New Art

Windy Day maltese!






















Appaloosa Swim























Grill Goddess

All listed on ebay, go to cleverpupart

Big Rock Chunk Topples From 'Fin' In Volcano's Crater

May 11, 2006


SEATTLE - The sheer rock fin emerging in Mount St. Helens' crater lost about a third of its northern face recently, but because lava keeps pushing to the surface, the height remained the same Thursday - around 330 feet.

A burst of seismic activity at the mountain Sunday night likely corresponded to the collapse. "Certainly a big piece fell off - something like 65,000 cubic yards," said geologist Dan Dzurisin at the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Wash., about 50 miles from the mountain and 150 miles south of Seattle.

Bad weather had iced over scientists' cameras on the rim of the volcano, so the rockfall wasn't recorded on film, he said.

Now the fin is about the same height as it was before, but rock that was previously in the middle is now at the top.

"At that height, it becomes unstable and ... begins to collapse under gravity," he said. Boulders and finer rubble from the crumbling top surround the base of the fin.

"At that height, it becomes unstable and ... begins to collapse under gravity," he said. Boulders and finer rubble from the crumbling top surround the base of the fin.

This is the seventh rock feature formed by lava in the crater since the 8,364-foot mountain reawakened with a drumfire of low-level seismic activity in September 2004.

The crater was formed by the southwest Washington volcano's deadly May 18, 1980, eruption that killed 57 people and blasted about 1,300 feet off the then-9,677-foot peak.

The most recent lava feature started growing in mid-October, Dzurisin said.

The emerging rock takes different shapes, depending on what it meets at the surface.

At the moment it's like toothpaste coming out of a tube. "As it emerges it's having to deal with its own debris, so we're seeing steeper-sided features looking more like spines," the geologist said.

The pace of the lava extrusion has slowed since October 2004, he added. For the past few months, St. Helens has been pushing lava to the surface at a pace of about 1 meter per second, down from 6 meters a second.

It's not yet clear whether it's slowing to a stop, or has reached a pace it can maintain for years or even decades, Dzurisin said.

"St. Helen's loves to build domes," he said. "It's built many in its history and we suspect some of those went on for decades.

"We might be in that situation - and then again we might not."

Happy Mothers Day!

Like Mother, Like Son, on Ebay

Giant Rock Fin Rapidly Growing In Mount St. Helens' Crater

Photo USGS

POSTED: 8:15 am PDT May 5, 2006

UPDATED: 6:30 pm PDT May 5, 2006

SEATTLE -- If the skies are clear as forecast, volcano watchers who turn out for the reopening of the Johnston Ridge Observatory on Friday will get a spectacular view of a hulking slab of rock that's rapidly growing in Mount St. Helens' crater. It's jutting up from one of seven lobes of fresh volcanic rock that have been pushing their way through the surface of the crater since October 2004. The fin-shaped mass is about 300 feet tall and growing 4 feet to 5 feet a day, said Dan Dzurisin, a geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey.

The rock in the crater began growing last November, steadily moving west and pushing rock and other debris out of its way as it goes. Mount St. Helens, located in the Cascades of Washington, has been quietly erupting since a flurry of tiny earthquakes began in late September 2004. Scientists initially mistook the quakes as rainwater seeping into the hot interior of the older lava dome. But it soon became clear that magma was on the move, confirmed by the emergence of fire-red lava between the old lava dome and the south crater rim a few weeks after the seismic activity began.

The volcano has continued pumping out lava ever since. Eventually, scientists expect the volcano will rebuild its conical peak that was obliterated in the May 18, 1980 eruption that left 57 people dead. The current growth of the new lava dome has been accompanied by low seismicity rates, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases and minor production of ash, the USGS said. "Given the way things are going now, there's no hint of any sort of catastrophic eruptions," USGS geologist Tom Pierson said. "At any time, however, things can change." Scientists flew a helicopter into the crater late last week to adjust equipment and take photographs that will likely be used to determine just how much the new lava dome has grown the last several months.

