Paint my world just a little bit darker

[lizblackdog]

ugh ugh ugh. I'm committing art again. Or something. I don't even know yet if Spike is even a viable candidate for surgery, but I already know I can't afford it. My mother and sisters have all expressed themselves willing to help but it's still liable to be more than we can raise between us.

Also, I spoke to the vet's and they're not willing to accept bits of my bill being paid by third parties (no, I don't know why and I was too shredded to ask by this point). This being so, I'm not willing to just ask people to send me money for it, because I've got no way of proving I'm not just scamming everyone with a fake sick dog story.

I know you don't believe I would do that; as it happens you're right. But that's not the point.

...anyway, my sisters talked me into this when I was over there on Sunday. Personally I'd rather sell a kidney without an anaesthetic, but I'm fairly sure my age and medical history rule that out, so I'm giving this a whirl.

I'm thinking I might attempt dog portraits; it's possible I can do those acceptably enough for people who are crazy about their dogs and feel sorry for mine. Under the cut are two quickie attempts I did yesterday. Don't mistake them for any manner of finished thing, they're literally five-minute jobs that happened spontaneously after someone in the Khimeros chatroom posted pics of her doxie puppy and someone else retaliated with a pit bull mix.

The third is also unfinished; it's something that happened after I needed to step away from the Internet for a bit this afternoon and remembered to take my shiny box of unopened acrylic paints with me. Gods help me, this shit's insidious.

Comments

[bites-the-sun.livejournal.com]

You commit art very well, you know.

I don't have a dog but can we talk anyway? Clearly you do birds pretty prettily too - the pheasant is beautifully done. On the strength of that, any chance of me commissioning some sort of phoenix?

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

ooo, I would actually enjoy doing a phoenix. That pheasant thing (it's possibly more like a secretary bird) was me letting my brain off-leash to do what it wanted - it always wants to do winged and feathered things.

[slave2tehtink.livejournal.com]

How much are you asking for Tink portraits, and is there an easy and swift way to give you monies? How much publicity do you want for this, because I will pimp it if you like, but I don't want you to get overwhelmed.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

lol, I was going to ask you if I could do Tink for practise. Can I do that photo of her in the sparkly legwarmers or d'you have one you like better?

I have no idea. I have never been able to stand to look at my own work after I finish/give up fiddling with it, and the idea of setting a worth on it feels like trying to charge for prefilled poop scoop bags. I'll need to find other people that charge for arts and see what they say.

that said, I will deal with overwhelmed if it happens because I can actually work pretty fast when I pull my finger out. Plus my dog has almost-certainly-cancer and even if it's my best-case scenario and a plain bone cyst, I clearly need to fix it fast.

[slave2tehtink.livejournal.com]

Of course you may do Tinks for practice! You may do any of my creatures for practice or for realz, yo. Flickr photos are not wanting to load for me tonight for some reason (OMGWTF) but there are Tink pics I like better, I will find. Also, will pimp.

ETA: Need you to do an unlocked artistic offering post, pref with these pics for samples, or any other sketches (Tink? Roo?) that you want to use for advertising.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

I registered for Etsy, I figured that was probably the easiest way to do it.

still got no fucking idea what I should charge though. no. idea.

[slave2tehtink.livejournal.com]

Go search on Etsy for "custom pet portrait" and observe prices. Set your price accordingly. That's the easiest way I can think of.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

aaaaugh I did and now I'm all intimidated and scared.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

...I suppose I could unlock this one? But it's so WHINY. Lemme draw Tink and stuff and make a less whiny one tomorrow?

...or what the fuck, I'll unlock this.

[slave2tehtink.livejournal.com]

If you want to do a less whiney one with a Tink sketch tomorrow, that'd be fine too! Tink sketches are liable to carry more weight with the audience I can pimp to, anyway, heh. Esp. since I can link to the original photo if flickr has stopped being a bastard.

[rozae.livejournal.com]

They have a whimsical feel to them, which I like. I'm very fond of the whimsy.

I'd like to take a wiffle bat to your vet's head. Who doesn't want money?!

My love to you and Spike and every furry being in your home. You all remain in my thoughts and I wish you the best.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

This specialist clinic clearly isn't used to clients who aren't unthinkingly rich, is the problem as far as I can tell.

I'd always thought the PDSA covered us for everything. I didn't realise till now that I was only covered till it got more difficult and awkward than they could deal with. Though to be fair to them, this thing Spike has is apparently anomalous and tricky in lots of ways; even the specialist vet was a bit baffled by it.

