A difficult composition, as I had to incorporate several animals, of different sorts for the client. 2 Border Collies, a cat and 4 gerbils! Way fun, but a challenge! So, I came up with this. It's a bit post-impressionist/expressionist for me, that's just how it developed as I came up with the composition and started to paint. The only stipulation besides all of them in one canvas was that one of the border collies had to be looking at the cat, as that is the main reason for that dog's existence, keeping an eye on that cat! That's a border collie for you, give them a job and they do it, diligently, lol! So, that's Charm watching the cat in the foreground. Simba the cat looks quite bored with the whole thing, well, what cat wouldn't?? But, in this painting world, it is indeed a peaceable kingdom, so the gerbils get to hang out with the cat and dog as well. In the background, is Skye, looking in through the window and one of the other gerbils there on the sill as well. Skye is deceased, so I had him on the outside looking in, as he's still in the picture in spirit. Above his head are cherry blossoms, symbolic in asian culture of the beauty and frailty of life, hence the fallen petals on the floor under the window. A little charm hangs from Skye's neck as well, a symbol from a Tibetan manuscript which is a variation of the Buddhist symbol of the Endless Knot, symbolic of wisdom and compassion and connection and the circle of life.