“Still Looking”

“Still Looking”

pastel, pencil, andwatercolor
I think I’m supposed to use the pricier-sounding term “Equine Portraiture”, rather than “horse picture”.  That said?….I’m sitting here in twenty year old, paint stained sweat-pants, haven’t showered yet this morning, and probably couldn’t fool anyone if I tried to look fancy.  In any case, the picture’s to be gift.

I was very sad to hear that a new neighbor/friend (whom all of us have been cajoling for a couple of years to buy a house hereabouts) had to have her much-loved horse put down this past week.

It’s always extremely difficult to think of what to say or do when someone’s loved pet dies. I don’t think Hallmark makes cards for the occasion, and as a very general rule (at least in my experience) Funeral Homes don’t offer ritualized services for pets. Of course, it occurs to me as I type this that someone-somewhere has no doubt recognized an opportunity to make money, so that I’m completely wrong about the cards and funerals.

In any case, I’m lucky (as usual, I’ll be the first to admit) in that I can draw.  I heard the news of our friend’s loss this past week and simply sat down a few mornings ago to paint her horse (thank you, Facebook, for once again supplying the source material).  I sent it over, along with a brief note of sympathy, by a mutual friend who’s closer (emotionally, not distance-wise).  I’ve already gathered that the picture has provided some degree of comfort.

Not entirely by the way?…..this is the time of year when, as I’ve remarked for at least six consecutive years, I celebrate the season by drawing or painting dead animals and dead fathers-in-law (no one has ever asked me to draws his/her own dead father).  There were four of those last December, and there’ll be six leaving this house by 20 December of this year.  Perhaps I should emphasize that they’ve all be commissioned as “Maybe enough time has passed…” Christmas presents.

It’s a markedly lovely way to spend December; Lord knows the season offers enough completely meaningless distractions.

Well…..this one is for our friend and neighbor.  Wasn’t he a really beautiful horse?