A Tribute To Brutus

My name is Mona Majorowicz I am a professional artist who has been making my living selling my work for some time now. I am an animal artist, (meaning I paint critters) who works primarily in Oil Pastel or Water Soluble Pencil.

I own and operate Wild Faces Gallery with my husband Mike in a small rural town in Iowa. There we sell my original artwork and prints, as well as do quality custom framing and offer Giclee printing for other artists as well as for ourselves. I have over 20 years experience in the art and framing industry, both as a business owner and as a working artist.

I write a regular column for Apples 'N Oats (an equestrian magazine) about painting horses. If you would like to see real life photos of Catch, or want to follow the painting's progress (with full story) from start to finish please visit my blog, Fur In The Paint

Animals are my passion and art is how I chose to express it.!)

At the time Brutus came into our lives, I was working as a vet tech and we already had three greyhounds adopted off the track. We lived in a small house and had no more room for another large dog.

We lived a few miles outside of Rapid City, SD on a farm, when late one night my husband Mike noticed someone driving in our yard. Some people had found this puppy wandering on the road and thought it might be ours. We answered in the negative and they left. A few minutes Mike went back out because "he had a feeling" and sure enough they left the puppy behind.

I was working full time and we already had 3 dogs I was adamant that we weren't keeping this one. We took him to the local animal shelter the following morning. And the day after that, we returned and bought him back.

When we first moved to Iowa I was stricken with a lung infection picked up from stripping wallpaper. It very nearly killed me. Once home from the hospital I spent weeks in an easy chair because laying down made me cough and I felt like I was drowning. I could barely walk into the next room without losing my breath. Brutus stayed with me every minute. If I went to the bathroom, he followed.

Brutus loved all types of games and made up several himself. Tug-O-War was a favorite. Of course me being so weak, I certainly was in no shape for that rough and tumble activity. So Brutus devised a game of tug-o-war from my cough drop wrappers, of which there were many. He would carefully take one end in his mouth and wait for me to grab the other. Then the gentlest game of tug-o-war imaginable began. If I won he quickly grasped his end of the wrapper and tried again. If he won, he'd pull back wiggling, looking all proud of himself for a second or two and then promptly offered me the other end to try again. When the delicate paper finally tore, the game was over.

I know my recovery would have been longer and more agonizing without my dear Brutus.

Brutus was an energetic sort. Labs are known for that quality. My husband and I hiked the Black Hills every chance we got and Brutus was always willing to go. He loved water (of course) but he also just loved the outdoors and traveling.

He was a crazy pup up until he was two. Many a time I thought that perhaps he was more than I could handle. A little after 2 years of ages he mellowed out and became the most wonderfully obedient dog. Brilliant and trainable. It's light a light bulb just got turned on.

I did some obedience training with him and eventually could control him from across the yard with hand signals. He really was all that could be asked for in a dog.

According to wikipedia

The Labrador Retriever (also Labrador, or Lab for short) is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. This and their subsequent use as hunting companions, gave them the name retriever. The dogs of this breed are very loving, kind and compassionate to their master. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog (by registered ownership) in the world (more ...)

It's surprising how quickly 14 years just flies by. His whole lifetime in the blink of an eye.

Around the age of twelve we noticed he was having issues with his mouth. SO we took him to our local vet. Since we live in a rural agricultural area the local vets are really geared toward working with larger animals. He referred us to another vet in a larger city about an hour away. There he had the first of three surgeries. They removed his right canine tooth and a small cancerous growth growing beneath it.

Many months later we returned and had to have the tumor removed again. Six months later it was back. At that point we were referred to the Ames Veterinary Laboratory. These are the go to guys for strange and bizarre. He had his third surgery here (which I decided whatever the outcome would be his last.). They had said they'd never seen anything like it and sent it off for further study.

