"Squirrel Season - Long" Miniature Bronze Sculpture by Sculptor Joy Beckner | Classical realism, from hounds to humans

The idea for "Squirrel Season" came to me when my husband Brian and I walked our dachshunds Lizzie and Edgar in our neighborhood, AKA "Squirrel Alley." Squirrels stimulated two entirely different approaches to hunting: manly Edgar simply stared at a squirrel as if he could "will" it down from the tree, while his eternally optimistic grandmother Lizzie leaped and leaped, hugging the tree and nearly wearing the hair off her chest each time she attempted to reach the squirrel.

My dachshund anatomy mentor, Judge Weldon Long, once commented about my Dream Chasers Series that I had done the impossible; I had made a dog look as if it is "on the move." It was Weldon's comment that encouraged me to create Lizzie leaping. Actually, now that she is a teenager (DOB 11/23/89) she uses the staring method too, but at age twelve, she nearly climbed trees for squirrels!

In addition to Weldon, I must thank the breeders who generously took me under their wings and helped me with correct form and grooming. They are, in the order in which they helped: Midge Martin, Sue McClelland and Fred Vogel. I also thank my friend Hanne Foraker for introducing me to her beautiful Annie who was bred by Sue McClelland. During Annie's days in the show ring, she was a multiple Best of Variety winner and was known as Ch. Sioux's Dynamite von Waldmeer.

As with my other 1:6 scale works, I modeled these dachshunds directly in wax and created the bases to fit the action. Designed as a pair, they may be used as bookends or as a two-part freestanding sculpture. Each dachshund is signed, dated, numbered and includes my mark, . Each pair is crafted by hand, one at a time, cast and finished in bronze by my hand-selected specialists in Colorado, USA.

Please ask about patinas. Smooth and wire-haired versions are available. I invite a special person to commission me to create either or both of these dogs life-sized. Enjoy!