The Johnston Ridge Observatory, which closes down every winter, is the closest observatory to the 8,364-foot peak. It is named after David A. Johnston, a volcanologist killed in the 1980 eruption. It sits about five miles north of the mountain and offers the closest views of the volcano's horseshoe-shaped crater.

Horsin' around

New Horse art on Ebay!
These are Artist Trading Cards, size 2.5 x 3.5 start your collection today, search AECO or ATF on ebay!























Click to see all my art on Ebay!

Blue Dog

Original Oil painting of a blue Greyhound I did for Central Ohio Greyhound Rescue in Columbus.

This is now offered on ebay as a high quality archival Print, 8.5 x 11

New Work ATC April 22

Tuxedo Cat chillin in the Hot Tub!


















Pomeranian and froggy now on ebay!























Pom and Heart
See all and more on ebay cleverpup!

Malaysia denies capturing baby "Bigfoot

Malaysian wildlife officials denied capturing a baby "Bigfoot," amid fevered speculation over the existence of the mythical creature in the nation's southern jungles.

The Berita Harian newspaper reported that a young Bigfoot was caught by a group of men thought to be from the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) near the southern town of Kota Tinggi two weeks ago.

The paper quoted local residents as saying they had spoken to men who described shooting the creature with tranquiliser darts. The locals then peeked into the back of the their truck to see a large, hairy creature.

But the department's director-general Datuk Musa Nordin denied the report.

"During the period reported, Perhilitan did not mount any operation in the area," Musa said in a statement carried by the official Bernama news agency.

Freddie Long, the Tourism and Environment Committee chairman in southern Johor state, said that if a Bigfoot had been captured, it should have been given to local authorities for research.

Bigfoot fever erupted last December when some workers claimed to have spotted three of the beasts, two adults and a youngster, on the edge of a Johor forest reserve.

The tale was given wide coverage in the national press which also carried stories of other sightings, some dating back decades, and printed photographs of supposed footprints -- vague impressions in the jungle floor.

Local authorities treated the claims seriously, with plans for an official expedition to track down the mysterious beasts, and setting up a telephone hotline to report sightings.

Suggestions that the story has been cooked up to lure tourists to Johor have been denied.

Stories of mythical ape-like creatures have been reported in wilderness areas all over the world. They are known as Bigfoot or Sasquatch in the United States and Canada, and yetis in the Himalayas.

PAAO theme week th letter H

PAAO stands for Professional Animal Artists Online,which I am a member of. Everymonth we have "theme" week and this weeks theme is the letter H.

Here are my entries for the letter H...

Happy Hound...a real bundle of joy! click here to view on ebay!





















Hungry Horse....Yummy Apples...and a "HorseBucks Hay Latte"

click here to view on ebay!

Crazy Cat Terrorizes Connecticut Town

That Darn Cat!

Mar 29, 7:24 AM (ET)

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) - Residents of the neighborhood of Sunset Circle say they have been terrorized by a crazy cat named Lewis. Lewis for his part has been uniquely cited, personally issued a restraining order by the town's animal control officer.

"He looks like Felix the Cat and has six toes on each foot, each with a long claw," Janet Kettman, a neighbor said Monday. "They are formidable weapons."

The neighbors said those weapons, along with catlike stealth, have allowed Lewis to attack at least a half dozen people and ambush the Avon lady as she was getting out of her car.

Some of those who were bitten and scratched ended up seeking treatment at area hospitals.

Animal Control Officer Rachel Solveira placed a restraining order on him. It was the first time such an action was taken against a cat in Fairfield.

In effect, Lewis is under house arrest, forbidden to leave his home.

Solveira also arrested the cat's owner, Ruth Cisero, charging her with failing to comply with the restraining order and reckless endangerment.

Spring Dance!

More spring fun today! You can buy this print in my ebay store!

Spring is Here!

Happy first day of Spring!

Good Catch!

This high flying border collie may have jumped a little too high in his pursuit of a flying disk!

just listed on ebay and up for bid!
visit CLEVERPUP

Amazing Chris Bliss

Check out this juggling act by amazing Chris Bliss set to the tune of one of the best Beatle songs, talk about hand and eye cordination!

Click here for video and turn your speakers up!

