When I was little my Dad loved to fill the house with treasures from his business trips around the world. We had a grandfather clock that would softly chime to us while we lay in our beds at night, a stately Japanese screen with representations of our family walking on clouds and carrying lotus buns, and a huge glazed oriental vase taller than I was into which we could toss our homework. But one of our family's dearest beloved treasures was a humble creature we called 'Snipe'. He was a tall black statue of a greyhound sitting at attention that lived in the front hallway under the grand curving staircase. I think my dad named him that as a joke and it just stuck. We all loved to give Snipe little love pats and caresses. He had sad eyes and drooping cheeks. When we got him he was almost taller than I was. Over the years as I grew up Snipe suffered many tumbles and spills and Dad mended his collar, nose, and neck many times with paint and wood putty. Finally I think Snipe had his ultimate spill and moved on to doggie heaven but the name will forever have a power over the heart of every 'child' in my family! This painting is in honor of our dear little hound... xoxo Snipe!
p.s. when my mom read this post she actually located poor little snipey and gave him a fresh coat of spray paint, posting an online gallery for you to see him. Click HERE to see...
2 comments:
this painting is beautiful! Snipe will live forever!
Love your painting! Snipe was the first of the Benac Black Dogs, followed by Ashley the Wonderdog and Carmen, Infanta Gloriosa del Camino. Dad got him to placate me in my yearnings for a dog to call my own. Your post was so sweet that I went out to the loggia where I found Snipe, all chipped and broken, washed him down and bestowed upon him a fresh new layer of spray paint. You can revisit him here!
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