“Gentled”

22 x 30 inches
pastel on paper

A beautiful young trainer is relaxed and confident, completely in control of the mercurial 1,500-pound horse eating out of her hand. She turns to him, and he presses himself against her body.

The trust between them makes what she asks of him possible, and is the driving force behind the portrait.

Click the image to enlarge.

A portrait commission fraught with emotion right from the start.

My very assertive client was devastated by Dewey's diagnosis of incurable cancer. Sure that death could be prevented from stealing her companion, she hired me to keep Dewey alive long after he had gone. She wanted an exact depiction — a clone in every physical characteristic. She was proud of his power and strength, his loyalty and obvious intelligence. At the end of our first meeting she warned me, "When you take that cloth off the final portrait, I want to see MY dog."

I spent hours with both of them. I took photographs. I plucked hairs from Dewey’s coat to color-match. I studied his movements, absorbed his personality, appreciated his great dignity, and felt the strong bond between them.

I chose a photograph that showed Dewey in a pose he surely assumed often: listening intently to his mistress' voice, staring at her with complete attention, anticipation and respect.

Dewey had passed away when the portrait was finally ready for its grand unveiling. I pulled away the cloth and held my breath. My client stared at the painting, silent. Suddenly tears streamed down her face, and she cried, "That's my dog!"

Click to enlarge the image. Read more about the challenges of animal portraiture.