Two Horses: Easy and Jake. Scratchboard with acrylic ink, 10 x 8 in, 2007. Private Collection.
I just made delivery on this commission and it’s my longest (timewise) commission to date. Technically, it’s a pet portrait, but I didn’t want to merely create a visual reproduction of the two. I wanted to say something about their relationship: Easy, the Appaloosa, is blind and Jack, the Paint, sees himself as Easy’s protector. It’s impossible for a stranger to approach the two of them without Jack placing himself in the middle of things and forcing the “intruder” to submit to an inspection. It’s a touching friendship and I’m pleased to have captured it in the work. But more importantly, the owner is very pleased with the final result. And with a commission, that is perhaps the best barometer of success.
