Ar the end of 2023 year I touched the story of a wonderful family that includes a cat Max and a horse with the remarkable artistic name Aquarelle (Watercolor).

It was my first commission where I was asked to portray all family members. As you may recall, I rarely depict people, except for very rare exceptions.

Of course, the main heroine of the painting was planned to be the beauty Aquarelle, or affectionately, Quikie. I've been following Quikie since the day she was born. To receive an order for someone you've been observing since infancy is very touching and heartwarming.

Mares in paintings are often very fussy and capricious. Turn them one way, then the other, adjust the sun, turn up the wind, and now change everything, and so on.

Quikie, on the other hand, immediately chose a very cozy pose and said that she feels warm and good, planning to stay in this position and observe the process.

When animals are depicted in a painting interacting with each other regularly in real life, it is quite evident in the process. However, it is much more challenging to find a connection between animals in a painting when, in reality, they do not directly interact. Maxik, the cat, showed no interest in my suggestions to approach the horse or sit on it. Then he asked to draw him a moon from which he could conveniently watch the time. That's what he said, yes.

In this painting, many personal moments are expressed, which I can no longer share. Maxik and Watercolor, however, allowed me to tell their story.

Sometimes paintings resist having names. They seem to convey and express more than I can put into words. Perhaps they only reveal their names to those for whom they manifest. This painting is just like that.

Materials: canvas on a round stretcher, oil, gold leaf, acrylic, markers, ink.

Diameter: 60 cm.