Canines of Cairns reaches a milestone of 60 dogs!

After three weeks underway, (minus a much needed weeks holiday in Bowen), Canines of Cairns has reached a milestone of sixty (60) dogs! After a busy week of photographing the largest number of dogs to date, there has not been a dog that I have not been charmed by, had my heart melted by, or walked away from without being made to feel uplifted, renewed and happy. While I feel I could continue on forever, 60 dogs means I am more than half-way to reaching my original end target  of one hundred (100) participating dogs and their humans.

Over the next week, I will be busy working with award-winning, Melbourne-based, photogravure specialist, Silvi Glattauer. During this time, the images taken of all the canines over the last three weeks will be turned into etching plates and printed in anticipation of the 2016 exhibition. It will be an exciting and challenging process as I learn from Silvi and develop  a deeper understanding of this non-toxic printmaking technology.

By this time next week, I will be even closer to a finalised outcome for my Canines of Cairns project. The anticipation is sweet and yet slightly sad; with that approaching goal comes an end to the time spent with the dogs and their owners. And really, that is what this project has been about - the capturing and understanding of what it means to love deeply and without conditions - humans and their best friends together. That is the part of this project that I have enjoyed the most and will also miss most once the 100 dogs have been captured.

Perhaps there is room for some more canines into the future? Or perhaps there should be more than 100 dogs?