Animal Farm

I call him Wilbur, and I fell in love with him as soon as I looked into those weird eyes. Turns out that horizontal, slit-shaped pupils are more practical for peripheral depth perception and are common in many animals, including cattle, deer, most horses and quite a few sheep. You just don't notice them because these critters generally have a darker eye color. Obviously, the odd eyes add a LOT to the overall animal magnetism. Could Wilbur's funky ocular style lead to a fashion trend in slit-shaped contact lenses for humans? When it goes viral, remember you read about it here first, folks.

And then there's sweet, old Titan, the first horse my sister-in-law and her husband bought many years ago, the start of a whole string of giant draft horses. I keep looking behind him for the Budweiser wagon. 

I was lucky enough to get a commission to paint both these handsome creatures for friends who have a country home in California. I am delivering Wilbur and Titan to their new home on Wednesday evening. It's not easy to part with them and I will miss their friendly faces around the house.