o'cockaigne

In 1991, Simon and I got the chance to make a “Scotland trip”. Our hounds could stay with Cis and Richard Hawkins so we could leave with peace of mind. On Friday 20 September we left and on 5 October we were back again. When we were on the return trip on the night ferry from Felixstowe to Zeebrugge, we met an “artist” who was to draw portraits of children and moments later of Simon, too.

We asked if he could also make a portrait of our Argyll on the basis of a photograph. He wanted to do that and, in almost no light and after drinking the necessary beers, he started. In the meantime we had gone to sleep and the next morning we would receive the portrait in a little bar ashore.

And sure enough, Christian had done his best and handed us the chalk drawing of Argyll. Because of the scarce light, Argyll’s Tong was a bit too red and therefore it hangs with us on a somewhat darker spot, then it is not like that.

But we are very happy with this and because of this very chance encounter we have a unique memory of our Argyll Bryan from the Market Garden.

It was August 1999, during the show in Donaueschingen, that Simon pointed out to me that at a booth there was a nice framed drawing of four Deerhoundheads (size 40 x 30 cm.). Of course I went to look at it but soon the tears welled up in my eyes when I saw that it were my own Deerhounds. Three of the four were already deceased and a very sick Cinéad was still with us. We have had to let her sleep a little month later.

I have asked if I could have the original but unfortunately, I had to do it with this copy. Yet he is very dear to me.

In the meantime the whole Deerhoundworld has the print with the four Deerhoundheads. However, most people do not know which Deerhounds they are.

From left to right; Cardhu O’Cockaigne (son of Lennon and Prudence), Lousy Lennon vom Welzerberg, Cinéad O’Cockaigne (daughter of Lennon and Prudence) and Naughty Prudence of Dirty Mind.

Information about this foursome can be found under “our Deerhounds”.

The drawing was drawn by Gabriele Laubinger (Germany) on the basis of a photograph taken on the estate Nienoord at Leek (NL) by a photographer, Ton Niessing, of a animal magazine that was interested in sighthounds and was therefore present during a coursing there. He was very impressed by my group Deerhounds and wanted to take some pictures of it. He then shot a whole series of which I got the one below.

I think the photo was taken in May 1996. The funny thing is that as text is on it ‘Vizla puppies’. A sloppy mistake from the editors.

As a little girl I was already sitting in the clay with my hands. Once a week I went to “clays” and made all sorts of critters there. Around ‘ 85 I picked up this hobby again, but then only made Deerhoundfiguren. Later This is extended to all the greyhounds and occasionally, to order, another breed.

When we moved to Rijsbergen in 1992, I made a little more of it and also went to a “Clay club”. Here they had a bigger oven and I learned to know other glazes. Regularly we got certain assignments but soon the course leaders became clear that that wasn’t my thing, I just wanted to create greyhounds.

Here I have made a ceramic Cinéadje on the basis of this photograph of Cinéad O’Cockaigne.

This image is about 30 x 40 inches.

After Cinéad’s death, this image is going to mean a lot to me, it gives the feeling that Cinéad is still a bit with us.

At the end of June 2003 people came for a puppy. After several visits, they took a self-painted painting with me. I looked at it and asked what photo she had painted. That didn’t know her anymore, she probably had it from an old Deerhound club magazine but I clearly recognized certain traits of the racing Deerhound. This had to be Argyll.

After a search through my pictures I came across this one. He was taken in 1989, I think looked like. The photograph was once published in the Deerhound Club magazine and I think that she used this and other pictures to make the painting.

The painting has a dimension of 50 x 60 centimeters.

On September 2, 2011, Calhoun won the BOB during the CAC evening show in Leeuwarden. As a prize he would receive a digital work of art, which would be made by means of a photograph of his own. I submitted two pictures so that the artist, Mr. Chris Roele, had the choice.

This kopstudie of Calhoun is made the day before Crufts 2010 at Betina Adams in the apple orchard.

He has been incorporated into this work of art.

And on the basis of this photograph, the digital Kunstewerk has been created.

The prints have a size of 27.5 cm by 42 cm.