I haven’t done greyhound art in a long time. I have a friend who is a fantastic artist, and it was during college and through her that I first found myself around greyhounds and the greyhound rescue world. I didn’t do paintings at first, though I was asked to donate a few by someone from a greyhound organization once she saw a horse painting I had done earlier. For several years after, I would do paintings, both for direct sale, donation for fundraisers, and commissions. Eventually, though, my interests and life changed and I stopped doing them.

Last year, I was made aware that one of my paintings from around 2004 had created some interest on Facebook. It was a painting I had made for a large greyhound event on the East coast, one in which a percentage of the sale went to a charitable cause (I can’t remember which). I had made two paintings, though the one in question was actually a triptych and in three parts. I had neglected to take a picture of it since I didn’t finish until the night before I was supposed to meet my friend so that she could take it to the event, so I had assumed it would be sold and forgotten, yet another of my undocumented paintings. Someone, though, had managed to take a photo of it, put it online, and made it into a “painting without an artist”, so to speak.

It was with interest that I read the comments as people tried to figure out who painted the painting, and if copies were available. One woman said she had cards from it a few years ago, which was news to me since I had never made cards from the image. I figured she had cards of someone else’s similar work that was confusing her (my friend’s etching, as it turns out, which she had made back in college, featuring the same constellation with two greyhounds looking up at it). My friend was the one who informed the Facebook readers that I was the artist, and I then received a few email inquiries; nothing much came from it.

While cleaning out my inbox last week, I came across one of these earlier emails, and decided to send out one last email in case there was still interest in a similar image. I wasn’t sure I was up for the project, or if I could even paint in that older style, but they had seemed interested and I figured I could do a painting and then make less expensive prints available online through ImageKind or Zazzle for anyone who simply wanted an image. Since I don’t reap much of a profit from those online services, it was mainly intended as a way for people who wanted the image to get one, and not a huge money-maker for myself. I sent the email, and it was posted on Facebook to see if there was any interest. Several people left comments, expressing interest.

It is the last comment that I wish to address publicly here, on my blog, since I believe it is something that is hurtful to my reputation as an artist:

The original piece was an etching done by [my friend], entitled Celestial Navigations. The piece shown above was copied and colorized without [my friend's] permission. I would truly hope that Julie would not do this to her again. I have one of Julie’s original pieces myself and it is very nice, though quite different from [my friend's] art.

Copied and colorized?!

I’m not sure why this person felt it her duty to make her statement as she did, nor what prompted her to do so. I have no idea of the background conversations going on or what led to her putting that out for the public to read. I sent an email in regards to this issue, which said the following:

I was just checking my web site stats and found the post on your facebook page regarding the painting bringing a few people to my web site.

The last comment, by Sue Ross, isn’t accurate nor fair, and I’m a bit put out by the suggestion she makes regarding copying my friend. To clarify, my inspiration for the painting came from phase where I was interested in astronomy and my parents gave me a book with constellations. This book included the old-fashioned renditions of the constellations (now they are drawn just connected by lines instead of with the Victorian-era image behind them). It is from there that I got the general layout of the dog star constellation — it is a standard depiction from the era. I know the image Sue is describing of [my friend's], which features dogs looking up at the constellation, and I believe she found hers from a similar old-fashioned rendition of the constellation.

Please keep in mind, then, that this was a triptych (you’re not seeing the full piece; it had two sides as well), and that while it is a similar idea (we both drew from a public domain rendition of a constellation) it wasn’t me sitting down drawing from [my friend's] print and saying “gee, I’m going to copy my friend’s art work.” I really have a problem with someone leaving a comment like that out there in the public about me and my work.

I had met Sue several years ago in Kanab; her comment surprises and mildly angers me. I remember her feelings toward those who were later copying her dog collars to sell; rightly so, but perhaps that has made her overly alert about similar products. Whatever the case, loyalty to [my friend] or otherwise, she had no business putting that out there on Facebook without consulting me first. Her opinion of the origin of my work is just that; anyone who paints a still life of a pear is copying everyone else who painted it, too. I would have put a comment in my defense in your post, but am unable to do so.

I think, if there is such a question regarding my art work and the originality of it, I would withdraw my offer. I am not a person who copies another, and won’t allow someone to say so and let it slide. This is my artistic reputation at stake, and I only made the offer to you and the others because it had seemed something you would be interested in. I meant it more as a favor than a huge money-maker, since I haven’t done greyhound art in years and I’m not standing to make a lot of money off of it.

Please address Sue’s comment in some manner; I ask it as a favor to my reputation.

