Monday, February 1, 2010

There are several obits...

...in the Times today, including Tom Brookshier, the famous NFL broadcaster, who was born in Roswell, N. M., and Jerilyn Ross, who is billed as an "Advocate for the Anxious" (wouldn't that include just about all of us?). But the one that really caught my eye was Stephen Huneck, who was an "Artist of Dogs."

Much of Mr. Huneck’s artwork centered on dogs, from life-size sculptures and woodcut prints to inexpensive items like clothing and mouse pads.

[Mr.] Huneck [was] an internationally known artist, woodcarver and furniture maker whose most famous work was the Dog Chapel, a hand-built church in Vermont to which dogs and their owners can go for quiet reflection and spiritual renewal.

Mr. Huneck...began building [his masterwork] in 1997. It sits on Dog Mountain, a vast park-like space he and his wife owned near St. Johnsbury. Dog Mountain, which is open to the public at no charge, includes a gallery, hiking trails and an agility course for dogs.

Small, modest and white, the chapel resembles a 19th-century New England church from the outside, apart from the steeple topped by a winged Labrador. A sign proclaims: “Welcome: All Creeds, All Breeds. No Dogmas Allowed.”

Inside, the four pews, handmade by Mr. Huneck, are supported by carved wooden dogs. Stained-glass windows depict dogs in various poses. The walls are almost entirely covered with handwritten notes to departed pets, placed there by grieving visitors.

This guy was into dogs! I wonder if Huneck was the inspiration for all those dogs-playing-poker pictures?

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