Guest Blogger, Monica Armstrong
Bijou: a Jewel of Exquisite Craftsmanship
I am an artist work who has lived and worked alone but for my daily companion Bijou. Fifty pounds of personality, black fur and glowing eyes, she accompanied me through a tumultuous period of my life. She listened patiently to my fears and sorrows, and made me laugh in the midst of misery. Bijou was my jewel. To her, I was the most delightful person on the planet. Imagine! Was she nuts? No, she was my poodle, and I was her person.
One terrible day I lost this beloved friend. It seems unbelievable that losing my dog could evoke such depths of grief. Lost was unconditional love, daily laughter, moonlit walks, and fun in the snow. Lost was a fierce and loyal protector when danger lurked, who raced to check on me every time I sneezed…jumping up to ask Are you all right? Are you all right? It always made me laugh and say “I’m all right”…and I was.
Bijou gave me thousands of hours in parks and woodlands. There was pure beauty in the sight of her flying after her ball. Pitching for her daily was a great incentive to work through my stiffness and pain from a surgery that affected my chest and arm muscles. She was a great caretaker of my health. She used her wet nose, eloquent eyes and insistent yips to declare “let’s play! Get up! Let’s go!”
Many a cold, dark night, I grumbled as I suited and booted up to go out in inclement weather only to gasp in pleasure at the sight of creamy clouds slinking across the face of a golden moon. There were hot and humid evenings when Bijou led me ambling into a twilit field, filled with the dancing fireflies. How many dawns and sunsets would I have missed with out her encouragement? Thousands!! 1
Bijou was 13 and vigorous almost to the end. I think I had convinced myself she would defy nature and live with me all my life. I have shed plenty of tears, politely and not so politely asked God to give her back to me. When I looked at pictures of her, it made me sadder. A dullness came over me, I couldn’t seem to shake it. Depression, anger, guilt, grief, came in waves.
Months after her death, I was still unable to concentrate on my work. One day, I gave up trying and succumbed to the lure of the darkened den. I searched for a movie that would distract me from my grief. I happened upon “Coco”, a story of connection with those we have loved and lost. Animated in brilliant color, the tale is set in the Land of the Dead. Charming as the story was, it was the presence of a dog, cat and bird as spirits that spoke most strongly to my heart.
As the closing credits scrolled I dashed to my neglected studio determined to make a spirit portrait of my beloved companion. I laid out a sheet of paper as black as the void I was feeling. While sketching her in with a white pencil, a ghostly figure emerged. It was strangely comforting to see her that way. It helped me accept her as Spirit, therefore not totally lost.
I wanted to to show her personality and essence, not her physical self; girly, beautiful, athletic and graceful, funny and lively. I began to color her shape with blue. Soon, memories of the acres of sky under which we walked and played so often began to soothe my heart.
Multicolored flowers began to form. Bijou’s flying, furry ears became joyful flags, her jaunty pompoms turned pink and blue. Rainbow wings sprouted from her shoulders and a radiant glow flowed from her bottomless heart.
I felt comforted as I expressed the joy of our mutual love and care for each other. I found myself smiling again. Bright and beautiful memories swept away the dark days of loss as I felt her spirit emerge. I no longer linger over photos of her now. I have Bijou’s Spirit Portrait. It always makes me smile and remember the joy of our life together.
It is undeniable that our pets are a divine gift in our lives. We learn the enduring wisdom of forgiveness, generosity, patience, tolerance and a giving heart from them. Pet Spirit Portraits are an opportunity to capture the spirit of your pet, and that special relationship, and if needed, to receive support in the process of healing. From your story I draw the inspiration to create a portrait that will keep the spirit of your cherished pet close with this unique keepsake.
To see more portraits and videos: https://bijouspiritportraits.lpages.co/pet-lovers/ Art and Text Monica Armstrong© 2020 3 4
