Claire Mclean's portfolio

About Claire

Art degree from Bucknell in l955, art assist to director Cunningham & Walsh, NYC, Art Students Leaque, art teacher Byron George and Warner Robbins, The Callaway Gardens Best in Show Award.
two man shows Dayton, Ohio, Art Shows Bermuda, Edwards AFB and Chester Springs Pa Officers Wives Club, hiatus until 2012.

View Claire's Resume

The Presidential Pet Museum Paintings

The Presidential Pet Museum displays all my paintings from George Wasington to Barrak Obama. They each have a true pet stor with each painting. There are over 50 of them. Some presidential pets are done more often like the Bush's pets Millie, Barney and Ms. Beazley. The visitor, especially children learn from the paintings and the story about the Presidents, history and responsible pet ownership.

Whiskers ran away with the childrren

President Benjamin Harrison's son had a goat named Whiskers and one day while the chldren were riding in a cart the goat pulled, it spooked and ran down Pennsylvania avenue with the Prresident chasing it. It was easy to get in and out of the White House in those days.
A Bouvier des Flandres with cropped ears.

This must be a cousin to Lucky, the Reagan's Bouvier as Lucky did not have her ears cut. Many people now are preferring the natural ears and the vets are often refusing to crop breeds that heretofore had their ears (and tails) cropped. In the future you will see more and more uncropped and undocked. dogs. Do you think this is a good thing?
Fala, still the most famous dog of all..

Fala is king of them all, or the mighty wizard in the book about Bo you will read about next. There are more than 50 paintings on display in the museum ( or will be again in 2013) telling the stories about all the wonderful animals that came through the White House one way or another. Believe me there were over 400 when you count the sheep, horses, cows, birds, babies, and gifts from great dignataries. Then there will be another 100 paiintings on display that illustrate the relationship and bond between humans and animals.
Bush Pets having a run on the lawun

Here is the Bush family of Pets all together. It appears Barney and Ms. Beazley are more interested in the bird than in the cat, Willie, who is bringing up the rear. Do you think the pets run loose on the White House Lawn?
Ms.Beazley's portrait from her own hair.

Yes, a novelty it might be, but oh how the visitors love seeing the portraits of the dogs made from their own hair. I wish I had a dozen and I am still begging Michele Obama to send me just a handful of Bo's hair, so I have hopes to make another portrrait and add to the collection.
Socks, the most famous cat of all

Socks was the cat has had no equal, as far as popularity goes. Hillory Clinton even had a book published, "Dear Socks, Dear Buddy" that sold very well. The photographers loved her and for a time she was the only true friend her master, Bill Cliinton had.
Cliinton's watch Buddy do what?

Here is Bill and Hillary Clinton watching Buddy watch either the squirrel or Socks, the famous Clinton Cat. Chelsea ,must be away at school or she would be in the painting. Who do you think Buddy, the chocolate Labrador, was chasing?
Barney Bush and his red Ball

When Barney wanted to, he was fiercely protective of his red ball and at other times he could have cared less. You never knew what kind of a mood Barney was in, so the best thing to do would be to keep your distance.
Millie's puppies

Millie didn't mind George Bush, the President of the United States rolling on the lawn with her puppies. She did it all the time. She had seven babies and one, they named Spot, lived on at the White House with Geroge W.Bush, for many years.
Bush's black cat, Willie, wonder is the mouse is good to eat.

George W.Bush, the son who became president too, and his wife, Laura had two Scottish Terriers, Barney and Ms.Beazley and a black cat named Willie or "Kitty Kitty." Few people know much about Willie, but the dogs did and chased her every chance they got.

Animal Art Gallery Paintings 2012

I have over 100 paintings I have done that will go in the museum for sale in hopes of raising funds to keep the Pet Museum and Animal Art Ggallery going once we get it re-opened. I would put it somewhere in Baltimore or Washington, but the Glen Allen Pet Resort facility appears to be the best place. Once opened the Pet Museum will take artists on consignment. These paintings all tell a story and they reflex the bond between animals and humans.

Bush's Millie, a Springer Spaniel

With a tennis ball in her mouth, Millie was the favorite of the Bush Dynasty. She even wrote a book, as told to Barbara Bush, that outsold her masters memoirs.
Bouvier des Flandres
The Grey Ghost Dog
Horse
Springer
"Will She?"
Beach Buddies
two tails
River of Reeds- for: New Orleans

Poem
My Palomeano

The Presidential Pet Museum

Since 2000 I have worked to create the Presidential Pet Museum. To this goal, I have painted over 50 works of art of the Presidents;( from Washington to Obama with their pets,) written a book about Bo Obama and the Presidential Pets, (as Ghosts who come at Christmas time to celebrate their history) and finaly painted 100+ pictures for the Museum's Animal Art Gallery. The paintings help to educate children and adults about the animals that visited the White House and were part of threads woven into the historical tapestry of our great nation. I have combined the paintings with the story about Bo, the First Pet today, and other works of art, to help promote the Museum which I hope to re-open in 2013. I try to sell my paintings as a way of raising funds for the museum as it has no connection with the government, but is aided by gifts and donors.

