"Little Basil"
6" x 6"
watercolor
on board
Each year I paint a resident of the Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society and donate it to be auctioned at their “Paws for Art” annual fundraiser. I ask Cyd Dunlap, President of OLHS, to select the subject for each painting. This year Cyd led me into the office to visit her current selection. Cyd has a way of selecting the poor pitiful creatures whose faces reflect a not-so-pretty story. So, this little girl wasn’t the winner.
On my way out, I noticed her just sitting quietly in her cage, waiting. She remained very still despite the intrusion of my lens and all the commotion around her. As I took a few close-ups, I saw that she was just a baby and wondered how in the world something so young and cute ended up in such a predicament. No doubt, she was wondering the same thing.
Later, as I sifted through the many photos of the day, I decided to do just a small study and posted it to my website. When Cyd saw it, she emailed to say that this little one is named Basil and is now living in a happy home! Lucky for her, Basil’s story is a short one.
Vicki Wood, JD ©