Loft, the Japan-based chain,has just blown out the candles on its 12th-burtgdat cake and come up with a fresh collection of decorative items, gifts and stationery that capture the cultural charms of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Auspicious animals roam the new line, promising to bring good fortune. There's the lucky cat Maneki Neko Sekiguchi the monkey and a turtle and owl, all in vivid colours.
Teens who love flowers and manga will find the beautiful Sakura and pouplar Totoro cartoon characters.
There are Daruma Piggy banks, bubble-head Daruma dolls, Oni devil masks, Totoro music boxes and Tamagotchi electronic pets, plus key rings, luck cat calendadrs, comfy cushions and ceramic ware painted by celebrated artist Shinzi Katoh.
You can also get pink lunchboxes with chopsticks,Sakura notebooks and cosmetics cases and cardholders and notebooks made from printed Japanese textile.
THE NATION ON SUNDAY
LOOK WAY UP
Loft is on the third floor of the Siam Discovery centre and at Chamchuri Square. Call(02)658 0328 or (02)160 5161-3.
HERE'S A pink lunchbox with chopsticks and a strawberry motif for Bt285.
THIS DARUMA piggy bank costs Bt790.
SAKURA notebooks range in price from Bt95 to Bt280.
LIGHT UP your desk with a lucky cat calendar for Bt3,900.
TGUS CYTE music box bears the popular cartoon character Totoro. It's Bt1,670.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
IT'S HARE RAISING
Rabbits of all species require the same attentive care by, and tender love from, their owners.
"Many breeds of rabbits have been brought into Thailand, and they have become indomitable rivals of other household pets as their popularity continues to soar," said Tananya Chaiyarith, a veteran rabbit breeder.
Many greenhorns find themselves in a cul-de-sac when it comes to the proper feeding, treatment and care of rabbits. Others lose their young fluffy friends because of negligence and/or ignorance of companionship issues. Holding a rabbit the wrong way can cause the animal to go blind, and only a few rabbit keepers are aware of the life-and-death repercussions of this action as it probably seems to be a trivial matter.
"Seeing people grab a rabbit's ears and carelessly pulling them up when they want to carry it is a common occurrence. This action can hurt the animal because many nerves run through its ears, thus making them become a most-vulnerable part.
"The safest way to handle a rabbit is to gently grasp its fur around the upper neck with one hand and support its buttocks with the other hand," suggested Ms Tananya.
According to the rabbit enthusiast, bunny owners must pay much attention to their pets' well being, including their reproduction process, their living quarters, their food and the diseases they are liable to be afflicted with as all these factors play a vital role in keeping the bunnies happy and healthy throughout their life, which is about a decade.
"Like humans, rabbits also want to be comfortable, whether physically or mentally. So, it's our responsibility to provide our pets with all the life-supporting amenities that they need as their survival and safety lie in our careful hands and caring heart," advised Ms Tananya.
By nature, a rabbit's reproductive period occurs every 16 days. Consequently, it's necessary to control the bunny population by neutering the females if the rabbit owner is not in the business of breeding rabbits for commercial purposes.
On average, pregnancy lasts about one month, and one litter consists of one to 10 leverets. But the mother rabbit has only eight breasts to feed her babies, so rabbit keepers have to help the mother take care of her offspring.
Following delivery, the mother should be kept with her babies, while the father is moved to another cage because he can distract the female. Under these circumstances, the loving mother may feel tense, turn aggressive and attack her litter.
"For the safety of all the leverets, two cages are needed so as to keep the male away from the female. By nature, the male doesn't help the female raise their children. On top of that, he will also try to mate with the female all the time," she explained.
During this period, the rabbit owner should cover the mother rabbit's cage with cloth or cardboard to shield her from any disturbing noise or sight.
"Don't forget to line her cage with straw or grass to keep all leverets warm. Normally, it takes about 20 days for the young rabbits to become healthy and strong. The mother is very possessive of her children," said the rabbit admirer.
The most desirable and safest cage has a fine-mesh floor to prevent the rabbit's legs from getting struck in the gaps. Line the floor with grass so the creature can sleep happily and comfortably.
"The cage must be kept clean all the time because the rabbit is also vulnerable to poor hygiene. Owners who have a big garden should allow the rabbits to exercise regularly and play in the natural environment," she said.
Food should be available in the cage all the time because the rabbit is a nocturnal animal, and so it likes to come out to forage for food at night. As for drinking water, it should be put in a commercially manufactured bottle specially designed for rabbits.
"The food must be nutritious, and the water clean. They must be changed daily as germs can accumulate in the feeding bowl and the bottle. Preferably, these containers should also be washed and cleaned daily," she said.
Generally, a rabbit's food can be divided into three main categories - rough, concentrated, and commercial.
Rough food provides high levels of fibre and normally comes from grass stalks and blades. Rabbits of different ages need different kinds of grass. Dried grass is suitable for very young rabbits. Rabbits aged one to four months enjoy eating alfalfa, while grown-ups are normally fed on pangola grass.
"The grass must be free of chemicals. Any grass that is green and yellow in colour is harmful to the animals because it contains pesticides. Apart from grass, their favourite menu includes fresh fruit and vegetables," she said.
Commercial food consists of both concentrated and rough components, and it is rich in calories and protein. It helps the animals to grow rapidly and to stay productive.
When it comes to disease, rabbits can be affected by many ailments, and the most common are ear and skin diseases, colds and diarrhoea.
When a rabbit shakes its head or scratches its ears more frequently than usual, something wrong has happened to its ears, and urgent attention is needed as their ears are now home to mites. If the ears are smelly and ooze pus, the animals are infected with bacteria. Clean their ears, their cage and all the equipment connected with their care regularly and constantly to prevent ear problems.
Mites can also be found on skin. If they are present, they cause hair loss and skin crust. The best treatment is to apply sulphur ointment on the infected areas.
Rabbits often catch cold, which results in sneezing and breathing difficulties. Their front legs will become wet because they tend to use their front legs to wipe their face to get rid of the nasal mucus. As a result, the virus can be spread easily and quickly and contaminate their food and/or water. If such a situation arises, the pet owner should take the sick animal to see a vet immediately.
Rabbits can suffer from diarrhoea when they eat food that has become rotten as a result of having been left in the cage for several days. They will become dehydrated, so the rabbit owner should give them an oral rehydration solution before taking them to a vet.
"Rabbits owners must keep a close watch over their bunnies all the time so that they can become aware of any abnormalities in the shortest time possible. We have to take good care of them constantly and wholeheartedly as their lives are just as precious as ours," Ms Tananya said.
"Many breeds of rabbits have been brought into Thailand, and they have become indomitable rivals of other household pets as their popularity continues to soar," said Tananya Chaiyarith, a veteran rabbit breeder.
Many greenhorns find themselves in a cul-de-sac when it comes to the proper feeding, treatment and care of rabbits. Others lose their young fluffy friends because of negligence and/or ignorance of companionship issues. Holding a rabbit the wrong way can cause the animal to go blind, and only a few rabbit keepers are aware of the life-and-death repercussions of this action as it probably seems to be a trivial matter.
"Seeing people grab a rabbit's ears and carelessly pulling them up when they want to carry it is a common occurrence. This action can hurt the animal because many nerves run through its ears, thus making them become a most-vulnerable part.
"The safest way to handle a rabbit is to gently grasp its fur around the upper neck with one hand and support its buttocks with the other hand," suggested Ms Tananya.
According to the rabbit enthusiast, bunny owners must pay much attention to their pets' well being, including their reproduction process, their living quarters, their food and the diseases they are liable to be afflicted with as all these factors play a vital role in keeping the bunnies happy and healthy throughout their life, which is about a decade.
"Like humans, rabbits also want to be comfortable, whether physically or mentally. So, it's our responsibility to provide our pets with all the life-supporting amenities that they need as their survival and safety lie in our careful hands and caring heart," advised Ms Tananya.
By nature, a rabbit's reproductive period occurs every 16 days. Consequently, it's necessary to control the bunny population by neutering the females if the rabbit owner is not in the business of breeding rabbits for commercial purposes.
On average, pregnancy lasts about one month, and one litter consists of one to 10 leverets. But the mother rabbit has only eight breasts to feed her babies, so rabbit keepers have to help the mother take care of her offspring.
Following delivery, the mother should be kept with her babies, while the father is moved to another cage because he can distract the female. Under these circumstances, the loving mother may feel tense, turn aggressive and attack her litter.
"For the safety of all the leverets, two cages are needed so as to keep the male away from the female. By nature, the male doesn't help the female raise their children. On top of that, he will also try to mate with the female all the time," she explained.
During this period, the rabbit owner should cover the mother rabbit's cage with cloth or cardboard to shield her from any disturbing noise or sight.
"Don't forget to line her cage with straw or grass to keep all leverets warm. Normally, it takes about 20 days for the young rabbits to become healthy and strong. The mother is very possessive of her children," said the rabbit admirer.
The most desirable and safest cage has a fine-mesh floor to prevent the rabbit's legs from getting struck in the gaps. Line the floor with grass so the creature can sleep happily and comfortably.
"The cage must be kept clean all the time because the rabbit is also vulnerable to poor hygiene. Owners who have a big garden should allow the rabbits to exercise regularly and play in the natural environment," she said.
Food should be available in the cage all the time because the rabbit is a nocturnal animal, and so it likes to come out to forage for food at night. As for drinking water, it should be put in a commercially manufactured bottle specially designed for rabbits.
"The food must be nutritious, and the water clean. They must be changed daily as germs can accumulate in the feeding bowl and the bottle. Preferably, these containers should also be washed and cleaned daily," she said.
Generally, a rabbit's food can be divided into three main categories - rough, concentrated, and commercial.
Rough food provides high levels of fibre and normally comes from grass stalks and blades. Rabbits of different ages need different kinds of grass. Dried grass is suitable for very young rabbits. Rabbits aged one to four months enjoy eating alfalfa, while grown-ups are normally fed on pangola grass.
"The grass must be free of chemicals. Any grass that is green and yellow in colour is harmful to the animals because it contains pesticides. Apart from grass, their favourite menu includes fresh fruit and vegetables," she said.
Commercial food consists of both concentrated and rough components, and it is rich in calories and protein. It helps the animals to grow rapidly and to stay productive.
When it comes to disease, rabbits can be affected by many ailments, and the most common are ear and skin diseases, colds and diarrhoea.
When a rabbit shakes its head or scratches its ears more frequently than usual, something wrong has happened to its ears, and urgent attention is needed as their ears are now home to mites. If the ears are smelly and ooze pus, the animals are infected with bacteria. Clean their ears, their cage and all the equipment connected with their care regularly and constantly to prevent ear problems.
Mites can also be found on skin. If they are present, they cause hair loss and skin crust. The best treatment is to apply sulphur ointment on the infected areas.
Rabbits often catch cold, which results in sneezing and breathing difficulties. Their front legs will become wet because they tend to use their front legs to wipe their face to get rid of the nasal mucus. As a result, the virus can be spread easily and quickly and contaminate their food and/or water. If such a situation arises, the pet owner should take the sick animal to see a vet immediately.
Rabbits can suffer from diarrhoea when they eat food that has become rotten as a result of having been left in the cage for several days. They will become dehydrated, so the rabbit owner should give them an oral rehydration solution before taking them to a vet.
"Rabbits owners must keep a close watch over their bunnies all the time so that they can become aware of any abnormalities in the shortest time possible. We have to take good care of them constantly and wholeheartedly as their lives are just as precious as ours," Ms Tananya said.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
RABBIT RAISING
When it comes to choosing rabbits to keep as pets,many bunny lovers often reach an impasse as they have no idea of how to pick the right breed that best suits their lifestyle and personal tastes. Their predicament is aggravated by the wide range of adorable bunnies that have made their way to the Kingdom.
Like dogs and cats, rabbits have become popular household pets due to the availability of many species and because they are easy to look after and care for. In addition to these two factors, these fluffy friends make a long-lasting, positive impression wherever they are, just as other traditional pets do.
Rabbit breeder Sumanthip Vachiravarakan said that about 45 breeds of bunnies have been recognised by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (Arba).
Many of these are bred in Thailand, and most of them have no problem winning the hearts of rabbit enthusiasts quickly due to their cute looks and personalities.
"At present, a rabbit is as popular as a dog or cat mainly because it requires very little space and is easy to take care of. Besides, the rabbit is a sociable animal, and can develop an attachment to humans in a short time," added the rabbit lover.
