On July 21st, 2008 I met pet portraiture artist, Jessie, of Stray Dog Arts for the first time. I had reached out to her a month or so prior, by email, in hopes that we could meet for coffee/tea one day to discuss a possible partnership between Stray Dog Arts and Pet Haven. Little did I know how profoundly that day would change the direction of our lives both individually, and in friendship and partnership.
This coming Saturday will be Pet Haven's largest fundraiser of the year, our second annual Fall Benefit. Jessie has graciously donated to our silent auction a painting of Ode who was rescued from horrific abuse in July and taken into Pet Haven's foster program - Ode continues to touch and inspire so many of us.
Jessie is currently working on her latest series of paintings for an upcoming exhibition, RESCUED: Dogs of Pet Haven. The opening reception will be on November 13th at 7:30 PM at Cuppa Java, 400 Penn Ave S, Minneapolis, MN. I am lucky to catch glimpses of an artist at work, to be a part of her process while she prepares for this exhibition, and to "introduce" her to Pet Haven dogs she has chosen to paint. I am grateful she has chosen to partner with Pet Haven and to join us in being a voice for homeless animals.
She is an incredibly talented artist and her paintings reflect the spirit and essence of the dog she paints.
As I get sneak previews of her paintings of Pet Haven dogs, I find myself moved beyond words -- my dream of having their stories told has come to fruition - not only through words, but through visual art. Through her paintings, Jessie is telling the stories of Koda, of Ode, of Jasper, Mandy, Spice Girl, and Peanut - her images capture and tell their story in a profound, powerful way, where words fall short.Thank you Jessie for giving so much of yourself to the animals.
Thank you walking through a door that many choose not to walk through - there's a shadow side to the work of animal rescue, and there are also some harsh realities - i thank you for being brave. More importantly though, there is an incredibly joyful side to animal rescue [these Happy Tails will warm your heart].
Thank you Jessie for immersing your heart and soul into work that truly matters.
Of course I'm in tears by the end of reading this! These dogs take up a lot of space in my spirit. Because of them I feel a fullness that still amazes me.
ReplyDeleteThank you, my friend, for being a part of this with me, and I with you.