Miss Phoebe, 12×16, Oil on board
Phoebe was our beloved boxer who died of bone cancer in March 2017. She was a week shy of her 9th birthday. Our good neighbor’s son loved her and referred to her as, Miss Phoebe. She was an ebullient dog bursting with unrestrained joy and unconditional love. She shook her nub tail and back end so exuberantly that our renovation contractor and his men dubbed her, Wiggles. It was not unusual to get offers by others to babysit her in their homes. Her sweetness, however, was matched by her smarts. She was easy to train, and so willing to please. She never did anything wrong and stuck to rules as if she had made them. One of her favorite things was running full speed and crashing into another barrel-chested dog. This she would do with mouth agape and full tongue extended. She was a really good dog. My first painting of her was unexpectedly sold at an art show. One day it occurred to me that I could paint another just for us, so I did. She is missed.