Of the 45 certified breeds, the most-popular categories that receive a warm welcome from bunny devotees in Thailand include the Giant Angora, Jersey Wooly, French Lop, Holland Lop, English Lop, Giant Chinchilla, Flemish Giant, Harlequin, Mini Satin, Mini Rex and Netherland Dwarf.
According to Mr Sumanthip, foreign bunnies are categorised into four main sizes: Small, middle, large and giant.
To help potential owners make up their minds when faced with a choice, here are a few of the external features of the well-known domesticated breeds.
SMALL-SIZED BREEDS
(WEIGHT ABOUT 0.9 TO 2.7KG)
The Jersey Wool is the smallest longhaired strain with fluffy fur. Its undercoat is curly and covered with guard fur that is about three inches long. It weighs less than 1.6kg. Its coat comes in various tones.A lighter-coloured coat can be found in the areas of the head, ears and feet. Its hairy ears are small and straight.
The Mini Satin is comparatively small,hitting the scales at between 0.7 and 1kg.It comes in several colours including bluish grey, black, chocolate and lilac. With its long front legs, the Mini Satin likes sitting up straight rather than crouching on the floor.
The Holland Lop is the smallest droppedear rabbit and has a weight of about 1.2kg.Its fur is usually multi-toned. Muscular and having a beautiful body structure,the Holland Lop is very popular in Thailand.
The Mini Lop has strong muscles and a compact size. Its fur is thick, smooth and glossy. It has wide shoulders and thick buttocks. Located on the highest part of the head, its ears are folded down and flank its cheeks.
The Mini Rex has a proportionate,compact and tapered structure. Its thick fur is straight yet flexible. The desired coat thickness should be about 1.6cm. In close proximity to each other, the two ears are straight and upright. The fur of
the Mini Lop comes in different colours.
The Netherland Dwarf is termed a dwarf due to its compact body and short yet straight ears. Though small, the Netherland Dwarf is somewhat fluffy. It is one of the most-popular breeds owing to its cuteness and smallness.
MIDDLE-SIZED BREEDS
(WEIGHT ABOUT 2.7 TO 4.1KG)
The English Angora weighs between 2.3 and 3.2kg. With its long, thick and silky fur that makes it look much like a fluffy ball, its body is short and its chest solid.Its shoulders are well balanced with its hips.
The French Angora is bigger than the English Angora and weighs about 3.4 to 4.8kg. Its shoulders are narrower than its hips, making it more slender. Its head is oval and proportionate with its body. Its fur has darker tones than that of the English breed.
The Harlequin has V-shaped ears. What also make it remarkable are the beautiful markings along its body. Normally, its face is white on one side and bluish grey on the other. Its back, body and legs bear white and bluish-grey stripes, too.
The Satin Angora has the silkiest and most beautiful coat compared with other Angora breeds, hence its name. The Satin has a tapered body and an oval and proportionate head. It weighs about 3 to 4.3kg.
LARGE-SIZED BREEDS
(WEIGHT ABOUT 4.1 TO 5KG)
The English Lop has the longest dropped ears, which make it look lovely and striking.Normally, its ears, about 21 inches long or longer, flank its head in an outward stretching fashion. Both the male and the female have wattles. This breed has a well-structured shoulder, stomach part and rear legs.
The Giant Angora is the biggest longhaired breed. Its weight varies from about 3 to 5kg. This breed has a three-layered coat. The inner coat is smooth and soft.The guard hair is hard and straight. The downy hair between the guard hair and the inner coat is rough and curly.
The Satin has comparatively transparent fur, making it more noticeable and magnificent. A preferable coat thickness is about 2.5 to 2.9cm-long. Its hairy ears are straight. The Satin has a mediumlength body and a highly-curved back.
The American Chinchilla has a silky and gleaming coat. The ideal coat thickness is about 1.25 inches. It has a round body, a chubby face and chin and big round eyes.The tone of its eyebrows is pearl while the tip of its tail is black.
GIANT-SIZED BREEDS
(WEIGHT MORE THAN 5KG)
The French Lop is the biggest droppedear bunny with a muscular body. Its hips are longer and thicker than the shoulders.Only the female bunny has wattle under its chin. Its head is broad and strong. It weighs about 5kg or more. Its colours are varied.
The Giant Chinchilla is categorised in the group of giant rabbits in view of its weight of about 7.3kg. This breed has a robust and muscular structure. It also has a long body with round buttocks. Its back is highly curved.
