Petey the Pug Print

Petey was a Pug that passed away at 15 years old. When tasked with this piece I wanted to call to mind the sort of things that I feel are always around us and in my community. For Dog Owners, I feel as if our pets, our companions, become not only an extension of ourselves but also of our environments. It's hard to imagine them not being there. Their presence becomes as ubiquitous as the flora that dons our homes. Growing up I can't remember there ever NOT being a pothos plant in the building whether it be a house, office, or store. They seemed so easy to propagate and that was one of the first memories of gardening I had with my Maternal Grandmother: Just tossing a clipping of a "Julieta" in a glass of water and waiting for the roots to bud. It was also something always passed along. I recall feeling a bit guilty buying my first couple of plants from an actual store instead of walking out of some relative's home with a vine wrapped in a moist paper towel or tucked in a plastic cup. It was sort of a "Promise of Continuity." Like no matter what, there would always be more of this and it was always for free. Kind of a convoluted metaphor for Love Everlasting. But that's also how love from a pet feels. Nonjudgmental. Unbiased. Indiscriminate. Unconditional. And we do often forget that at some point, puppies don't stay puppies... that they, like the vines, eventually whither before they're able to renew. So that's what I was trying to capture with Petey: A Persistent Presence of Love... even in his absence. Original Painting is with a Collector in El Paso, Texas. Open Edition Prints are now available for sale.