Bad Hair Day

Bad Hair Day. Oil on panel, 6" x 6". ©2019.

One of the things I looked forward to as I headed to River's Wish for my second photo shoot was getting more reference of the sheep with the glorious mane, Precious. It was a warm spring day, I was wearing a little camisole and rolled up jeans, yet somehow it never occurred to me that the sheep would be... shorn.

Precious was only recognizable by her spotted nose and intense gaze. This isn't her—she was sitting back inside a dark barn. This sheep was the only one adventurous enough to go out in the sun naked. Well, not completely naked, exactly. She still had random tufts of fur, reminiscent of one of those sad-looking Chinese Crested dogs. What a good sport she was, to let me take her photo!

Here's a link to the "making of" video for Bad Hair Day.

Precious

The Beauty. Oil on panel, 6' X 6". ©2019.

Never has there been a greater love affair between camera and sheep than the one I witnessed last week at River's Wish Animal Sanctuary. This beauty could not get enough of posing for me.

She was hanging out just at the edge of a shelter, avoiding the rain while catching perfect light on her pale green eyes. Although the sheep was pure white save a few spots on her face, the depth of color occurring in the shadows of its glorious mane was fun to catch and exaggerate.

This is no doubt only the first in a series on Precious the sheep. I mean, just look at that face!

It's amazing she is so friendly, considering her history. When Precious was a baby she was brutally attacked by a so-called human, and her leg was broken. After her rescue, she lived in a shelter in Montana. When the owner of that sanctuary died in 2014, Precious found her forever home at River's Wish.