The Flemish Giant has a big and long body but it is very proportionate. Straight ears make the breed conspicuous. Their length is about 6 inches long, or longer.The female has a very large wattle.
Next week's Pet Page will feature a story on how to carefully select a rabbit from among the many breeds available and take proper care of it.
Like dogs and cats, rabbits have become popular household pets due to the availability of many species and because they are easy to look after and care for. In addition to these two factors, these fluffy friends make a long-lasting, positive impression wherever they are, just as other traditional pets do.
Rabbit breeder Sumanthip Vachiravarakan said that about 45 breeds of bunnies have been recognised by the American Rabbit Breeders Association (Arba).
Many of these are bred in Thailand, and most of them have no problem winning the hearts of rabbit enthusiasts quickly due to their cute looks and personalities.
"At present, a rabbit is as popular as a dog or cat mainly because it requires very little space and is easy to take care of. Besides, the rabbit is a sociable animal, and can develop an attachment to humans in a short time," added the rabbit lover.
Of the 45 certified breeds, the most-popular categories that receive a warm welcome from bunny devotees in Thailand include the Giant Angora, Jersey Wooly, French Lop, Holland Lop, English Lop, Giant Chinchilla, Flemish Giant, Harlequin, Mini Satin, Mini Rex and Netherland Dwarf.
According to Mr Sumanthip, foreign bunnies are categorised into four main sizes: Small, middle, large and giant.
To help potential owners make up their minds when faced with a choice, here are a few of the external features of the well-known domesticated breeds.
SMALL-SIZED BREEDS
(WEIGHT ABOUT 0.9 TO 2.7KG)
The Jersey Wool is the smallest longhaired strain with fluffy fur. Its undercoat is curly and covered with guard fur that is about three inches long. It weighs less than 1.6kg. Its coat comes in various tones.A lighter-coloured coat can be found in the areas of the head, ears and feet. Its hairy ears are small and straight.
The Mini Satin is comparatively small,hitting the scales at between 0.7 and 1kg.It comes in several colours including bluish grey, black, chocolate and lilac. With its long front legs, the Mini Satin likes sitting up straight rather than crouching on the floor.
The Holland Lop is the smallest droppedear rabbit and has a weight of about 1.2kg.Its fur is usually multi-toned. Muscular and having a beautiful body structure,the Holland Lop is very popular in Thailand.
The Mini Lop has strong muscles and a compact size. Its fur is thick, smooth and glossy. It has wide shoulders and thick buttocks. Located on the highest part of the head, its ears are folded down and flank its cheeks.
The Mini Rex has a proportionate,compact and tapered structure. Its thick fur is straight yet flexible. The desired coat thickness should be about 1.6cm. In close proximity to each other, the two ears are straight and upright. The fur of
the Mini Lop comes in different colours.
The Netherland Dwarf is termed a dwarf due to its compact body and short yet straight ears. Though small, the Netherland Dwarf is somewhat fluffy. It is one of the most-popular breeds owing to its cuteness and smallness.
MIDDLE-SIZED BREEDS
(WEIGHT ABOUT 2.7 TO 4.1KG)
The English Angora weighs between 2.3 and 3.2kg. With its long, thick and silky fur that makes it look much like a fluffy ball, its body is short and its chest solid.Its shoulders are well balanced with its hips.
The French Angora is bigger than the English Angora and weighs about 3.4 to 4.8kg. Its shoulders are narrower than its hips, making it more slender. Its head is oval and proportionate with its body. Its fur has darker tones than that of the English breed.
The Harlequin has V-shaped ears. What also make it remarkable are the beautiful markings along its body. Normally, its face is white on one side and bluish grey on the other. Its back, body and legs bear white and bluish-grey stripes, too.
The Satin Angora has the silkiest and most beautiful coat compared with other Angora breeds, hence its name. The Satin has a tapered body and an oval and proportionate head. It weighs about 3 to 4.3kg.
LARGE-SIZED BREEDS
(WEIGHT ABOUT 4.1 TO 5KG)
The English Lop has the longest dropped ears, which make it look lovely and striking.Normally, its ears, about 21 inches long or longer, flank its head in an outward stretching fashion. Both the male and the female have wattles. This breed has a well-structured shoulder, stomach part and rear legs.
