A Man and His Dog

"The dog is the only animal that has seen his god."

~Author Unknown

This is my latest work, a special piece. I had to have it ready for a viewing later today. My best friend's father lost his short battle to lung cancer on Friday. She wanted a picture of him with his best buddy and sidekick pug. Talk about attached at the hip...and feet, and legs, and hands...but especially the heart. Harley will miss his Pappy.

Really difficult piece, and not just emotionally...I had some recent photos given to me that were taken on a cell phone to go by, and some other pics to try to see some detail. It is so hard when you can't make out features. I tried over and over, I wanted to paint it, but not enough time, so then I thought..charcoal! Yeah, that's the ticket. But it wasn't. Next, conte crayon...nope, not that either...Hummmm, maybe if I change the size, reduce it from 18"x24" to an 8"x10". Nahhh, who was I kidding. Nothing was working...so I did the next best thing, I cried, oh yeah, that really helped!

Then suddenly... I started to hear the bangs and pops from the fireworks at the city park, I ran to my window on my staircase and could see them through the trees. I realized I just needed to walk away from it for a while and I came back and started over again with charcoal. After I captured his face, I knew I could crawl into my bed and finally sleep knowing the hardest part was over.

I finished it late this morning and took it over, my friend was too much of a train wreck to function and I placed it in a lovely frame she had.

I am leaving now to be there for my friend and her family.