Friends have asked me for years, "why don't you paint your pets?" Until today, I never had a good answer. Now, reflecting on Julie's life and our deep bond, I felt it was finally time and I wanted to express my love for her in this way.
Each of our Dachshunds have had their own unique personalities, but of our three, Julie holds a special place in my heart because of the extraordinary bond we shared.
Julie was special--
she suffered with seizures and required regular doses of medication every eight hours, around-the-clock, 24/7. I was happy to give her this care but I was not prepared for the unexpected bond of trust and love that would grow so powerfully between us during the 11 years my daily life and schedule entirely revolved around her doses of medicine.
After moving back to Ohio four years ago and becoming a full-time artist, I was never in my studio without Julie. All I had to do was ask Julie, "do you want to go to the studio?' and she was ready. Her presence in my life was constant and now to celebrate her 16 years of life I have today begun a painting that I will simply call Julie.
Some may say, as I've often heard, she has crossed the rainbow bridge. While I don't know for sure, I like to imagine her being enveloped by God, in the purest love and the most beautiful light, perhaps refracted into the colors of the rainbow-- that seems fitting to me.
I do know, I wish I had had more time with her and that she had been with us from the beginning. Julie was rescued and came to live with us when she was 5 years-old. As is so often with loved ones, it seems as though the time you have together is never enough.
As I paint Julie every stroke will pay tribute to the priceless love that she shared with us. Through this work I hope to capture her essence, honor her spirit and keep my memories of her alive in my heart.
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