The Giant Angora is the biggest longhaired breed. Its weight varies from about 3 to 5kg. This breed has a three-layered coat. The inner coat is smooth and soft.The guard hair is hard and straight. The downy hair between the guard hair and the inner coat is rough and curly.
The Satin has comparatively transparent fur, making it more noticeable and magnificent. A preferable coat thickness is about 2.5 to 2.9cm-long. Its hairy ears are straight. The Satin has a mediumlength body and a highly-curved back.
The American Chinchilla has a silky and gleaming coat. The ideal coat thickness is about 1.25 inches. It has a round body, a chubby face and chin and big round eyes.The tone of its eyebrows is pearl while the tip of its tail is black.
GIANT-SIZED BREEDS
(WEIGHT MORE THAN 5KG)
The French Lop is the biggest droppedear bunny with a muscular body. Its hips are longer and thicker than the shoulders.Only the female bunny has wattle under its chin. Its head is broad and strong. It weighs about 5kg or more. Its colours are varied.
The Giant Chinchilla is categorised in the group of giant rabbits in view of its weight of about 7.3kg. This breed has a robust and muscular structure. It also has a long body with round buttocks. Its back is highly curved.
The Flemish Giant has a big and long body but it is very proportionate. Straight ears make the breed conspicuous. Their length is about 6 inches long, or longer.The female has a very large wattle.
Next week's Pet Page will feature a story on how to carefully select a rabbit from among the many breeds available and take proper care of it.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Pooch master painter
In her Brooklyn studio the artist stretches, gazes passionately - then plunges her teeth through the canvas.So begins another masterpiece by Tillamook Cheddar, or Tillie, a Jack Russell terrier some see as rivalling the big beasts of the two-legged contemporary art world.
Switching from teeth to claws, Tillie scratches intensely at the paper, covered with vellum lathered in scarlet paint,and protected by Mylar film.
Occasionally she pauses to examine her work. Her body trembles with excitement, eyes shine, tongue lolls. Then with a growl and a bark she's off again,tearing, scratching, licking.
Sometimes frenzied, sometimes in a trance, she appears oblivious to an entourage of six humans, including a sculptor and painter, and two dogs.
After about 20 minutes, owner Bowman Hastie, who describes himself as the artist's assistant, snatches the work to safety.
The Mylar and vellum sheets are removed, revealing an unequal storm of red lines raging across the canvas.
The visiting artists, who've never seen Tillie in action, are awestruck.
"She seemed possessed. It was scary,"gasps Juan Doe, a painter and comic book illustrator."The piece," he says,surveying the still wet paper,"is awesome. It looks like two human lungs,"an astonished Ward Yoshimoto, who sculpts and works as a commercial photographer, exclaims.
The 10-year-old pooch, named after Hastie's favourite childhood cheese, has built a career that New York's army of struggling artists could only dream of matching.
She has collaborated with major established artists including Tom Sachs and Jon Kessler of the US.
Her paintings, which sell for more than $1,000(34,000 baht), just had a
solo show in Florida and are now part of an animal art exhibition in Ottawa. In October, Yoshimoto and Doe are including her alongside human painters when a gallery they run shows at a Paris art fair.
But is Tillie an artist? Or does she just enjoy savaging paint-covered paper?
Not everyone thinks the canny canine should swap her kennel for an atelier.New York's Village Voice newspaper pithily labelled Tillie "a sham".
Fans point out that Tillie's work strongly resembles the output of human conceptualists selling canvasses for a million dollars, or far more, at major auctions.
Her works have been likened to those of abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock and the surrealist school of automatic drawing in which experimental artists tried to express their subconscious.
Hastie,40, is not an artist and says he stumbled across Tillie's mania for scratch-painting when she was a puppy and began tearing at a yellow legal pad.
As Tillie rose to become top dog in the growing world of animal art - which includes painter elephants, chimpanzees and turtles - Hastie realised something special was happening.
Renowned Belgian artist Wim Delvoye told him Tillie compared favourably to Cy Twombly from the US, a favourite at Sotheby's and Christies auctions.
"It's like Twombly", Hastie recalls Delvoye saying when he saw his first Tillie,"only it's better than Twombly!"
What's clear is that the white-bodied terrier enjoys art, while most other dogs,including her own six puppies, do not.