The third surgery bought us another year together. Of which I am so grateful. When the tumor had come back again to the point of being too painful he was 14 years old. It was the hardest decision I ever made. I stayed in the room with him and held him while they injected the euthanasia solution. I held his held and told he was a good dog and that I loved him.

Having been a vet tech I had assisted in many euthanizations. I guess I would have thought this would have toughened me up a bit. But every time we had to do it to one of my own, I sobbed inconsolably.

I picture him running happily in the afterlife. Full of energy and youth. And I hope to one day see him again.

Good bye my friend. I miss you still.

Art Materials, Techniques and Supplies
How To Paint Fur In Watercolor Pencil
Learn About Watercolor Pencils
Using Watercolor Pencils on Suede Board
Inktense: Water Soluble Ink Pencils
Neocolor ll Water Soluble Wax Pastels
Oil Pastel Technique
Oil Pastels: Some Basic Information
Tips and Tools for working with Oil Pastels
3 Ways To Frame An Oil Pastel Painting

Art Business & Art Marketing
How To Know If You're Ready To Make Prints Of Your Art
Artwork Framing Guide
How To Care For Your Artwork and Prints
Creating A Collaborative Economy For Artists
How To Draw Remarques
Art Marketing: 6 Personality Traits For Success In The Art Market
Art Marketing: When Selling Art Predictable Is Popular
Art Marketing:The Two Most Common Myths
Selling Art: Tips From An Art Fair Veteran

Art Fair & Art Fair Gear Lenses
An Art Fair Primer
All Good Things Come From Art Fairs
20 Things I've Learned From 20 Years of Doing Art Fairs
Choosing The Right Art Fair
Preparing Art Fair Slides & Digital Images For The Jury
Artwork Display Panels
Directors Chair Resource
Art Fair Equipment Essentials
Art Fair Tents And Canopies

Lenses About Me And My Art
Artwork To Benefit Equine Rescue
Wild Faces Gallery Art Lensography
Animal Totems: An Art Series
The Horse Paintings Of Wild Faces Gallery
The African Wildlife Art of Wild Faces Gallery
The Zen Horse: An Art Series
The Draft Horse Art Of Wild Faces Gallery

Art & Critter Related Books, Movies and Music
The Art Books Of Robert Vavra
Hidalgo: The Movie
My Favorite Horse Movies
The Classic Horse Books Of Marguerite Henry
Music For The Art Of Creating
Author Diana Gabaldon's Outlander Series
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Art Books Of Robert Bateman
House Of Night Vampire Book Series
Vampire Academy Books Series
The Best Books For Women Who Love Horses
The Best Books For Horse Lovers
Oliver: The Original Gallery Cat
Chicory The Wonder Horse
A Tribute To My Faithful Friend Brutus
Is Declawing A Cat Cruel?
The World Percheron Congress 2010
My Dog Cisco: A Day In The Life Of A Retired Farming Dog
Your Cat Related Questions Answered By Budda The Cat
Meet The Budda
Budda's Dream Time Wish List

Picture Framing & Misc. Artsy Fartsy Stuff
How To Make Paper
How To Collect Your Own Reference Photo Library And Why You Should
Organizing Your Photo Reference Library
How To Stretch Mount A Cross Stitch
Mat Cutting: How To Cut The Basic Mat

Christmas Card, Ornament and Gift Lenses
Create Your Own Christmas And Holiday Art Cards
Alphabet Block Christmas Tree Ornaments
Hanpainted Victorian Christmas Tree Ornaments
How To Make Heart Button Pillow Ornaments
How To Make Felt Carousel Christmas Tree Ornaments
Free Crochet Snowflake Patterns
Handmade Christmas Ornaments, Cards, Gifts & Decorations Lensography
Antique, Vintage & Victorian Postcards
Create These Easy Vintage Postcard Christmas Tree Ornaments
Carousel Horse Christmas Tree Ornaments
Color Fun With Crayola
Art Supplies For Kids
Breyer Collectible Holiday Horses