Art Wortd Coop

Those of you that follow me at facebook or here on the blog know that Big Tommy had a rough week last week. He was diagnosed with an inoperable tumor on his heart. He stopped eating for a couple of days and he felt pretty weak. I am pleased to report that he is feeling much better through the miracle of Prednisone. Steroids can really make a pup feel a lot better than they are.  He started acting like his old self on Sunday and these past 2 days have been really great. It helps a lot that the weather here in Texas is finally starting to feel like fall. We spent a lot of time outside on Sunday and the pics above are from that afternoon. The sketch is an old one from 2008, although I am trying to do at least one new sketch a day of him, sketching is my coping mechanism and a way to focus on him without driving him crazy with more attention than he can possibly stand.

I am working and trying to finalize and update a few portrait projects from September. Tommy likes my work routine and is hanging out in the office with me like he always has. We know our days with him are numbered and I am trying to mix as much normal routine as possible in with the extra good meaty food he is getting and the extra park visits. Each extra day with him is a gift at this point.

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Take some photos this week of your pets! I can not tell you how many times I have created artwork from really blurry out of focus snapshots because they were like the only photo that my clients could find of an animal that had passed on.  Other times I have worked from quality photographs of pets taken on their last week where they don't have the normal sparkle in their eyes. So get the camera out this week and take some pics of your animals, they are with us such a short time.
Organize your digital memories! Ok this is where I am at right now. We have 3 or 4 computers with home snapshots on them. I have found tons of great old photos of Big Tommy and the other Scotties, but they are all over the place, some may even be on a machine that is not working ( need to get someone to try and retrieve those files). I need to set up file folders for the pets and then burn some back up cds of my images, and even print out some good shots and put them in a photo album like people did back in the dark ages before digital cameras. 
Hold your fur-babies close!  Don't feel sorry for me, we all go down this road at some point with our fur-kids. Just remember to celebrate your love for your pets each and every day, and get that camera out.