Everyone is Irish today!

Happy St. Patricks Day!

Spring Fever!

If your getting a little stir crazy lately, don't worry Spring starts March 2oth!

Fantasy Mermaid and MerHorse

With all the talk of Oil paints my Watercolor paint got lonely and insisted on getting a little workout. So to quiet the watercolors down, I got in touch with my inner triteness and did a lovely chanteuse haired Mer-gal riding her favorite steed under the sea.... click on the image for a larger view!

To view the 12 x 12 watercolor on ebay click here!

Oil Paintings

I have decided to get back into my oil paints after a long absence. The last time I worked in oils
was back in my art school days and I stopped using them because I didn't like the smell and fumes of the turpentine . I also didn't like waiting so long for the paint to dry, thats when I started using watercolor and acrylic as I could work fast in these mediums. Now I have discovered fast drying oils called Alkyds, you can buy them at a reasonable price at art stores online. I use dickblick.com....goofy name but good art supplies. The oils are easy to work with and are reasonably dry overnight, I also discovered Turpenoid which is an orderless turpentine substitute, all my past beefs with oil have been resolved so I have dived right back into the oils. I think painting in oils gives the artist satisfaction too, at least it does with me knowing all the old masters that have painted in the medium.

I have also added a new ebay id, norton-fine-art, I feel when I do paintings that are a different subject matter then the dog and animal art I have been doing under Cleverpup that they will be listed under the new fine art id. I don't have anything going yet as I want to get 3 or 4 paintings finished before I list them under the new id. But I will let you know!

In the meantime, I just finished a little Yorkshire terrier dog on 5 x 7 inch canvas painted in the fast drying oils, she turned out pretty cute, although I know I am still getting my sea legs back in oil panting!





















Pretty in Pink Yorkie on ebay!













Sides of the gallery wrapped canvas (no staples) are painted so no need to frame!

Enjoy !

Don't eat the Brown Snow!

Storm drops dark brown snow in Colo.

FRISCO, Colo. (AP) — Snow that some residents described as dark as chocolate brown was reported across parts of Colorado Thursday, a result of a wind storm in northern Arizona that kicked up dust that fell with the snow overnight, officials said.

"It's pretty much statewide," said Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. "We've had reports from the San Juans, Winter Park ... all over."

Greene said it's not unusual to see plumes of reddish dust from the desert Southwest drop on the Rocky Mountains in the spring.

Exceptionally dry conditions in northern Arizona contributed to the dust, Greene said.

Don Knotts RIP

Don Knotts Dead at 81

UPDATED: 3:44 pm PST February 25, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- Don Knotts, the skinny, lovable nerd who kept generations of television audiences laughing as bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show," has died. He was 81.Knotts died Friday night of pulmonary and respiratory complications at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, said Paul Ward, a spokesman for the cable network TV Land, which airs "The Andy Griffith Show," and another Knotts hit, "Three's Company."Unspecified health problems had forced him to cancel an appearance in his native Morgantown in August 2005.The West Virginia-born actor's half-century career included seven TV series and more than 25 films, but it was the Griffith show that brought him TV immortality and five Emmies.The show ran from 1960-68, and was in the top 10 of the Nielsen ratings each season, including a No. 1 ranking its final year. It is one of only three series in TV history to bow out at the top: The others are "I Love Lucy" and "Seinfeld." The 249 episodes have appeared frequently in reruns and have spawned a large, active network of fan clubs.As the bug-eyed deputy to Griffith, Knotts carried in his shirt pocket the one bullet he was allowed after shooting himself in the foot. The constant fumbling, a recurring sight gag, was typical of his self-deprecating humor.Knotts, whose shy, soft-spoken manner was unlike his high-strung characters, once said he was most proud of the Fife character and doesn't mind being remembered that way.His favorite episodes, he said, were "The Pickle Story," where Aunt Bea makes pickles no one can eat, and "Barney and the Choir," where no one can stop him from singing."I can't sing. It makes me sad that I can't sing or dance well enough to be in a musical, but I'm just not talented in that way," he lamented. "It's one of my weaknesses."