Life is a Bed of Violets

St. Louis based Gateway Pet Guardians is having a "Soiree for Strays" fundraiser for pet rescue.  I generally shy away from painting animals, but decided to take my courage in hand and try something I don't feel confident in painting.  Give me a rose - I can paint it in a 100 ways - a pet?  That's a different story.  But I took this photo of our darling Peaches, a border collie mix, the first day we brought her home from the St. Francois Society in St. Louis and her eyes in that photo always spoke to me.  I would take her on a leash out the front door because without a leash, she would go hide in the bushes.  On the leash I could keep her nearer to me as she adjusted to her new surroundings.  She loved laying in the bed of violets and painter's palette.   She was so shy and timid.....for a week.  Then she became the ruling royalty of the house (in her mind and in my husband's as well!)  Peaches is now two and a half years old and thriving, trying to energize her owners who happen to be senior citizens who love her dearly, but have a hard time keeping up with her energy level!

I could have chosen several titles for this painting - "Saving Miss Daisy" because that was her name when we adopted her, or "Peaches in the Violets" or "Home at Last" - but I think "Life is a bed of Violets" describes pretty well the life she now lives as part of our family.