Girl with Hamster II

Girl with Hamster I
Gouache
2010

This is a painting I did for a friend the night before last when she told me that her hamster was gravely ill. I am not great at expressing myself and usually put my foot in my mouth, so I thought the best thing I could do for her to show her I cared about her and her sick hamster was to make a painting of her and her friend/pet. That way if her friend didn't get better and the worst came to pass, she would not only have something to remember the time they spent together, but in some way her hamster would live on through my artwork.
Well the worst came to pass, and my friend's hamster not only died, but even worse, my friend had to make the decision to have her put to sleep and then watch/feel as her friend Ellie died in her loving hands. I can think of few things harder for someone to have to do than make the decision to end the life of a beloved pet/friend and then have to sit there and feel life ebb away in their hands. It is a decision that most people have to make of the course of their lives at least once, and yet it is something that no one else can truly understand or appreciate because it was not our pet.
So I gave her the painting and tried to be around for her if she needed me, but like I said, I have a rare ability to stick my foot in my mouth and eventually that is just what I did.