thought that the final version was fine.

In the 1950s, Warhol bought a brownstone where he and his mother resided. And, although they had owned cats for twenty years, his series of cat portraits were not based on the cats he lived with and knew. Instead, they were based on the photographs of New York Cat Photographer Walter Chandoha.

In the 1970s, Warhol 's interest with cats faded and his interest in dogs rose. His boyfriend decided they should get a short-haired Dachshund puppy. They named the dog "Archie". Warhol became so enthralled with Archie that he became his alter ego. As he held Archie during interviews, when Warhol did not want to answer a particular question, he would simply deflect the questions to Archie. Warhol took the dog everywhere - to his studio, to art openings, to dinner, to photo shoots, and to London when his work took him there.

When Archie was almost three, another Dachshund came into the picture. This dog, they called "Amos". The three of them got along famously. Amos and Archie would run around the townhouse barking, chasing and playing with one another while providing constant entertainment for Warhol. All was well, except now Archie would stay at home with his newfound friend Amos instead of gallivanting the city with Warhol.

In 1976, the art collector Peter Brant commissioned Andy Warhol to paint his Cocker Spaniel named Ginger. Andy made two paintings of Ginger, as well as drawings. Peter Brant liked these so much that he thought Warhol should do a whole series of cat and dog drawings. Andy liked the idea too. It would open up a new area of commission portraits and would give him a chance to use Archie and Amos in his work. All he lacked was a cat that would fit the modeling mold.

Warhol liked to work from photographs. He had a difficult time staging his pets and having them remain still. He decided to use stuffed animals for his first cat and dog photos. Vincent Fremont at Artnet called the finished paintings of these stuffed creatures "spooky and macabre". The paintings; however, that Warhol completed from photographs of cats and dogs are said to be vibrant and infused with personality.

After some time he began dabbling in other arts, including underground films that explored the shock value of nudity, greed, and sexuality. In 1976, after his hiatus from regular, mainstream art pursuits, Peter Brant arranged for Warhol's dog and cat series to be shown in New York and in London.

After Warhol's period of drawing and painting cats and dogs, he started on artistic renditions for Campbell soup cans and his focus on pop-culture as seen in his works centered around Marilyn Monroe. After his mother's death, Warhol became more distant from the public's eye. Warhol left his diaries behind that were later published into a book. While many say his entries are "mundane", those who study his art find that they leave a history - a post-modern history much reflective of his beliefs, ties to, and a life dedicated to explorative arts.

Melanie Light is an artist and site owner of Pet Lovers Art & Resources at http://www.artzpet.com and Petz Classic Dog Art at http://www.cafepress.com/petz . Her portfolio site can be found here: http://mlightart.com . You will find more artwork, gifts, and information on these sites.

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  Supplements And Their Affects On Dogs Dogs can exist on a diet of meat, fruit, and vegetables. The benefits of supplements are overwhelming and can add several healthy years to your dogs life. Lifestyle and the foods and nutrients our pets receive make up 70 percent of their longevity, and 80-90 percent of the diseases in dogs are due to the degenerative processes that come with aging.

Major health changes occur in a short amount of time in dogs, as they age seven times faster than people (on the average). Aging is a process in which the bodys systems deteriorate faster than the body can repair them, and dogs have different nutritional needs at different life stages.

Supplements can pick up where dog foods leave off with the added benefit that some medical conditions, like arthritis, and hip dysphasia can be treated with supplements. Vitamins such as A, B1, and Folic Acid; and minerals like potassium probiotics can help dogs live longer, healthier lives. The ideal supplements for your dog are those targeted to your dogs particular health needs, as determined by your vet.

Supplements are available in many forms, including liquid, pill, and powder forms. Features to consider in dog supplements are; the ingredients, efficacy , form-powder, pill or liquid, easy to give, veterinarian approved, and most important, appropriate for the age, weight, breed, and health of your pet.

Always remember to consult your veterinarian before choosing or giving supplements to your pet. Make sure the supplements you choose are for dogs, not cats or people, there are differences, and a follow-up exam by your veterinarian would give you a better indication of how well your dogs metabolism is benefiting from the supplements. Once the ideal supplement is found, regular use is the key to success for good health.

