Dogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really. Agnes Sligh Turnball
I knew Wallace, a french bulldog, just a short time. Lucky me, I encountered him at the digital photography firm, Chrome, where I often take my paintings to be photographed. His owner, Israel Castillo, a very talented photographer, happened to greet me at the front with Wallace not too far behind. Good thing I had a camera, because while I waited, I took several photos of Wallace. With Israel’s blessing, Wallace became the subject of several paintings, some of which were inspired by Israel’s work.
Sadly, Wallace passed away, but it’s clear from the many posts by Israel on Facebook, that he had quite a fan club, me included.
In this painting, inspired by one of Israel’s photographs, Wallace waits at the top of a staircase, ready to play ball. I picked a colorful palette, imagined subtle rays of light in the background as if Wallace were at Heaven’s door reminding us that he is still around. And yes, he wants to play ball.
Saying goodbye is never easy, but we are forever impacted by the love of our animals. Whether you believe in the beyond or not, at the very least treasure those rich memories of unconditional love and happy wags.
“Ready to Play”
16 x 20 Oil on Canvas
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