The attachment turned out to be the cover of the latest edition of the annual Equine Consumers' Guide (pictured below). As you can see, it features a collage of photos depicting various content from this year's edition. Nothing too remarkable... then I looked a little closer. Just like in the popular "Where's Waldo?" game, I spotted a familiar face. Can you see it? Look at the bottom third of the page, just slightly right of centre.
People who know me and know my artwork are aware of the fact that horses have always been an important part of my life. While I'm currently horse-less, for many years I was the proud owner of a wonderful palomino Saddlebred/Quarterhorse gelding named Duke. His portrait graces the new home page of my website, and it's his face that greeted me this morning, peeking out from the magazine cover. What a lovely way to start the day - like receiving a surprise visit from an old friend!
When people enquire about commissioning an animal portrait, I often tell them about my own experience. I made Duke's portrait when he was in his prime and it has always graced my walls (except for a period after he passed away and I had to put the portrait out of sight for a few months - I was just too sad to look at it). Now each time I see it, it makes me smile and remember my sweet boy. I know first-hand that a portrait can be a pretty special legacy that only gets better with age. It's that proverbial gift that keeps on giving.
Isn't art a wonderful thing? Not that I'm at all biased, of course.
Note: The Equine Consumers' Guide is published annually by Canadian Horse Journals (www.horsejournals.com).
Aww, Duke has his fifteen minutes of fame! (Or maybe a year of fame, since I see that is an Annual publication!).
ReplyDeleteI agree that a portrait is a wonder legacy, a gift which keeps on giving. Your beautiful portrait of my Caleb, who passed away in 2008, makes me smile each time I look at it.