Supplements can be the key to good health for your pet. But remember to always use them in moderation and do not mix supplements, this could be potentially dangerous to your pet.

Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed http://www.joncopets.com. On the site, customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest pet supplies, dog collars and more.

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  Do You Want A Job Or A Home Business? Which one are you looking for: a work at home job or a home based business? Did you answer "work at home job"? Most people will give the same response, not because they really want a boss breathing down their neck, just because they never realised having their own business was an option.

The sad truth is that just about all the people who don't consider anything beyond a traditional salaried job are going to be disappointed. No matter how hard or long they search, they won't find what they are hoping for. The reason for this is very simple: there are just not enough home based jobs to go round, there never have been. The work at home job opportunities you see advertised online will, on investigation, turn out to be freelance work or self-employed commission only work or, worst of all, scams. There are even unscrupulous website owners who will demand a fee from you to let you view a list of non-existent jobs.

The good news is that you can earn money at home even if you don't have a job. The Internet offers so many different ways to make money, you don't need to worry about whether you are working at a home based job or running your own home business. Here are some suggestions for different types of Internet work at home opportunities that can all be done on a part time basis to suit your commitments and personal preferences.

Online Surveys

Getting paid to participate in online surveys and focus groups is about the easiest way to earn money at home. You need absolutely no previous experience, special skills or knowledge. Market research companies just want to know the opinions of ordinary people and they are prepared to pay to get those opinions. The process is simple: you sign up with a company, they will notify you via email when a survey is available, you complete the survey, they pay you. All from the comfort of your own home.

Get Paid To

There are companies who will pay you to perform various online tasks such as reading commercial emails, signing up for free offers and playing games. This really is as easy as it sounds and you can perform these tasks at any time that suits you. You can sign up to individual companies who offer a particular variety of this type of work (eg get paid to read email companies). Alternatively, there are companies online where membership includes access to a selection of all sorts of different money earning opportunities. The individual tasks only take a matter of minutes to complete, so they can easily be done in your odd spare moments.

Online surveys and "get paid to" programs are about the closest thing to an employer-employee relationship we will be looking at in Internet opportunities. The companies send you tasks, you perform them and the companies pay you. The situation with the following work at home opportunities is different insofar as your earning capacity is limited only by your preferences and capabilities. In short: the more you do, the more you can earn.

Data Entry

Data entry programs are a little more advanced than online surveys but full training is included in the package and, if you have average typing skills and the ability to follow simple instructions, it is possible to earn a great deal of money doing online data entry. Online data entry is not the same as the old-fashioned boring and time consuming data entry work. The work can be completed in a spare half hour here and there to fit in with your day to day routines. You don't need any previous experience to do this work and, with the aid of the training provided, you can start earning money straight away.

Affiliate Marketing

Internet affiliate marketing offers a way to make money online without needing to have your own website. The way it works is simple: you promote other people's products and receive commission on the sales you achieve. It is possible to earn large sums of money through affiliate marketing. In order to be successful, you will need to learn how to market products effectively. It is, therefore, better to find a company offering training for affiliate when you first start out.

Multi Level Marketing

Multi level marketing is usually referred to just as MLM and, although it is frequently confused with illegal pyramid schemes, it is different. MLM is legitimate and can be a good way of earning money from home. The way it works is that you join the company and earn commissions for selling the company's products. ( The product could be just about anything you can think of eg satellite TV, phone services, cosmetics, wellness products, downloadable ebooks, insurance etc). You also recruit other people into the company. These people are placed in your "team" and you get paid a percentage of any sales your recruits generate. When choosing an MLM company, don't be swayed by promises of huge earnings. Obviously earning potential is important but the first thing to look at is whether you will feel happy to endorse the product. You won't be able to convince other people to purchase the product or to join you in your team if you don't have faith in the product.

You can earn money at home doing one or a combination of several of the above opportunities but none of them is a job by the usual definition of the word. You don't have a contract of employment, you are responsible for your own tax liabilities and you don't get paid holidays or sickness benefits. What you do get is your freedom and the chance to shape the quality of your own future both in financial terms and in terms of how you spend your time. Are you sure it's really a job you want?

Copyright 2006 Elaine Currie

Visit Elaine Currie at her Work At Home Income Directory Website to start your Home Business today.

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