Shelties have beautiful, lush coats that come in a variety of colors. This painting is of a Sable Sheltie, and sable itself has lots of variations. A sable Shetland Sheepdog can be red-gold, pale blond, a warm sandy brown or a dark, rich mahogany, all with a snowy ruff and the darker ones usually have lighter blond on their faces and legs. We've had several Sable Shelties over the years, and each one has been different in color.
Shelties are herding dogs, and as such, they have an instinct to act as gentle guardians of their "flock", whatever that flock may be comprised of (from sheep to humans). We have found that some of ours have had a more pronounced sense of guardianship than others. Piper was one of them. He always felt he knew best, and the really irritating thing was, that he was often right! I've based this painting, "GUARDIAN" on his sense of confidence and assurance. He was a wonderful, faithful, and reliable dog and we miss him every day. His wonderful memory lives on in our present Shelties.
"GUARDIAN", an 11 x 14 watercolor on Arches 300 hot press. Original available ~ $625. Small prints ($38) and note cards ($14 for 6) also available.
Heather Anderson
www.heatheranderson-animalart.com
anderson.animalart@sympatico.ca
