“A heart-beat at my feet”

Sleeping Simon

7" X 5" pen and ink

2009

When Edith Wharton described her dog as “A heart-beat at my feet,” she could have been describing Simon. I love this pose! For me it is iconic—a symbol of all our faithful friends who have ever slept soundly and serenely at our feet. I also love the way the two feet—one human, one canine—frame Simon’s sleeping face. Notice that I inked in both sets of toenails in the same shade!

Simon, a yellow Labrador Retriever, is not always so serene. “He was a fiend as a puppy,” says Tracy, Simon’s “Mom,” the one who is attached to the human foot on the left. “He has grown into a dog with a great zest for life. I adore him completely and he has inspired me to become a professional dog trainer and allow my nutty passion for all things canine to blossom. We participate in Agility and Rally together, and hike all year together in any type of weather.” Simon is lucky to live on Mount Desert Island, Maine, where he has all the spectacular mountains in Acadia National Park to choose from for his daily hikes. In this shot, he is returning from a day trip to Schoodic Peninsula by boat. “After a day exploring Schoodic,” says Tracy, “the vibration of the boat lulled him to sleep.”

This is the first of two portraits Tracy and I have planned for Simon—so far! The second will be a puppy pose that I hope will capture Simon’s zest for life. “He still is a fiend at heart and I have grown to love and admire him for that!” says Tracy.

Sweet dreams, Simon!