The cover artist

Oscar Lemoine's artistic medium is the celebrity nude caricature; his ageing black labrador, Elizabeth, is a late-blooming exponent of Canine Expressionism. The minor notoriety of Oscar's covers for the New York-based Lowdown magazine sends master and dog into exile in the South of France, where Oscar hopes to improve his primitive social skills--and to do what he can to develop Elizabeth's budding artistic talent. Oscar finds romance in Val d'Argent; Elizabeth paints a series of masterpieces.--From publisher description.