Sunday, July 17, 2011

Memory Painting of Ginger


When I first saw this little filly on the Horse Pals Chat group I was taken with her.  She just seemed to have all you would ever want in a filly.  I did not have the chance to meet Ginger in person but I looked forward to the weekly photo posts from Don and Marijanne, her people family.  While I was away this little one had a  serious accident and had to be put down.  It was and is sad news.  To work through my own sadness I decided to paint Ginger working the brush and paints as a way of saying good-bye.  The painting will be gifted to Marijanne and Don this coming Sunday and I hope it will bring fond memories for them in the years to come.  Meeting Ginger made for, "A Painting Day".

"Ginger" 6x6-inches oil on canvas by Ruth Andre ©
Private Collection


A few words from Ginger's owners are shown below.



Today we buried a piece of our biggest dream, one that held many hopes and desires... Ginger was like a child, a furry one of course but one who represented an esteemed part of an old breeding that is almost lost. She was everything I ever hoped and dreamed for in fact, she was more than that, when she finally arrived and not on just any day, but on my birthday...


Every breeder dreams of perfection, looks forward to seeing that dream come true and Ginger most certainly exceeded all those expectations. She had a personality that was hard to beat... always ready with a super friendly sweetness for a loving scritching on her butt or her neck. She would put her nuzzle on my cheek when I told her kiss-kiss... during her first trim she fell asleep with her head on Don's shoulder. I could lead her around with just a loose line in any direction away from her dam... not only was she a breeders dream but her disposition was A+++


All of us were very attached to her, we all helped and welcomed her into the world and my grandaughter named her. Last night was one of the hardest I can think of... My oldest granddaughter created a poster for her on facebook and my daughters, Chris and Leanne came out to help me through some tough stuff and grieving/ After they left our tears flowed quite often as we thought about how much that little filly had brought into our lives and how much enjoyment we gleaned from watching her develop and grow. We won't see her into her adult life due to a freak accident but we do know that in the short time she was with us, we were able to touch greatness and the visualization of a dream come true.


Today as Don and Daryl dug the deep hole that her body would rest in, was a hard one for Don especially... many times he would go out in the middle of the night to "check" on her and often during the day as he went about the chores on the ranch he would walk back to where Ginger was with some cookies softened in water for her. When the hole was finished with Ginger in it, we placed some moistened cookies by her side... it was even more heartwrenching that as we covered her little body with the first scoops of dirt, Caje her dam came over to the fence beside her open grave and sent some deep, lonely whinnies into the skies... We will all miss her...

5 comments:

Virginia Floyd said...

Lovely painting, Ruth. And your friend's story was very touching. We all have a love for our animals and can understand the family's grief.

Marie Theron said...

Such a dear image you have painted, full of innocence. What a sadly shortened little life!Now there will be both the written story and your lovely painting to remember the filly by!

martinealison said...

Ce n'est pas sans larme que je vous écris et vous dis que l'histoire de Ginger me touche... je suis désolée de cette perte qui vous attriste tous... Je crois que cette superbe peinture est un très bel hommage à Ginger qui était une belle pouliche... la vie est très souvent malheureusement aussi une mauvaise farce.
Je vous embrasse affectueusement.

Ruth Andre said...

merci

merci, merci à vous !

Theresa Paden said...

So, so sad. I'm glad you were able to work out some of your grief by painting little Ginger. I know her family will treasure the portrait.