Life imitates art during lockdown

By Geoff Adams

Sep 23, 2021

The COVID-19 lockdowns have stimulated some creative work for families, and Tamsyn McGregor found inspiration in an old masterpiece.

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Tamsyn and her family recreated a famous painting, known as Whistler's Mother, with a neat twist — they substituted their golden retriever, George, for the mother in one of the photos.

Readers of The News might remember the same family last year produced their own interpretation of Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring, using Tamsyn and George (Dog without a pearl earring).

For Whistler's Mother, Tamsyn's mum, Kyla, took the photo, her dad, Ed, suspended the background painting on a fishing line and sister Lara was called in to assist with training George to keep still using treats.

George is highly food-motivated.

The family had to scratch up the props from around the house because they were restricted in their movements due to the lockdown.

The ‘dress’ was an academic gown and the foot stool was a very old Webster dictionary.

Tamsyn, 10, submitted the photo for a school art assignment at St Brendan's Primary School. Her teacher wrote it was: "spectacular!".

George has his own Instagram page: @king_george_the_doggy

By Geoff Adams

Shepparton News assistant editor and Country News journalist