Fleury, Yorkshire Terrier - Part VII

"Fleury was a real lover," said Carol.

She describes his last moments with her at the emergency vet hospital:

Once we were seen and it became apparent that it was his heart that was acting up, the pace changed. He was whisked away to an oxygen cage and the next time I got to hold him, only hours later, his condition was dire and I was saying goodbye to him. Even in his distress he knew me and gave me a final loving glance into my eyes and, cuddled up with his doll under his chin, we let him go. I think it was peaceful and I am glad it was fast. 

Almost done. I have to leave Fleury alone for a little while so I can come back with a fresh pair of eyes and do corrections. At this stage, the owner of the dog, Carol in this case, will give me some input to make sure all is how it should be before the varnish is applied.

The flash of a camera will often overexpose the subject, making it lighter than reality, but the human brain does not question a photograph as much as it questions a painting. I departed from the photograph and adjusted the colouring of Fleury to fit with the light source of the painting so all the elements belong together naturally.

The little teddy bear dog was given a collar so I could hang a little heart from it. Perfect symbol for Fleury. The next stage will be corrections, varnish, paper backing, ribbon contour and hardware. We are almost there.

You might remember Shelby, another little Yorkie, commissioned by Carol for her best friend Judy on her birthday. Go here to see the making of her portrait and to read her story.