George the Dog, John the Artist

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George the Dog, John the Artist 

Many of us love our dogs, but not many of us have them to thank for our success.

John Dolan, a 43-year-old artist living in England, struggled with poverty, drug addiction and homelessness for much of his life, Reuters reported. Then, one day, a fellow homeless woman gave Dolan a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy who she had traded for the price of a can of beer. The dog's name was George, and he would have a transformative effect on his new owner's life.



 

John Dolan is east London's most notorious artist. For three years, he sat every day with his dog George on Shoreditch High Street. In the past, Dolan had been in and out of prison and often found himself homeless. Sitting on the street every day and watching the world go by, he became part of the community, speaking to passersby about his life, his experiences and George. 

Dolan began to draw the buildings on the street to document his day, elevating the old, decrepit buildings that are so often ignored and under-appreciated. He also drew portraits of George as he sat beside him, and began to sell his drawings for a few dollars, to the people he saw walk up and down Shoreditch High Street every day-- until he was approached by a gallery director named Richard Howard-Griffin.
Howard-Griffin discovered him and helped him put on his first art show in September of last year. It was a huge success.

The story of John and George is one of companionship and hope. Since that time, George has been Dolan's most loyal companion, ultimately enabling him to change his life. With George at his side, Dolan managed to escape a twenty year cycle of homelessness and prison, establishing himself as one of east London's most recognizable artists.

With George at his side, Dolan managed to escape a twenty year cycle of homelessness and prison, establishing himself as one of east London's most recognizable artists.

John Dolan's original classic drawings of George the Dog are available to buy onine from Howard Griffin Gallery here: George the Dog drawings

To see more of John Dolan's work at the Howard Griffin Gallery, visit here and here.

Source:

Huffingtonpost

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