The Studio Gallery has for the last decade shown animal sculpture from leading U.K. sculptors at events such as Chelsea and Hampton Court Palace flower shows, and foremost amongst them is Rosemary Cook, whose dog figures are as wonderful as any you will find anywhere. They are beautifully considered portraits, all dogs personally chosen by Rosemary from a wide selection of breeds, and all of which magically capture the FEELING of that particular breed.

We met Wendy and John at Discover Dogs in 2004, and they were blown away by Rosemary Cook's sculpture, and approached us about the possibility of commissioning a portrait of their own much-loved cairn Shirley Brahms, which we were happy to arrange. And although Rosemary does few personal commissions these days, having met Shirley Brahms, she was as excited about the commission as we were, and as you can see from the photos, the results were breathtaking. The sculpture is simply brilliant, and has captured Shirley’s character perfectly.

The sculpture of Shirley Brahms is cast in bronze or bronze resin, and, as is increasingly the case with Rosemary Cook's dogs, are highly collectable. In bronze resin Shirley comes in a Limited Edition of 99 and costs £795.00. Shirley can also be cast in bronze and costs £3975.00. If you would like photos, or more information on the Studio Gallery and Rosemary Cook's work, please call us on 01934 713380.

David Sawtell

Shirley Brahms II - The Artist's Impression

Silky blonde hair, bright eyes shining through a tangled fringe and a zest for life that speaks volumes for a busy, fun packed, chaotic life. No, I'm talking about the pooch, not the owner! (though the description could be ascribed to either one)

My imagination was caught when the idea of sculpting a portrait of Wendy Richard's cairn terrier, Shirley Brahms II, was put to me. I don't usually work to commission but in this instance I couldn't resist what sounded like a thoroughly fun project. Cairns are feisty little dogs with bags of personality and it is the personality of the subject which is at the very core of my work and which interests me most.

I arranged to visit Wendy and John and we immediately fell into easy talk. Shirley sat next to us, relaxed and happy - a natural model if ever there was one. She was a perfect subject for one of my sculptures and I couldn't wait to start. I was keen to see her at play so we set off for Hyde Park where Shirley immediately met up with a couple of her regular dog friends. She had struck me from first meeting as a happy, confidant little dog with a sweet and loving nature. The comfortable manner in which she accepted the photo shoot was a testimony to her happy home life. She held the pose I had chosen for her and I was able to get some excellent studies.

Back in the studio the work progressed smoothly. Shirley's out going nature made itself apparent as I modelled the clay. It is always fascinating to see the character of the dog emerge and I had the positive feeling that I was capturing the subject in just the way I had hoped.

I am glad to report that both Wendy and John are thrilled with the result and declared that I had caught Shirley's likeness to a T. I hope that her many fans will agree!

The Kennel Club Crufts exhibition called "Discover Dogs" is held each year in Earl's Court in November, and, true to it's name, you can find almost every breed under the sun there, with row after row of enthusiastic dog lovers, proudly showing off their pets. If you need information on which dog to choose for your own family, Discover Dogs is a great forum for finding out, whether your fancy is for rare and exotic breeds or simply dear old spaniels and labradors.

Rosemary Cook

Download the PDF with this information by clicking here.
Note: Shirley's name is misspelled as Susie in this document

Download a short movie clip in which you can see the sculpture from all sides by clicking on the picture below (1.25 MB, wmv movie file):