starr bryant
briley kotler
cameron laprad
emliy mcpherson
kat ross
gayle tucker
mo schultz
WATCH DOG,
2025, Oil on canvas, house paint, wood,
100 framed 144 x 66 inches
I stare into the mirror as the minutes pass, and I wait for her to show up. The woman. The dog. I sit, and I wait for her canines to match their name. Growing sharper and longer so they can nip at the heels of bad men I can only wince at. I wait for those long wavy locks to turn into short thick fur. I wait for her.
I wait, and I wait. She doesn’t come.
I stay. I sit. I pet her fur. I remember when she had the soft coat of a babe. It felt like clouds and butter and a warm blanket. The shine has faded from her coat, and her age is beginning to show. I’m sure someone would say the same about me if they played with my hair. We both know someone fierce will never come. We both know we will never bite and only sometimes will we bark. We will follow, with our tails tucked between our legs, and when we lay our heads down at night, we will repeat to ourselves, “I am a good dog. If I am not today, I will try to be tomorrow.”