It was then suggested I address the issue directly; I do not have access to leave comments on the Facebook page, and so I attempted to send an email to the person in question:

Your comment on Facebook regarding my “copying and colorizing” of [my friend's] etching is inaccurate and out of line. If you had wanted to make such a statement, you ought to have come to me first and at least made the effort to back up your opinion with more information. I doubt you would like someone making inaccurate statements about your work and reputation as a friend and as an artist on web sites when you were unable to respond.

I have addressed the issue very publicly on my blog.

I also will be withdrawing my offer to make a painting for the group. This has nothing to do with your idea that I am trying to “do something” unkind to a friend and that you were successful in stopping me from “copying” again, but because I believe you have wrongly trashed my reputation as an artist.

Very poor form.

Obviously, the concept is similar, and the constellation is the same. I’ve seen that constellation drawn a few different ways; as a dog sitting down, or a kind of retriever-type dog. However, the constellation book I have (and is still on my shelf back home, I believe), is the one shown here. I used what I had available.

My friend made her print back in college, while my painting was made about five years ago, nearly a decade later, when I was living on the farm and college was long gone from my mind. I certainly didn’t have a copy of her print handy. I did the painting because I was asked to put some art in the greyhound art show and help with the fundraiser, and it reflected where I was at artistically as well as what I interested in. I was drawing colorful cartoon-esque dog and animal figures at the time, and used that style as well as the astronomy book which I was reading at the time (I also used the unicorn constellation from the book in a painting around the same time, since I like horses). It was never my intention to copy from my friend, who would be the same person taking the art to the show. To say that I both copied and then merely “colorized” is extremely insulting.

…for artists, everything they are exposed to necessarily becomes lodged in their head as an idea or inspiration…

The style is different. It’s not the same image. It’s not even the same medium. It’s the same unintentional concept — dogs looking up at the same version of the constellation — and that’s what’s causing the problem. There are several good arguments to be made for how concepts are copyrighted, but the sticky issue is that, for artists, everything they are exposed to necessarily becomes lodged in their head as an idea or inspiration and it may later come out changed, unrecognizable, similar, or have an effect on general artistic style. In this case, what I thought was a cool idea at the time was a cool idea, though not the first artistic take on the idea. I doubt it was even the second or third take on it, and I know, from various Google searches, that it isn’t the last.

How do I categorize a caricatured or altered version of “American Gothic”, for example? Abstracting on an existing image? What about Warhol and the Campbell’s soup cans? This puts me into the strange position of wondering, at any given moment, if the idea that popped into my head could be tied back to something a decade ago, wondering if I should purposefully avoid looking at art images lest they become lodged in my head and end up on canvas in some form or another.

Would it be different if the dogs weren’t looking up, or if they were another breed of dog? Are greyhounds off limits in any future depictions of the dog star, but maybe German Shepherds would be OK? When dealing with stars, what else will you have but stars in the sky and dogs on the ground? If I put a “rainbow bridge” in there, will I get nailed for copying that well-known concept? Are dogs never to be used in conjunction with that particular constellation image, despite the fact that it is the art of an artist from generations ago that we both copied? Do I get any credit for the fact that I have, many times, sneaked or included constellations in my art because I have an interest in astronomy? How about the fact that I have been working on a whimsical commissioned painting with dogs that includes the same constellation yet again for the past week and a half, before any of this hit the fan? Is that, too, a copy and colorization issue?

My art is different now, and I haven’t, as I mentioned, done greyhound anything in years. The only reason I offered to do something similar or make something available is because people seemed to enjoy it; it was not so that I could stick it financially to a friend. Instead, I find I am accused of copying another’s work. While I don’t go after things said about me as much as I used to, I certainly am not going to let something like this go without acknowledgement, nor will I hide anything and be called on for lack of transparency. At the risk of “the lady doth protest too much”, I simply had to address this.

It would have been more professional as a craftsperson  to have at least consulted me on the facts rather than go on a public web site and say “Julie does nice work but she copies and colorizes and I hope she doesn’t do it again.” I would never say that about another artist without discussing the issue with them first, since all artists rely on reputation to some degree to make a living, and honest or unintentional mistakes happen.

I understand loyalty and looking out for a fellow greyhound friend/enthusiast, but this was badly handled. As it is, since my reputation and work has now been “colorized”, I will be withdrawing my offer to make an image available.

I recently did a map painting with the constellation Orion in it. I hope to god no one else has ever done something similar, or I’m in trouble. And I tell you what else: if I see anyone depict a greyhound sitting on a couch, two of them sitting on a couch, lying with its legs in the air, standing and looking, in heaven with cartoon bunnies, standing under a Christmas tree, on a stage, or shown with bright colors, I’m calling my lawyer. I’ve already done those paintings and anything similar is pure, unadulterated copying.

Note: Facebook links no longer function; the posts have been removed. Here is a link to the image on my own servers instead.