Featured Writer of the Week: Sandy Bergstrom Mesmer
Sandy Bergstrom Mesmer’s mother took her to her first dog show when she was eight. She found this fascinating and immediately wanted to show the family’s standard Poodle. Mom explained the many reasons why this wasn't possible.
“But there was a little voice in my head that said, ‘Someday I'm going to do that’”, Sandy later explained. “Of course, being eight, the next week I was telling everyone that I wanted to be a jockey.”
She always loved to draw and filled sketchbooks with her various attempts, but never took it seriously. Career and family came before art and pets.
Twenty years later, Sandy bought her first dog, a Yorkshire Terrier, while living in Germany with her husband and infant daughter. “I showed Robbie but the only good thing the judge was able to say about him was that he had well-fringed ears,” she said, laughing.
When the family returned state-side Sandy took the opportunity to buy her first Silky Terrier. She founded Tessier Kennels which to date has produced 90 home-bred champions, including 2 World Champions and several nationally ranked dogs.
“In 1999 it occurred to me that it would be fun to take up drawing again,” Sandy continues. “But with a twist, as I also had the years of experience in working with and showing Silkys.” "How To Turn Your Dog Into a Show-Off", with over 200 illustrations, was published by Doral in 2002.
Last August Sandy’s second book Dogs 101: Yorkshire Terriers was published by TFH. It was Maxwell nominated. She is currently working on a book about Pomeranians for the same publisher. This February, Sandy took home a Maxwell for a series of portraits she did of Group winners for the Clearwater Kennel Club. Her portrait art, dog cards, books and advice on training and care are available here, which is subtitled “Everything you always wanted to know about small dogs but were afraid to ask”.
Connect with Sandy at http://tessier-silky-terriers.com.
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