return to commissioned art

“Ring” Oil on canvas, Private Collection 10" x 14" Siberian husky lead dog Ring, was a member of a team owned by one of Alaska’s most famous women mushers of the 30’s and 40’s. Mary Joyce gained national prominence by driving her team to Fairbanks from the Taku Lodge on Taku River near Juneau in December of 1935. He was also “on loan” to the US Army during World War II for an experimental dog team trip from Fort Chilkoot in Haines, Alaska to Fairbanks. Juneauite, Angus McCullough, then an enlisted soldier stationed at Fort Chilkoot, was in charge of that expedition. I painted this from an old black and white photo that Angus had kept. Angus described Ring’s coloring to me and says that I captured it perfectly. He loved Ring and says he was a good lead dog and was exceptionally smart. He told me upon seeing the portrait for the first time, “You sure got his intellegence showing in his eyes”. I liked that.