Live on CNN!

OMG my CNN interview just went live! They'll be premiering it on CNN's International Connect the World at 4pm EST today.  I'm so stoked, thank you Adam Dunnakey for putting this together!

Go see it HERE.

Goodbye Old Friend

Guy 199?-2013
How do I even begin to write this... we've had the pleasure of Guy's company for 10 long years and he's made an immeasurable impression on our lives. We were told he was 6 or 7 when we adopted him in 2003.  There's so much to say and yet I'm at a loss for words.  Whenever he was around I always felt comfort, joy and love.

Today I'm sad to lose my best friend, but there's also an odd sense of serenity.  I know his suffering is over.  He left me with his joyful spirit and many happy memories.  A big "Thank You" to all my friends and Flickr friends for loving him as much.  Having been able to share his wonderful moments with you has made this experience immeasurable.  From the bottom of our hearts, "Thank you."

We left Guy with a bouquet of flowers from the yard and a lock of hair from each of us.  He will be cremated and I plan on making a "Guy" urn.


Knowing When:
We started to notice Guy's health and agility slowing down about 2 or 3 years ago, but the last 6-8 months is when it really started to spiral.  We knew from then on we might have to euthanize him at some point.  Slipping away quietly in the night was unlikely and we didn't want to prolong his suffering.  It wasn't a matter of what to do, but when to do it...  I think this is/was the toughest decision we had to make.

There are many resources out there to help you gauge a pet's "quality of life".
Lap of Love has a great PDF/worksheet and I also found THIS checklist very helpful.  I thought the worksheet was helpful but too simple so I also took daily logs for about 2-3 weeks.  These were a few things I tried to observe:
Did he have a good night sleep?
Did he throw up or have diarrhea?
Had he moaned or seemed like he was in pain and if so the duration.
When and how much he ate.
When and for how long he slept.

By the end good days were when he was able to sleep and eat.  It has been at least 3 months since I saw any signs of enjoyment like rolling around or rubbing his face on the furniture.  I also like to take a lot of pictures of Guy, a hobby of mine.  I went through my library of photos and noticed that I hadn't seen a picture of him smiling in months.  Most were pictures of him sleepy or looking droopy.  I think in the last 2 weeks he had 5 or 6 "good days" and about 4 or 5 "bad days", with a few "meh" days. We made the choice on Sunday to let him go today.


"Don't You Forget About Me" taken 9/3/12
We spent the entire day hanging out and I made him is favorite meal: fried steak.  He ate well and ate willingly.  He slept for most of the day with a calmness that I haven't seen in weeks.  There was no moaning or his usual signs of discomfort.  The sun was out and the sky was blue.  We'll always look back on how nice today was.

For those considering euthanasia, I would recommend a "home vet".  My good friend Kamala told me about this and it was the best advice I've gotten.  Guy went comfortably at home, on the couch in his usual spot.  He was not anxious or nervous, we held his paw until the very last moment.

If you're in the Seattle/nearby area we HIGHLY RECOMMEND Compassion 4 Paws and Dr. Sara.  She made the transition smooth and painless, having her there is like having a good friend by your side as you go through this difficult passage.  Dr. Sara has an amazingly empathetic spirit and she brings a very serene energy to the room.  We met for the first time today, my husband made the call and spoke with her previously.  She came in and we talked a little bit about Guy, she stroked him and got to know him.  They sat for a bit and she asked us if we were ready.  She then gave him a sedative which put him in a deep sleep.  We got to hold him and hug on him for as long as we needed to.  We said our goodbyes and she proceeded with the final injection.  Guy just drifted away.


9/15/07

3/22/08

8/27/12
Yes, dogs can smile!

Artist Talk With Gala Bent

I just wanted to give everyone a quick THANKS for coming out to see the show.  It was a great opening and I'm honored to be showing with Gala Bent.  Good news is the show has been extended to Oct. 12th and we will be having an artist talk Sept. 21st.  Hope to see you there!

