Max

I don't usually have stories to share about my paintings and where the inspiration came from, but my most recent painting is an exception to that.

We had a black Labrador named Max. Max joined our family when my daughter was six months old, and stayed with us up until April 4th, 2012 when we had to put him to sleep. Max was quite the character, with a strong will and a propensity for mischief (most especially if there was a skunk around. Oh, the skunks. You'd think a dog would learn to leave them alone!)

Max was also my companion. I had not realized how much he had become a part of my life until after he was gone. The loss is something I feel keenly. I painted this painting for my family, to always remember Max.

One of Max's quirks was that in the middle of the night, he liked to go out back, sit on a hill, and just gaze at the moon and stars. Usually this was around 2AM, and we didn't find it very funny - especially since we were the ones who had to go and drag him back inside (it wasn't safe out there with all the coyotes and other wildlife prowling around. And the skunks. Did I mention the skunks!??!)  But the truth was that Max was my moon-dog, and that's how I'd like to remember him.

So here he'll sit, on a hill of flowers and fireflies, watching the moon.

While the original will remain with us personally, already there are requests for prints.  Those are available for order on my website here.