If you’ve been following this portrait you know scent-work was Rare’s passion. I didn’t notice until I got to her face that her nose is cranked to one side — intensely searching for the scent of that track she’s on.
It was a little challenging to capture that slight twist in her muzzle. But so important to portray her expression correctly. This face, the intensity of Rare’s expression, is what makes the whole portrait.
Read Katie’s words below for why that was so important to her.
After losing Rare at age 12 Katie wrote:
“I have been fortunate to have had a few ❤️ dogs, but nowhere near what this girl came to mean to me. She was totally my dog and my shadow. The sweetest dog anyone could ask for. She never complained when her rear legs no longer could hold her up, only the few raspy barks because she was frustrated that she could no longer will them to allow her to stand. She never complained at all the times she would stumble and fall, only look at me with her apologetic face and try her best to get back up. This, my champion girl, the dog who loved the breed ring and her breeder/handler Ali Doughty. All the laughs we had traveling and Rare’s antics.
But…it was her eyes…the piercing stare she would give me as she laid beside me…her beautiful dark eyes…they will haunt me forever.”
As we discussed the photo of Rare in her tracking harness that would be used for the portrait, Katie told me:
“Rare beat a LOT of specials and took most, if not all, of her majors at Doberman Specialities, which is quite coveted. She was a sight to behold in the breed ring. But her true passion was scent work. She was absolutely obsessed with it. She still got all charged up about it to the day she died…all I had to say was “find it!” and THAT look came out.
...This was the ONLY time Rare became animated and gave off this intense expression, from the minute the harness was on or if she even THOUGHT it was coming on.
It is her LOOK, eyes and expression that hypnotizes me.”
- RARE -
CH Old Drum’s Vintage Whiskey Ridge CGC NAJ ROM WAC SCN SHDN
🎨 Grisaille portrait of Rare for Katie G.
Prismacolor pencil on Fabriano Tiziano paper
16 x 22 inches
