|
Story
"Rub-a-Dub" was a calico
cat rescued at a very young age from poor caretakers. She lived a
very happy life with her new owners until she was about nine. Then
one day she came home with severe skin and eye burns. She was rushed
to the veterinarian who diagnosed her as having been chemically poisoned,
most likely from a herbicide (it spread by touch from her paws to her eyes).
The owners recalled their neighbors saying they had just applied a weed
killer to their lawn. For three days the vet tried to save her, but
to no avail. Her death was very tragic for her family, especially
to a little boy. "Calico Cat" stands for all those concerned
about the negative impact certain human actions are having
on the local environment which may be ultimately detrimental to domestic
animals. The unexpected death of this beloved, healthy pet from herbicide
usage brings awareness of an urgent need to protect others from this
fatal adversity. Having been requested to paint this
portrait, I tried to capture her spirit with all my might, to bring her
back to life in a sense, especially for the little boy. I
positioned her front legs together to display her unique diagonal demarcation
of black and white, and enhanced her beauty with the addition of tulip
begonias. -Suzanne |