Diem Chau: A-Z Northwest Natives
Gala Bent: The Ether and The Mantle
G. Gibson Gallery
300 South Washington Street,
Seattle, WA 98104
August 30th - October 12th, 2013
Artist talk: Saturday, September 21st, talk starts at noon


The Dreamer (187) 2013
Carved carpenter pencil, wood & graphite
On view at G. Gibson Gallery


I'm so excited to show with Gala Bent.  This picture doesn't do her work justice, you have to see them in real life to appreciate all of the intricate details.  See her WEBSITE for more info.


Me (left), Brangien Davis (center), Gala Bent (right)
It was great seeing so many of my Seattle friends again.  I REALLY have to get out to more 1st Thursdays.  I love the art community here, thank you guys!



Looking at the carved pencils.


Looking at carved crayons. 

Northwest Natives Alphabet Set: A-Z Finished!

Here they are folks, the complete Northwest Natives Alphabet set! An incredible amount of work went into these carvings. I had a lot of fun learning about our native species, some are old favorites and others are completely new to me. The entire set will be on view at an upcoming show in Seattle. Please stop by if you're in town.

Diem Chau
A-Z: Northwest Natives
August 30th - October 12th, 2013
Artist Reception: Thursday, Sept. 5th,  6-8pm
G. Gibson Gallery
300 S. Washington Street
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 587-4033

Links to individual images of my Northwest Natives Alphabet Set:
A-G: HERE
H-M: HERE
N-T: HERE
U-Z: HERE 


Letters A-M
A is for Aquilegia (Columbine)
B is for Bald Eagle
C is for Cougar
D is for Dogwood
E is for Elk
F is for Fox
G is for Grizzly Bear
H is for Heron
I is for Iris
J is for Juniper
K is for Killer Whale
L is for Lynx
M is for Mountain Goat


Letters N-Z
N is for Northern Spotted Owl
O is for Otter
P is for Painted Turtle
Q is for Quinault Tribe
R is for Rhododendron
S is for Salmon
T is for Timberwolf
U is for Urchin
V is for Viola
W is for Wolf Eel
X is for Xanthogrammica (Giant Green Anemone)
Y is for Yuma myotis (Vesper Bat)
Z is for Zapus princeps (Western Jumping Mouse)


A-Z: Northwest Natives Alphabet
I would like to make a print of this set available for sale... maybe even a postcard collection of the entire set?  I will keep you guys updated!


I had so much fun w/ this interview, thank you for coming over Nancy!  Check out my quad-chins yo!

Northwest Natives Alphabet Set: U-Z

These are the letters U-Z of my Northwest Natives Alphabet Set.  The full set will be exhibited at G.Gibson Gallery in Seattle.  Since the show is in the Pacific Northwest I thought I'd make a tribute to my neck of the woods. Every letter is paired with species that is native to the PNW (Pacific Northwest).   Please stop by to see the show if you're in town.

Links to the rest of my Northwest Natives Alphabet Set:
A-G: HERE
H-M: HERE
N-T: HERE
U-Z: HERE
The entire set can be seen HERE.

Diem Chau
A-Z: Northwest Natives
August 30th - October 12th, 2013
Artist Reception: Thursday, Sept. 5th,  6-8pm

G. Gibson Gallery
300 S. Washington Street
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 587-4033


U is for Urchin


Urchin 360 View


V is for Viola
There are MANY native violas in the NW.  They are one of my favorite plants in the garden, truly carefree and well adapted to our region.  The flowers are edible, I love candied violets as well.



Viola 360 view
I really enjoyed making these flora-based crayons.  My next alphabet set might have to be plant based...


W is for Wolf Eel
Scientific Name: Anarrhichthys ocellatus
Common Name: Wolf Eel


Wolf Eel 360 View



X is for Xanthogrammica
Scientific Name: Anthopleura xanthogrammica
Common Name: Giant Green Anemone


Xanthogrammica 360 view


Y is for Yuma myotis
Scientific Name: Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis)
Common Name: Vesper Bats or Mouse-eared Bats


Yuma myotis 360 view



Z is for Zapus princeps
Scientific Name: Zapus princeps
Common Name: Western Jumping Mouse


Zapus princeps 360 view

Northwest Natives Alphabet Set: N-T

These are the letters N-T of my Northwest Natives Alphabet Set.  The full set will be exhibited at G.Gibson Gallery in Seattle.  Since the show is in the Pacific Northwest I thought I'd make a tribute to my neck of the woods. Every letter is paired with species that is native to the PNW (Pacific Northwest).   Please stop by to see the show if you're in town.

Links to the rest of my Northwest Natives Alphabet Set:
A-G: HERE
H-M: HERE
N-T: HERE
U-Z: HERE
The entire set can be seen HERE.

Diem Chau
A-Z: Northwest Natives
August 30th - October 12th, 2013
Artist Reception: Thursday, Sept. 5th,  6-8pm

G. Gibson Gallery
300 S. Washington Street
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 587-4033


N is for Northern Spotted Owl
Scientific Name:  Strix occidentalis caurina


Northern Spotted Owl 360 View


O is for Otter
Scientific name: Lontra canadensis
Common Name: North American River Otter


Otter 360 View



P is for Painted Turtle
Scientific name: Chrysemys picta


Painted Turtle 360 View
This is probably my favorite crayon from the set.  I love how ripples turned out.  I carved the turtle on top first, but was unsatisfied with how small it was compared to the whole crayon.  I wanted the carved portion to be larger so I added a pond scene with another turtle, lily pads and rippling water. 


Q is for The Quinault Tribe


Quinault Woman 360 View


R is for Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus with more than a 1000 species, it's also Washington State's state flower. 


Rhododendron 360 View


S is for Salmon


Salmon 360 View


T is for Timberwolf
Scientific name: Canis lupus
Common Name: Timber Wolf, Timberwolf, Grey Wolf or Common Wolf



Timberwolf 360 View

Northwest Natives Alphabet Set: H-M

These are the letters H - M of my Northwest Natives Alphabet Set.  The full set will be exhibited at G.Gibson Gallery in Seattle.  Since the show is in the Pacific Northwest I thought I'd make a tribute to my neck of the woods. Every letter is paired with species that is native to the PNW (Pacific Northwest).   Please stop by to see the show if you're in town.

Links to the rest of my Northwest Natives Alphabet Set:
A-G: HERE
H-M: HERE
N-T: HERE
U-Z: HERE
The entire set can be seen HERE.

Diem Chau
A-Z: Northwest Natives
August 30th - October 12th, 2013
Artist Reception: Thursday, Sept. 5th,  6-8pm

G. Gibson Gallery
300 S. Washington Street
Seattle, WA 98104
(206) 587-4033


H is for Heron
Scientific name: Ardea herodias
Common Name: Great Blue Heron


Great Blue Heron 360 View
I actually see these guys regularly.  Their wingspan is AMAZING!


I is for Iris
There are many native irises in the Pacific Northwest.  


Iris 360 View


J is for Juniper
There are 3 native species of Juniper to the NW.
Western Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis)
Common Juniper (Juniperus communis)
Rocky Mountain Juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)


Juniper 360 View
I based this carving off the common juniper.  I was told some juniper berries are edible, but I've never tried it. 


K is for Killer Whale
Scientific name:  Orcinus orca
Common name: Killer Whale, Orca Whale, Orca


Killer Whale
I really had fun doing this guy.  The 2 color combo was a challenge, positioning the whale's body on this crayon was also hard.  I finally just took some liberties and placed his dorsal fin on top of his head.


L is for Lynx
Scientific name: Lynx canadensis
Common name: Canadian Lynx


Lynx 360 View



M is for Mountain Goat
Scientific name: Oreamnos americanus
Common name: Mountain Goat or Rocky Mountain Goat

I do not have a 360 view of the goat yet.  Will post it as soon as I can.