Artist Stephen Kline: Thank you So Much

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Thank you So Much

Hi Stephen,
Just wanted to Thank you for the Fabulous English Setter Portrait. It was a present for my brothers birthday in June. I just couldn't wait until then to give it to him. He came with his daughter for a visit so it was a great time to present him with it. I saved the best for last and like I said on our phone conversation that he probably would cry when he saw it. He was speechless and in awe and then the tears came. It reminded me of Christmas and being a kid and you get the gift you were wishing for all year. Then he noticed his dog's name he couldn't believe it. I don't think I will ever top this gift. Thank you so much again. Your Talent makes so many people happy.

Happy Sister Helena

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HELP FOR YOUR RESCUE

All dogs shown are from online rescues.
While reasons range from the tragic to the frivolous, millions of dogs are given up each year by their owners. Not all of them are lucky enough to go directly to new owners or shelters. Fortunately, many compassionate, tireless people volunteer their time and effort through dog rescues to save the lives of as many as possible and to provide shelter, food and medical care for those in need. Because I believe every dog deserves a loving, responsible, permanent home, I'm pleased to make the following offer which, in the past, has generated tens of thousands of dollars for dog rescues worldwide.

RESCUE OFFER
I'm offering any of my 115 dog lithographs for your next rescue's fundraiser or auction. Buy a lithograph of your choice offered through my online gallery and receive an additional print for the rescue of your choice at no additional charge.
Just indicate the rescue and additional breed when placing your order.
Go to:
drawdogs.com
Questions? E-mail me at:
klineneil@aol.com

The $98,000 Bulldog by Kris Kline

"I think I found it," my dad shouted as he burst through the door of his elegant Florida waterfront home, shadowed by my mother, Evelyn.

I turned from the kitchen sink where I was concocting my renowned key lime martinis - shaken, not stirred.

My smile of expectation collapsed when I saw my mom's expression of disbelief. My 70-year-old father, Clarence, clutched the real estate section of the Tampa Tribune in his suntanned hands.

For as long as I could remember, he had been talking about relocating to a ranch in Alabama, but so far no one had taken him seriously. As he held the classified section toward me, I noticed a hastily drawn line circling one of the ads.

"What's this?" I asked, looking down at the paper.

"It's a nightmare," my mother informed me. "Your father has finally gone over the edge."

My eyes quickly scanned the ad. It read: "Alabama/4-year-old bulldog, $98,000, with extras including modern brick home on 48 acres."

For once I was tempted to agree with my mother, but I kept my mouth shut. I poured the chilled creation equally into each sugar-rimmed glass. Following our weekend ritual, we toasted each other and took a sip.

"Perfect, as always," my mother beamed. "Not really on my diet, but that's the beauty of being our age."

"Shall we adjourn to the lanai?" I offered, leading the way through the dining room and out onto the screened porch that wrapped around the back of the house overlooking the Manatee River at one of its widest points. The view rivaled any and never failed to elicit gasps of awe from anyone seeing it for the first time.

"Dad," I said, skeptically, looking over the rim of my glass directly into his intense blue eyes. "I don't want to take sides, but look around. Are you sure you want to trade all this in on an acreage in the boondocks of Alabama?"

"Of course not," he said, as though I had lost my mind. I could feel my mother relaxing for the first time since they had walked in the door. "I want to trade it in for a bulldog."

With those words our lives would change forever. Within two months I had purchased their home and moved my art studio down from New York, packed the folks off to Alabama, and was well on my way to losing my position in the family as Mom's favorite child. I was being replaced by a mangy, independent, bullheaded canine named Bulldog.

My loss of title wasn't immediate. In fact, it took a while before Mom would even let Bulldog into the mud room from the garage. His previous owners had kept him as an outdoor dog without manners or decorum. As time went on, it became apparent to me and everyone else that the furry interloper was moving in, and Mom no longer liked me best. Bulldog ruled. He was allowed to do all the stuff I'd wanted to do when I lived at home.