George Washington on Blueskin

Here is the first painting of the series on the Presidents and their pets. This is followed by 49+ more, (some pets are done twice and many presidents had more than one famous pet. This is George Washington on one of his favoirite mounts, Blueskin, over looking his hounds as they go for "fox". He had another favorite mount named Nelson; named after General Nelson who gave him the horse. They all lived in Mt. Vernon before the Whiite House was finished being built.
President and Mrs. Reagan and Lucky

Here is an autographed photo of the Reagans with their new pup, Lucky, who started the whole thing. My passion for anything Presidential Pet wise, and my love for painting helped launch the project that will envelop me until I die. Now at age 79, I don't expect that to be much longer. I hope there is someone out there that will "carry on!"
The President's Park venue

Here is one wall of Presidential pet trivia that hung at the President's Park until it closed down. The Park closed due to bankruptcy, but the Pet Museum continues on due to my efforts and hopes to re-open at Glen Allen, Va., in 2013.
Presidnetial Museum 2000

In l985, Nancy Reagan made me the first official groomer of the first official Prresidential Pet, Lucky, a Bouvier des Flandres pup. Fifteen years later, after years of collectiing Presidential Pet Memoribilia, I was able to "officially" start the Pet Museum in my own backyard. I soon found out I needed more room so in 2005 I moved to Maryland Avenue in downtown, Annapolis.
Pet Paintings on diisplay

Here one can see several Presidential Pet Paintings on the wall. A volunteer often tells the visitor about each Pet and what is was remembered for. One discovers that FDR had a Great Dane he called, "President" and many other interesting facts. This was our Annapolis home #2.
My logo

This is the logo I had designed for the museum. It changes as the pets at the White House change.
Lucky Reagan

This is a portrait of Lucky Reagan and it is made from the hair I groomed off of her one visit to the White House an is still in excellent condition. It became the cornerstone of the museum and was joined by two other hair portraits of Prresidential Pets.
School crowd visiting the Presidential Pet Museum

School children abounded at the Pet Museum and often came as field trips. Seniors and educators love the concept and enjoy the exhibits. We soon found out we needed a larger venue and was invited to join President's Park in Williamsburg, Va. in 2007.
Presidential Wall display

This wall display of Presidents helps the volunteer follow the chronilogical order of the presidents by the red ribbon. This was at our humble, but sucessful first location in Lothian, Maryland.
Museum treats

The museum played educational pet oriented videos all day and had people come and relax from busy shopping. The museum was featured in Annimal Planet, DOG NATION, books and magazine and newspapers throughout the Baltimore/Washiington area.

BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

Ghosts of past Presidential Pets scheme to kidnap Bo Obbama from the White House and hold him for ransom. Many of the famous Presidential Pets of the past come togetheer to make Bo a block buster first dog. Read about their adventure and who scares who when Bo goes Missing.
This book was written to help raise funds for the Presidential Pet Museum. It took six months to develop and write it, and 6 months to find a publisher. It was published in November of 2012. It has many of the presidential pet paintings that I did for the museum.

BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

This is the logo for the Prresidential Pet Museum showing Barney Bush as the center piece. Now Bo is the centerpiece.
BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

Here is a painting I did of Bo when he is all grown up.
BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

Ghosts of past Presidential Pets scheme to kidnap Bo from the Wite House and hold him for ransom.
BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

Bo is out and about on the White House Lawn. Everyone knows that he is a "Good Dog".
BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

Here is the official White House photo of Bo in his early puppy clip. I used it to do a quick oil painting of him for the book and for the museum.
BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

Here is a photo of the author and artists with her beloeved Portuguese Water Dog. It is a coincidence but the two breeds I excelled in and became an AKC judge of; are the Bouvier des Flandres and the Portuguese Water Dogs, both wondeerful breeds to own. I handled and showed many in each breed under the Deewal prefix, am known world wide and have had over 250+ Champions; bred, owned or co-owned. At 79 I continue to paint for the Museum, work at fund raising and enjoy the e mails and interest I get in promoting the Presidential Pet Museum.
BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

Here is a letter from the first lady to the artist and author of the book, telling me how happy they are with their new First Dog.
BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

Here is Bo as a puppy when he was in the puppy clip.
BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

Here is an illustration I did for the book. Can you tell who is who in this painting?
BO AND THE GHOSTS OF THE WHITE HOUSE PETS

If you look hard you can see a Portuguese Water dog on the bow of this sailboat. These dogs love water and are at home on land and sea. Don't worry, the dog won't fall off; the owners know whaat they are doing.