Black Dog

 Black Dog in Spring Field, oil on masonite, 12" x 14"

Wikipedia (folklore) suggests that a black dog is a supernatural, spectral, or demonic entity originating in English folklore covering Europe and the Americas. They have been regarded as sinister and malevolent, connected with the devil - an omen of death, and the incarnation of the hellhound.

The above painting is a bit of an oxymoron since the subject "Hagrid" is not in the spring of her life, but rather the autumn. She was acquired by me about fifteen years ago as a gift for my son; a transaction made outside the confines of collective domestic acceptance. However, it all worked out in the end. I never found her malevolent or demonic. She always greeted people with a bark, an energetic wag of the tale, and a humble countenance. It was only on a few rare occasions that she expressed caution or even raised the alarm with an individual. Ironically those individuals were dressed in long black coats out on the Wolfville dykelands.

I always see her as a guiding agent and studio companion. I once portrayed her in a poor farm painting I did - a mad anarchist rumbling through a foreground of harmlessly insane inmates and a field of Queen Anne's lace.

Hagrid's endurance for long valley walks and adventures with my family is all but over; her rythm has altered that objective to other ideals around the yard and house hold. 

Black dogs are generally thought to be shapeshifters. If Hagrid is, I'll not let you know.

Steven Rhude, Wolfville, NS