Make no bones about it, there's nothing more personal than a family pet. I can't remember the holiday season without thinking of Gus, our bighearted and small-brained springer spaniel, who periodically knocked over the tree and chewed on lights. Thanks to Kyle, I now possess a crude sculpture of Gus, so that the dog who never learned to "Sit!" might, for eternity, obediently hold my pencils.

MATERIALS

Clay, oven-bakeable or air-drying
Pencils
Acrylic paints
Paintbrushes

Begin by making a clay base for the pet to sit on. Then make the dog (or cat, or bird, or guppy) out of clay. For Gus, Kyle pushed pencils in through the mouth and into the base. Then he twirled the pencil so the holes were slightly larger in diameter--clay shrinks when it dries. Remove pencils, dry or bake according to manufacturer's instructions, and then paint.