He got to go outside whenever he wanted to. Mom always took him with her when she ran errands. She gave him ice cream any time of the day and night. He never got yelled at for being cross with strangers, and worst of all, Dad and I no longer got first dibs on the restaurant doggy bags. Mom spoiled that big, burly pet unabashedly and defended him steadfastly when others dared make derogatory remarks about him or his vicious-sounding growl.

They were inseparable, and then one sunny fall day Mom died unexpectedly. It had been just two weeks before that I had come up from Florida for a long weekend. We had all picked turnips in the field together. Now, sadly, she was gone.

I came back up for the funeral and stayed on as long as I could, but eventually I had to return to my studio and my work. As I pulled the car out onto the highway headed south, I glanced into the rearview mirror. There, standing in silhouette against a backdrop of open sky and sweeping land, stood a man and his dog. Suddenly I was filled with the knowledge that together they would help each other through their shared loss, and I knew that $98,000 for Bulldog had been a bargain.

As the weeks passed, I felt a need to write a tribute to him, but I am no wordsmith. I am an artist, and so I wrote his name over and over until his image emerged from the canvas. Now, every time I create a new drawing of a dog, I think of Bulldog, and I am reminded that Mom liked him best.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kris Kline is on the editorial staff of FHCN, and Stephen Kline is an artist whose dog lithographs have generated tens of thousands of dollars for dog rescues in the US and around the world.

Estados Unidos/United States.

Estados Unidos/United States.
Seductive and controversial, Estados Unidos/United States pulsates with passion, intrigue and political ambition as financial titans clash over US-Mexican immigration policies. Skillfully interweaving historical fact with events and characters of their own invention, Klines' sweeping first novel probes the potential for an ambitious union between the United States and Mexico. Constructed by an actual US Senator, an act known as the Dow amendment prescribes proposed conditions outlining changes to US immigration laws. As the political, financial and emotionally charged ramifications of such a proposal unfold, they reveal a saga of betrayals, greed and impassioned hope. Estados Unidos/United States focuses on three formidable characters: the wealthy and influential Esteban Sanchez, his brilliant, captivating son, Carlos, and the woman Carlos loves, Janet Graham, whose goal is to reach high political office. While Esteban and Carlos work separately behind the scenes to implement border-cracking legislation for an ambitious union between the U.S. and Mexico, other forces come into play: "The moment had arrived. Time to begin the beguine. How the world would dance! Regrettable, even painful, the pilot lamented, the numbers that would be sacrificed. Yet as Spartacus and Bolivar, Joan of Arc and George Patton knew, only slaughter could galvanize a government, so slaughter it would be."

AVAILABLE AT AMAZON AND BARNES & NOBLE

Author Kris Kline is coauthor of the book For the Sake of the Children: How to Share Your Children with Your Ex-spouse In Spite of Your Anger. With a forward by Jane Nelsen, ED. D., co-author of Raising Self-reliant Children In a Self-indulgent World, this ground breaking book was recommended by Library Journal and endorsed by many experts in the field. Kris’s work has appeared in several magazines including Parenting, Woman's Day, Vogue, Family Circle, Stepfamily Magazine, and the Single Parent Magazine.

Artist Stephen Kline

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Thank you So Much

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The $10,000,000 License Plate

YouTUBE Movies

Blog Archive

See all the slide shows full size!

Facebook Badge

Visit these great doggie sites.

...more than just doggies.

Bayshore Rhapsody

Meet Gus

HELP FOR YOUR RESCUE

The $98,000 Bulldog by Kris Kline

Estados Unidos/United States.

BEST OF BREED AWARD Personalized Trophy

Artist Stephen Kline

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Thank you So Much

No comments:

The $10,000,000 License Plate

YouTUBE Movies

Blog Archive

See all the slide shows full size!

Facebook Badge

Visit these great doggie sites.

...more than just doggies.

http://stephenkline.blogspot.com

Bayshore Rhapsody

Meet Gus

HELP FOR YOUR RESCUE

The $98,000 Bulldog by Kris Kline

Estados Unidos/United States.

BEST OF BREED AWARD Personalized Trophy