We used to do Pet Portrait classes at my sip and paint studio, and one of my customers (who has since become a friend) came every time and painted one of her cats. She did a bunch of great paintings of her furry friends, but her favorite kitty, Gertie, was a fluffy, black, little thing. She was Sarah’s other half.

Recently, Gertie passed away, and Sarah decided she wanted to get a tattoo to commemorate her little buddy. She sent me a sheet with several watercolor kitties, so we decided to combine her painting of Gertie with the style of the watercolor kitties:

I was so honored to be part of this. First, to get to help her make a great painting of her buddy while she was still alive, and then to help her commemorate Gertie now that she’s gone. This is the kind of thing I was really looking forward to when I decided to learn to tattoo. I love being able to help people document a part of their lives and do something that really means something to them. Here’s the final tattoo: