Sabrina, Incomplete

I love fostering kittens, really I do. But fostering is in no way always pretty...or easy. Sometimes things take a real sharp turn and your heart breaks. Sabrina came to the LKG family as the smallest of her bunch. But oh so sweet and spirited. A snuggle-in and watch TV or read a book buddy. And she loved her Daddy G. But every time we thought she'd got her on her way to catching up with her brothers, she would take that wrong turn again. When it got too scary for me to hold on to her, I took her back to the rescue so my dear friends Margo and Albert could work their magic and make Sabrina well. 

It wasn't meant to be. I got a call from Margo that my "Brini" wasn't doing well. And a broken-hearted Albert told me in person when Sabrina had peacefully left this world in his arms. Our devastation was real. My husband and I cried for days. I debated walking away from fostering. But to honor Brini's memory, we continued. 

This portrait of Sabrina was something I had to do. But I couldn't finish it. I was scared that I'd ruin it. That finishing her drawing was forgetting her. Then I stumbled across the work of artist Adrian Brandon (@ayy.bee on Instagram). You have to see his Stolen series. It shattered me. It gave my spirit permission to leave Brini's drawing as it was. To express the hurt, the grief, the incompleteness and unfairness in the empty spaces where my beautiful baby girl's face belongs...where her journey should have led. 

Please spay or neuter your pets. 

This piece in no way is meant to equate the loss of my foster kitten with the losses of the subjects of Adrian Brandon's Stolen series. It is meant to acknowledge the inspiration I drew from his work.

1.93" x 3"

LKGCC08