Shitember
A hand-painted oil portrait “Shitember” by the Fart studio. Wild dogs in the forest, getting busy in the middle of the road.
What the painting shows
The painting shows an autumn forest in intense, fiery colours. Several dark, tall tree trunks rise from a carpet of red and orange leaves, and their crowns form a dense mosaic of dots in rust, copper, red and white. Vertical white strokes run across the whole picture; they could be birch trunks, streaks of rain or falling leaves.
Blue sky and a strip of green meadow or field show through in the background. A light grey, whitish road or path runs through the middle of the painting from the bottom into the distance.
On the road, in the centre of the composition, two small dark dogs are mating. The caption "Wild dogs in the forest, getting busy in the middle of the road" and the title "Shitember" (a pun on the Polish word for September) give the idyllic autumn scene a bawdy twist.
Technique and style
A horizontal oil painting on canvas, painted expressively with thick impasto using a palette knife and brush, leaving a strong texture. The leaves are made by dotting and stamping, which recalls pointillism, and the white vertical streaks give the painting rhythm and movement. A warm palette of reds and rusts is set against the cool blue of the sky.
At a glance
- Medium: oil paint
- Surface: canvas
- Orientation: landscape (horizontal)
- Dominant colours: red, orange, copper, brown, white, blue
- Subjects: autumn, forest, trees, leaves, road, dogs, humour
Fun fact
After mating, dogs often stay "stuck" together for 5 to 30 minutes. This is called the copulatory tie, and it comes from canine anatomy: a part of the male's penis called the bulbus glandis swells and locks inside the female. Pulling the dogs apart by force can seriously injure them, so the best thing to do is simply wait.
Want a similar painting?
The Fart studio paints commissioned artwork: portraits of people and pets, landscapes and absurd scenes like this one. You can order a similar piece featuring autumn, forest, trees, starring your own pet, a loved one or your favourite place. Just describe your idea in the contact form and attach a photo.