All in New Story

Ann DeVito has a way with illustrating dogs

Anne DeVito loves dogs.  So much so that she recently had a book come out called DOG LOVE, published by Penguin Books, that features different breeds of dogs.  It was with great pleasure that I received this delightful book and a surprise piece of art for my very own of the Sizzle sisters!  It inspired me to reach out to this wonderful artist and toss her names of a few of my favorite instagram accounts that highlight dogs, to inspire some new illustrations!

ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE, MY OLD BOSS, DID TAKE A DOG PICTURE OR TWO and some of them now appear in the new book entitled, "Robert Mapplethorpe - The Archive" by Frances Terpak and Michelle Brunnick

Thankfully I am able to expand on this notion of Robert and dogs to announce a new book out entitled, "Robert Mapplethorpe: The Archive", by Frances Terpak and Michelle Brunnick.  It is with painstaking detail that this meticulous collection of Mapplethopre art and artifacts are brought to life by the two authors. Robert Mapplethorpe was my boss and a prolific artist.  He, "challenged the limits of censorship and conformity, combining technical and formal mastery with unexpected, often provocative content that secured his place in history. Mapplethorpe’s artistic vision helped shape the social and cultural fabric of the 1970s and ’80s and, following his death in 1989 from AIDS, informed the political landscape of the 1990s. His photographic works continue to resonate with audiences all over the world.

LONDON CALLING, Elle meets Winny and the rest is fashion history

My dear friend Colleen Quill aka Coco and her dog Elle, an oftentimes Mrs. Sizzle model, packed up and headed to London last year.  As one often does in looking for new local friends, Coco turned to Instagram to find other like minded paw friendly people.  As she tells it, "We moved to London in May. Shortly afterwards, Elle connected with Winny on Instagram, being local and so very British, we were besotted. The first thing we asked "is he named for Winston Churchill?" The answer being "yes," a royal friendship began in the Kensington Palace Gardens. Bodhi is the two-year-old English bulldog, who belongs to my friend Seb Weller I met while we were both working at Sony Music."

IT'S EASIER WHEN YOU THINK PRIMARY

Sometimes good things do come in three’s. We here at Mrs. Sizzle are giving an ode to the original color triad that started it all: red, yellow, and blue-the primary colors. With so many primary choices, we’ve rounded up some gifts that puppy will love, and don’t worry, some goodies for you as well. Bonus points for matching!

CHILLIN WITH THE DOGS, A PORTFOLIO BY MELANIE ACEVEDO

There is nothing I love more than friends reaching out to me with their rescue stories.  Not only does it give me great joy, but it is the most aspirational way to reconnect with old friends and colleagues and share about our commonality - LOVE FOR ANIMALS. SO, it was with great pleasure that I heard from friend and photographer Melanie Acevedo who wanted to share her pics and story about her dogs and their role in the home.

Alexis Rockman and a dog named Padme photographed by Kimberly M. Wang

If we're going to be honest, when we walked into the studio of the artist Alexis Rockman, the primary purpose was to meet his dog.  Instead, what we found were magical drawings on the wall - the results of a 20 years study about indigenous species and his collaboration with scientists along his travels.  The most fascinating part about the drawings is that they are made from organic materials that Alexis found locally in the locale of each particular animal he paints.  His show, Natural History of Life in New York City, opens at Salon 94 in April.  That's all I will reveal about the art now as we are here to learn about Padme, Alexis Rockman's dog.

JONNO RATTMAN CAUGHT THE BEST BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW

I discovered these brilliant images of the Westminster Dog show when reading Judith Newman's insightful piece in the New York Times this weekend.  Not only was the article fascinating but the images were arresting.  I had to find out about this Jonno guy!  Apparently, he has been at his craft for some time and was honored last year in PDN's prestigious 30 under 30 award - one of Mrs. Sizzle's favorites.  Leave it to team Sizzle to ask this guy all kinds of questions about his experience at the show!

My everyday amazement takes the form of a fan club… let me share.  The latest fixation is the Instagram account JESS RONA GROOMING.  Have you not seen her slow motion dog grooming videos?  If you have not, you are certainly in for a surprise.  When I initially discovered these, I thought that Mickalene Thomas had gone and set up shop in LA.  But she hasn’t...and what a joy it has been to meet Jess on line.  Here the comedian/actress/groomer shares how she got started in this biz, and we share some of her brilliant work with you.  Keep an eye on this gem - more fun to come!!!

Patricia Field - Fashion icon, lover of life, stylist to the infamous television show Sex in the City and the owner of the extraordinary PATRICIA FIELD boutique which will be closing its doors in a few months.  When I learned the store was to be sold, I was insistent that Amy Lombard join me to go shoot the two house dogs and get some insight into their lives with the magnanimous Patrica Field. Surprisingly for being Pat's kids, they are so NOT fashion hounds so let's hear why!

SH*T GIRLS SAY HAS GONE TO THE DOGS - and cats too

While I was at GLAMOUR Magazine years ago, a series of videos called SHIT GIRLS SAY created by Kyle Humphrey and Graydon Sheppard were released.  I found these especially hilarious as  one of the "so called" bosses in the video kept yelling "WHAT'S MY PASSWORD?", eerily reminiscent of what I used to sound like from my desk at Glamour .  Not only did it resonate with me but also with the rest of the country and became an instant viral sensation. Happily in my new dog life I recently came across a series of animal videos that equally astonished me and I was able to reach out to Graydon Sheppard, the genius behind all of this furry fun and ask him a few Q's:

It’s been a while since Mrs. Sizzle has visited a shelter and I was lucky enough to have some national outreach from AUSTIN, TX.  Nicole Mlakar, a fantastic Austin photographer, and Anne Christian, of the brilliant dog collar & leash co, DOG + BONE , came together to do a series of portraits at the local shelter, AUSTIN PETS ALIVE.

As a two-time cancer survivor, there is very little that takes me down. I live in New York, have worked for the best artists, galleries, and magazines and have excelled at my career.  I have held senior positions at Glamour Magazine, Vanity Fair, Oprah and SELF, to name a few, and even worked for the renowned artist Robert Mapplethorpe. If something bad or challenging comes my way, I face it head on. Unflappable to a fault, you might say.