Early stages, sketching out Max’s portrait on my wacom tablet.

In celebration of international Dog’s Day I wanted to talk about a very special commission that deeply moved me.

I was contacted by John, whose first year ‘paper’ wedding anniversary was coming up and wanted to gift his lovely wife a portrait of their beloved dog, Max.

Max had, very sadly, died a week before their wedding the previous year, and his absence was greatly felt. Not least because of the powerful association Max had with their son, who had also passed away.

We decided on a monochrome, digital charcoal medium. When finished, the portrait was printed on thick archival art paper and framed.

Drawing freehand on my wacom tablet, I lost myself in the quiet contemplation of Max’s beautiful face, illuminated by seaside sunshine, animated by the dancing light reflected in the water around him. The powerful symbolism of the sea enfolding him. On the horizon I added two sailing boats, with the ‘somewhere beyond the sea’ associations of loved ones lost.

Finished PORTRAIT OF MAX, DIGITAL CHARCOAL DRAWING

When Kate, John’s wife, received the portrait, she said the following:

Words can’t really describe how wonderful Max’s portrait is, but I’ll have a go. I’ll admit that there were a number of tears shed when his portrait was given to me. Max was a soul dog and the best friend we could have possibly asked for. As a hugely loyal companion especially to our eldest son and I, he was an incredible comfort after the loss of our eldest son. Somehow our wonderful Labrador just knew how to hold space for us all. Consequently when Max passed away in 2021 it hit hard. Susie has beautifully captured Max in his portrait, so much so that he embodies the same soulful presence that he did in life. I take genuine comfort from his portrait everyday and really cannot thank her enough. Thank you Susie 💛

Experiences like this touch on something beyond a simple exchange of words, they go right into the very heart of us and open up dialogues full of meaning, healing and growth.