Description
Bud was my husband Joe’s dog. He got him as a puppy. Bud was nine years when we met – he was the first dog in my life. This photo was taken when he was about twelve. We were on our regular walk up the hill near our home in Petaluma on a blazingly bright March morning. Just a few weeks later Bud developed arthritis and diabetes, making his world much smaller – no more walks up the hill. When I see this painting, I remember that time as his last good spring. This painting daunted me, I’d never painted anything but plants before. I did the whole background and then stopped for a long time. I picked it up and began painting his back and was very dissatisfied with what was happening. I abandoned it for too long to finish before he died at 14 and a half. I picked it up again while I was on a seven-day silent creativity retreat where I gave myself permission to just ruin it. I went to the painting each day, (silently) talked to my dog’s spirit and brought him back through.
-April 2005
