Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The ties that bind.

Pepper & Jazz





Rocky




KD




I've just finished the portrait of Pepper and Jazz and it got me thinking of these wonderful animals and their human companions. Each has it's own story to tell and I think as an artist I'm privileged to have been invited into their and their owner's life. KD and Rocky were beloved companions, KD dying tragically at a year, Rocky after thirteen years. Their owners miss them terribly and it was my job as an artist to paint their portraits. I had to try and express who they were and what they meant to the people who loved them. Pepper, rescued from a bad situation and Jazz, a show horse are still here. When I saw them they seemed to be great friends and it doesn't matter to their owner that one's a champion while the other was unwanted and in need of a home. I think the bond people have with their animals is strong because animals are innocent, they never judge, never blame, so we can love them unconditionally.