Bear the Chihuahua

I have so many memories of time with my cousins at my grandma and grandpa's house.  They lived far down a dirt road with only my uncle and aunt as neighbors.  Their son (the first grandchild) was grown by the time  the cousins near my age came along, but Aunt Muriel (which we all pronounced Mearl) had two little chihuahua dogs that she carried everywhere.  Oh, how we wanted to play with those little dogs!  But Sandy and Cocoa would have none of it!  They loved their Muriel the best.  No amount of coaxing could convince them that playing with kids could be better than being held. Although none of us ever actually lost a finger while trying to pet one of them, it wasn't for their lack of trying!

Painting this little guy brought up lots of Sandy and Cocoa memories. Although this little blonde chihuahua looks just like my memory of Sandy, I trust that Bear is much better behaved!

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 12" Wrapped Canvas.
[SOLD]

Tinker Belle

What is REAL?

                 "What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side 

          near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room.  "Does it mean having 

          things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

               "Read isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse.  "It's a thing that happens 

          to you.  When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with , but 

          REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

     Do you recognize this conversation?  If you haven't read The Velveteen Rabbit in a while, find a copy and read it.

     Before I begin painting, I ask a couple of important questions.   

     1.) What size and shape of canvas would be best? 

     2.) What's important for me to know about the subject?

After we settled on the size and shape of the canvas, this is what I got back in answer to my second question:

               "A very important feature of Tinker that I want to make sure that you 

          keep is the detail on is on her right shoulder.  You will see a definite white-ish 

          line mark.  This is where she had a mass taken out when she was a puppy.  

          We never got it biopsied because we didn't care to know... She was ours.   

          With that, her seizure episode, and a knee replacement during her first 6 

           months of puppyhood, she became our "million dollar dog."

That was it.  I fell in love with this little yella' dog and couldn't wait to start.

      During the time I was working on this project, I kept thinking how scars and flaws and raggedy edges don't keep us from REAL love.  It reminded me of The Velveteen Rabbit.  And it reminded me of the gray lump of ratty stuffed cloth that my sweet little great niece carries everywhere and calls "Sheep."  I'm pretty sure that somewhere back there it was a pretty little stuffed lamb... now... mmm... not so much... But, Sheep is loved.  The Velveteen Rabbit was loved.  And Tinker Belle is loved.

Me and my Olivia (as a baby).

Tinker Belle (as a baby) and her mama.

[SOLD]