Rod and I had been emailing back and forth as I went through the COVID-19 job change, my “mini-retirement” and me subsequently rejoining the workforce, then updating my job description to “remote worker”. I was working on a special project for another client, more of a passion project and enjoyed the connection with them when he emailed and gently reminded me of his offer. I suddenly realized that it would be nice to allow someone the same feeling of satisfaction of creating something for someone else.
Before the passing of our rascally dog Hoagie – a lab and blue tick hound mix that was hard-wired to escape, we rescued another dog: a formidable lab and Rotweiler mix. Despite the new dog’s size, Hoagie’s grumpy old man growl spoke volumes to Toby, who didn’t have to get told twice who the alpha-dog was.
I’d sent several pics of family members to Rod during the year, but none of them quite worked for him or his style. The picture of Toby hit the nail on the head, and Rod was off and scrimming. Below is the sequence he’d sent me, though he let the final reveal be when I opened the box:
It weighs 26.5 grams and measures 6cm wide x 8cm high.
It is a Beautiful clean piece of ivory.
This picture shows the Ivory polished and ready to scrim.
This pic shows the doggie picture attached to the ivory ready to have the outline cut out.
This picture shows the cute doggie outline cut and inked.
After not too long, a package arrived at our post office (we still don’t have a mailbox, just a PO box in the next town over. Since our closest neighbors are the bears and the foxes we really haven’t needed one, though it would have been nice to just shovel my way to the end of the driveway and pick this up!). Rod also carved the custom stand which is a piece of art in itself.
As I write this, Toby lays on the floor nearby, patiently waiting for me to finish so he can take me for a walk.
Thanks Rod, for creating a beautiful scrimshaw of my 110+ lb lap dog (at least – he thinks he’s a lap dog…).