Doe,36, said Tillie's intense concentration closely resembled "the dreamlike state" artists aspire to when diving into imaginative worlds.
"I'm almost jealous. I have to work so hard to prepare everything in life to get where I can concentrate like that," Doe said."She is so intense."
Yoshimoto,49, said Tillie was more focused than half the students he saw while studying art at Brooklyn College.
Her paintings, he said, are consistently interesting."I'd say you'd put them up anywhere and no one would ever say a thing, not in any museum in the world."
Hastie, an editor and writer, said Tillie's ability often made human art aficionados uncomfortable, perhaps because her work does so closely resemble the more rambling efforts of expensive artists.
"Some suspect that this is a ploy on my part to subvert the art world," he said.
"People don't buy a painting based on what it looks like. They want to have something by a genius and no one wants to say a dog is a genius."
Tillie's own views remain a mystery.She took time to calm down after the ecstasy of the painting process. Her body still shook as Hastie fed her a morsel of chicken.
Then, while the humans debated her level of genius, she settled onto a sofa,burying her nose into a ragged soft toy.
There she lay, immobile, staring into space. Perhaps thinking of great things to come. Perhaps not.
Switching from teeth to claws, Tillie scratches intensely at the paper, covered with vellum lathered in scarlet paint,and protected by Mylar film.
Occasionally she pauses to examine her work. Her body trembles with excitement, eyes shine, tongue lolls. Then with a growl and a bark she's off again,tearing, scratching, licking.
Sometimes frenzied, sometimes in a trance, she appears oblivious to an entourage of six humans, including a sculptor and painter, and two dogs.
After about 20 minutes, owner Bowman Hastie, who describes himself as the artist's assistant, snatches the work to safety.
The Mylar and vellum sheets are removed, revealing an unequal storm of red lines raging across the canvas.
The visiting artists, who've never seen Tillie in action, are awestruck.
"She seemed possessed. It was scary,"gasps Juan Doe, a painter and comic book illustrator."The piece," he says,surveying the still wet paper,"is awesome. It looks like two human lungs,"an astonished Ward Yoshimoto, who sculpts and works as a commercial photographer, exclaims.
The 10-year-old pooch, named after Hastie's favourite childhood cheese, has built a career that New York's army of struggling artists could only dream of matching.
She has collaborated with major established artists including Tom Sachs and Jon Kessler of the US.
Her paintings, which sell for more than $1,000(34,000 baht), just had a
solo show in Florida and are now part of an animal art exhibition in Ottawa. In October, Yoshimoto and Doe are including her alongside human painters when a gallery they run shows at a Paris art fair.
But is Tillie an artist? Or does she just enjoy savaging paint-covered paper?
Not everyone thinks the canny canine should swap her kennel for an atelier.New York's Village Voice newspaper pithily labelled Tillie "a sham".
Fans point out that Tillie's work strongly resembles the output of human conceptualists selling canvasses for a million dollars, or far more, at major auctions.
Her works have been likened to those of abstract expressionists such as Jackson Pollock and the surrealist school of automatic drawing in which experimental artists tried to express their subconscious.
Hastie,40, is not an artist and says he stumbled across Tillie's mania for scratch-painting when she was a puppy and began tearing at a yellow legal pad.
As Tillie rose to become top dog in the growing world of animal art - which includes painter elephants, chimpanzees and turtles - Hastie realised something special was happening.
Renowned Belgian artist Wim Delvoye told him Tillie compared favourably to Cy Twombly from the US, a favourite at Sotheby's and Christies auctions.
"It's like Twombly", Hastie recalls Delvoye saying when he saw his first Tillie,"only it's better than Twombly!"
What's clear is that the white-bodied terrier enjoys art, while most other dogs,including her own six puppies, do not.
Doe,36, said Tillie's intense concentration closely resembled "the dreamlike state" artists aspire to when diving into imaginative worlds.
"I'm almost jealous. I have to work so hard to prepare everything in life to get where I can concentrate like that," Doe said."She is so intense."
Yoshimoto,49, said Tillie was more focused than half the students he saw while studying art at Brooklyn College.
Her paintings, he said, are consistently interesting."I'd say you'd put them up anywhere and no one would ever say a thing, not in any museum in the world."
Hastie, an editor and writer, said Tillie's ability often made human art aficionados uncomfortable, perhaps because her work does so closely resemble the more rambling efforts of expensive artists.
