Earlier in the year I had the honor of being chosen for a local project called Super Heroes on Parade, done through the charity Southeastern Guide Dogs. This project is a collaboration between artists and sponsors to paint, draw, sculpt or otherwise customize a massive doggie-hero statue. All the artists receive the same statue, cast molded by Scott Moore of Port Charlotte, FL, but are paired with different sponsors who have “naming” rights and ideas of their own to incorporate.
My sponsors were FISglobal and they got to name the sculpture “Roosevelt” in reference to their headquarters location. It was fun creating sketches for all the ideas in our brainstorm meeting. Concepts ranging from Cyborg Military Dog to corporate disguised Wonder Woman in a pant suit. To meet the unveiling deadline back in March I only had 30 days to work from green light, to concepts and then a finished product. The paint process took two weeks and was done with Golden brand acrylic paints, sealed with Krylon UV resistant top coat. You can see a video of the painting process here.
The painting features a wrap around seascape of local landmarks that embody the scope of FIS’ employee base and charity outreach. Icons of the bay area like the Skyway Bridge morphs into the skyline of St Pete, complete with waterside parks, Dali museum, Al Lang Field, and the historic Vinoy hotel. The patriotic colors are a tribute to our veterans including a USA striped cape, pedestal base and a custom pressed dog tag necklace with Roosevelt’s name, rank and the date of the unveiling.
Check out my blog or the Southeastern Guide Dog website for more about the work they do saving lives with real working dogs. “People’s Choice Voting” will continue online until September 29th. Three “Top Dogs” from each area of Sarasota, St. Pete and Tampa will be chosen at a ceremony on October 7th.