But I really didn't know I could get caught this way.

[silverblaidd.livejournal.com]

Hm.

Maybe I could offer to do some art things? I don't know. I don't have much in the way of examples left these days.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

you too, huh?

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

...and by that I mean, another person who can't take the disparity between what you see in your head and what your hands produce. That's a pure guess as to why you don't have many examples left - but it fits with what I know of you. And it means you know why I find arting such a miserable soul-destroying activity, even when my hands, eyes and brain are urging me to do it.

And thank you <3

[dumain.com (from livejournal.com)]

I suspect they just don't want to deal with the administrative overhead of
umpteen separate payments from different people. Maybe they would accept you handing them a bunch of crossed postal orders made out to the vet?

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think that's it - that, and they are clearly not the type of veterinary clinic that normally deals with clients that aren't stinking rich.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

oh oh do maggie!!

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

I really want to do Maggie! i have her photo stuck on my wall and I can practically feel that big soft head and cute ears XD

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

ha ha that soft head is as soft as a cinder block. :)

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

yesss but bully fur is soft as moleskin over the cinder block XD

[revolution-grrl.livejournal.com]

Oh, honey, I think those are really great! This could be a viable option.

I dearly wish I were in a position to mail you 100 quid. I'm sorry I can't.

I'm way behind. What kind of surgery? I'm alarmed. How much do you have to raise? I wonder if you could set up a Chip-In site. Do you have to be legally nonprofit for that, I wonder? You could also appeal to some rescue groups for help. Hell, you might even get one to lend you the money, so you can get the surgery quickly, before you have time to save up for it. I know you have some contacts in dog rescue on this side of the pond, at least, and I have bajillions.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

yeah, I have a list of people to call but I have to wait till I know for sure whether surgery's an option and what kind of surgery it needs to be.

Long story short: Spike has a tumour in the bones of his muzzle, just under his nose and behind his front teeth. We qualify for free veterinary treatment by the PDSA, but after my PDSA clinic did two different lots of biopsies and couldn't quite work out exactly what it was and how malignant it was, they referred me to a non-charity specialist vet.

I didn't know I could get caught like this, see. I'd always thought the PDSA covered me for whatever would be needed. But this thing's atypical and odd and the head vet there says his clinic isn't equipped to deal with it, so I'm apparently screwed as far as finance goes. Though it's possible I may be able to persuade one of the other charities (the Blue Cross or the RSPCA) to kick in. I don't know.

What I'm waiting to find out now from the most recent set of tests and biopsies is a. just how cancerous the Mouth Thing is, b. whether it's spread to any of the rest of him, and therefore c. whether surgery is even worth doing and if so, how extensive the surgery will need to be.

but if he has surgery it will cost between £2500 and £4000. He'll need a section of his upper jaw removed - how large a section depends on what manner of tumour the Mouth Thing is. If it's squamous cell carcinoma he'll need a big piece removed as long as the lymph glands are clear; if it's a bone cyst we can get away with removing a smaller piece.

...or click on the Mouth Thing tag for the full story in many more words. And thank you <3

[revolution-grrl.livejournal.com]

Oh good god. What a nightmare! I'm so sorry you and Spike are going through this! *hugs* Please let me know if there's any help I can lend.

[disorderly-mind.livejournal.com]

Fuck the vet, bloody bastards. Feed them to Moddey Dhoo.

That said, you impertinent creature, I want art, particularly of the colourful bird variety. It would go well with my decor, which is both colourful and punctuated by birds.

[lizblackdog.livejournal.com]

He's always at my elbow, but he's not allowed to eat the vet till after they save Spike for me.

birds will happen. thank you XD

[mcsassypants.livejournal.com]

Okay, I'm totally loving the bird thing you did. Which means I'd totally buy art, especially if it meant helping out you and spike! I'm pretty sure Ryan needs a portrait of Sally. And/or possibly Rascal.

[yesididit.livejournal.com]

i got two dogs and a tortoise that you could 'commit art' of for me to buy!

[rhinecat.livejournal.com]

Liz, what would be the best way for me to send you money in US dollars? I don't know how foreign currency works, can I send it via PayPal? Or stick cash in an envelope and mail it?

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'd be willing to pay for a pet portrait and there would be no deadline on when you would need to complete it for me and I'd be willing to pay in advance. Artists of old did this all the time. Let's see what the vet says the options are and then we can discuss. Sorry I am late in responding but I tried to catch up while I was gone but looking at LJ on a small small small screen works in an emergency but is nasty for everyday reading.