"Some suspect that this is a ploy on my part to subvert the art world," he said.
"People don't buy a painting based on what it looks like. They want to have something by a genius and no one wants to say a dog is a genius."
Tillie's own views remain a mystery.She took time to calm down after the ecstasy of the painting process. Her body still shook as Hastie fed her a morsel of chicken.
Then, while the humans debated her level of genius, she settled onto a sofa,burying her nose into a ragged soft toy.
There she lay, immobile, staring into space. Perhaps thinking of great things to come. Perhaps not.
Opening old wounds
Senators clash over new regulations to permit cockfighting on Saturdays and weekdays
A Senate committee yesterday |criticised a new Interior Ministry policy that permits cockfighting on more weekdays and every Saturday in addition to every Sunday, saying it encouraged animal cruelty and gambling.
Animal cruelty, gambling
Truengjai Booranasomphob, head of the panel on religion, ethics, arts and culture, said the cockfighting policy would create greater public obsession with gambling. "The ministry should have sought input from animal rights activists to prevent issuing such a one-sided policy to permit the blood sport," she added.
Former senator Wallop Tangkhana-nurak, however, said gambling on blood sports was no longer a problem among teenagers, who had turned their attention to illegal betting on football, leaving cockfighting to the older generation.
"Fewer and fewer people are interested in cockfighting or horseracing. I think the increase in the number of days permitted for cockfighting will not affect youth," he added.
Wallop said he was more worried about children's boxing, which he compared to cockfighting's status as a cultural phenomenon rather than a profit-driven practice. He said rules concerning age limits, health and welfare of child boxers would need to be altered to prevent children being exploited or endangered physically and mentally.
Possible tax windfall
Senator Warin Thiamjaras was of a different opinion, saying that though the policy might increase gambling, legitimate cockfighting events would generate more revenue at both national and local levels. "Tax income could be increased by issuing a regulation that all betting be done through den operators rather than owners of the gamecocks," he proposed.
Issued on August 6 after Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul visited an event promoting cockfighting, the new policy came into effect on Monday and permits cockfighting every Saturday in addition to every Sunday, and on national holidays which have no religious or royal significance.
Unlike previous rules, which allowed open-ended fights to the death, the new rules stipulate that fights must last no longer than eight 20-minute "rounds" with a 20-minute break bet-ween each. Fish fights are also allowed in cockfighting dens, which can |operate a number of rings as per the approval of local authorities on a case-by-case basis.
A Senate committee yesterday |criticised a new Interior Ministry policy that permits cockfighting on more weekdays and every Saturday in addition to every Sunday, saying it encouraged animal cruelty and gambling.
Animal cruelty, gambling
Truengjai Booranasomphob, head of the panel on religion, ethics, arts and culture, said the cockfighting policy would create greater public obsession with gambling. "The ministry should have sought input from animal rights activists to prevent issuing such a one-sided policy to permit the blood sport," she added.
Former senator Wallop Tangkhana-nurak, however, said gambling on blood sports was no longer a problem among teenagers, who had turned their attention to illegal betting on football, leaving cockfighting to the older generation.
"Fewer and fewer people are interested in cockfighting or horseracing. I think the increase in the number of days permitted for cockfighting will not affect youth," he added.
Wallop said he was more worried about children's boxing, which he compared to cockfighting's status as a cultural phenomenon rather than a profit-driven practice. He said rules concerning age limits, health and welfare of child boxers would need to be altered to prevent children being exploited or endangered physically and mentally.
Possible tax windfall
Senator Warin Thiamjaras was of a different opinion, saying that though the policy might increase gambling, legitimate cockfighting events would generate more revenue at both national and local levels. "Tax income could be increased by issuing a regulation that all betting be done through den operators rather than owners of the gamecocks," he proposed.
Issued on August 6 after Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul visited an event promoting cockfighting, the new policy came into effect on Monday and permits cockfighting every Saturday in addition to every Sunday, and on national holidays which have no religious or royal significance.
Unlike previous rules, which allowed open-ended fights to the death, the new rules stipulate that fights must last no longer than eight 20-minute "rounds" with a 20-minute break bet-ween each. Fish fights are also allowed in cockfighting dens, which can |operate a number of rings as per the approval of local authorities on a case-by-case basis.
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