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Author Unknown
Heaven
An old man and his dog were walking down a dirt road with fences on either side. They came to a gate in the fence and peered over at a very pleasant, grassy and wooded area - just what the man and his dog would love. However, there was a sign on the gate saying "No Trespassers" so they walked on.
Soon they came to a beautiful gate with a person in white robes standing next to it. "Welcome to Heaven" he said. The old man was very happy and started to enter with his dog following him. The Gatekeeper stopped him. "Dogs aren't allowed. I'm sorry but he cannot come in with you."
"What kind of Heaven won't allow dogs? If he can't come in, then I will stay out with him. He has been my faithful companion all his life and I cannot desert him now."
"Suit yourself, but I have to warn you. The Devil's on this road and he will try to sweet-talk you into his area. He'll promise you anything but your dog can't go in there either. If you won't leave your dog, you will spend Eternity on this road."
So the old man and his dog travelled on. They came to a run-down fence with a gap in it, no gate, just a hole. Another old man was inside. "Excuse me Sir, my dog and I are getting very tired. Do you mind if we come in and sit in the shade for a while?"
"Of course. There's some cool water under that tree over there. Make yourselves comfortable."
"Are you sure my dog can come in? The man down the road said dogs were not allowed in anywhere."
"Would you come in if you had to leave your dog outside?"
"No Sir. That's why I didn't go to Heaven. He said the dog couldn't come in. We will be spending Eternity on this road and a glass of cold water and some shade would be very good for the moment but, I won't come in if my friend here can't come too, and that's final."
The man smiled a big smile and said "Welcome to Heaven."
"You mean this is Heaven? Dogs ARE allowed? Why did that man down the road said they weren't?"
"That was the Devil and he gets all the people who are willing to give up their lifelong companion for a comfortable place to stay. They soon find out their mistake, but by then it's too late. The dogs come here, the fickle people stay there. God wouldn't allow dogs to be banned from Heaven. After all, He created them to be man's companions in life so why would he separate them in death?"
William Blake1757-1827
On Another's Sorrow
Can I see another's woe,
And not be in sorrow too?
Can I see another's grief,
And not seek for kind relief?
Can I see a falling tear,
And not feel my sorrow's share?
Can a father see his child Weep,
Nor be with sorrow fill'd?
Can a mother sit and hear
An infant groan, an infant fear?
No, no! never can it be!
Never, never can it be!
And can He who smiles on all
Hear the wren with sorrows small,
Hear the small bird's grief & care,
Hear the woes that infants bear,
And not sit beside the nest,
Pouring pity in their breast;
And not sit the cradle near,
Weeping tear on infant's tear;
And not sit both night & day,
Wiping all our tears away?
O! no never can it be!
Never, never can it be!
He doth give his joy to all;
He becomes an infant small;
He becomes a man of woe;
He doth feel the sorrow too.
Think not thou canst sigh a sigh
And thy Maker is not by;
Think not thou canst weep a tear
And thy Maker is not near.
O! he gives to us his joy
That our grief he may destroy;
Till our grief is fled & gone
He doth sit by us and moan.
William Blake1757-1827
A Poison Tree
I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I water'd it in fears,
Night & Morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.
And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright;
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,
And into my garden stole
When the night had veil'd the pole;
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree.
William Blake1757-1827
Auguries of Innocence
To see a world in a grain of sand
And a Heaven in a wild flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.
A Robin Red breast in a cage
Puts all Heaven in a rage.
A dove house fill'd with doves & pigeons
Shudders hell thro' all its regions.
A dog starv'd at his master's gate
predicts the ruin of the State.
A Horse misus'd upon the road
Calls to Heaven for human blood.
Each outcry of the hunted hare
A fibre from the brain does tear.
A Skylark wounded in the wing,
A Cherubim does cease to sing.
The game cock clip'd & armed for fight
Does the rising sun affright.
Every Wolf's & Lion's howl
Raises from hell a human soul.
The wild deer, wand'ring here & there,
Keeps the human soul from care.
The lamb misus'd breeds public strife
And yet forgives the butcher's knife.
The bat that flits at close of eve
Has left the brain that won't believe.
The owl that calls upon the night
Speaks the unbeliever's fright.
He who shall hurt the little wren
Shall never be belov'd by men.
He who the ox to wrath has mov'd
Shall never be by woman lov'd.
The wanton boy that kills the fly
Shall feel the spider's enmity.
He who torments the chafer's sprite
Weaves a bower in endless night.
The Caterpillar on the leaf
Repeats to thee thy mother's grief.
Kill not the moth nor butterfly,
For the Last Judgment draweth night
Author Unknown
The Prayer
Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped away into the next room.
I am I, and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which we always used.
Put no difference into your tone;
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort, without trace of a shadow in it.
Life means all that it ever meant;
It is the same as it ever was;
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval.
Somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well.
Pet Portraits and Animal Painting from Your Own Photos and My Favourite Poems
Why not give a pet portrait - for a unique and very personal gift
Only 20% deposit which is FULLY refundable if you are not delighted with your painting.
(I can also accept Payments by Pay Pal)
Alternatively, I offer Individualized Gift Vouchers.
If you send me an image of your pet I can incorporate it into the Gift Voucher,
and you can choose your own text for inside.
Contact Address
Telephone: UK 024 76462885
Pet Portraits, Animals, People and Landscape Paintings in Oils or Watercolours, from your OWN photos.
All images on this website (except for the photo of the Artist) are from paintings by Isabel Clark
See more of my paintings on my other web sites:-
www.petportraits.org - www.icpetportraits.com
www.icpaintings.com - www.petportraits-england.com
There is a Currency Converter on the Paintings Price List Page
Please feel free to email me if you have any further queries
Pet portraits and Greeting Cards of your pets, dogs, cats animals, or landscapes make very special gifts and Cards.
Paintings of special dogs, cats, in fact any pet animal, wildlife or landscape paintings such as your own home from your favourite photos in oils or watercolours are such unique and special gifts.
All I need from you is a CLEAR photo of your pet dog, cat, or any other pet, person or place, to create that unique and special portrait painting.
If you do not have any clear, close up photos of your pet, take some NOW. If your pet has sadly died and it is too late to take any clear photos I will willingly look at your photo and let you know if it is clear enough.
I love my pet portrait work, but one of the saddest aspects is where an old pet has died and the owner has no clear photo to remember their friend by, or, indeed, to create a pet portrait memorial to their lost one. So take those pictures now, even if you do not yet decide on a painting of your pet.
The happiest aspect of my work is when my client has received their pet portrait and telephone or write to let me know how delighted they are in spite of the tears over their lost friend. Dog paintings, cat paintings and animal paintings make such special and lasting gifts and such loving memorials to lost friends.
I know how it feels to lose a beloved pet. Over the last 30 years I have lost some good pet friends and each loss is as acute as the last. All our pets are unique little characters who cannot be replaced. We can, however, hold their memories in our hearts. We find that once again we can open the photo albums and recall the happy times with our pets. Over the years in which I have been painting pets professionally I have found pet portraits can bring great comfort to those who have lost their dogs, cats, or other pets.
I have so many lovely letters from my clients telling me how the portrait of their pet is now taking pride of place in their home, and how they feel their pet's spirit is still with them whenever they gaze at the painting. I think this is the loveliest part of my work, although inevitably tinged with sadness.
So order your dog painting, cat painting or animal painting now for that lasting tribute. Whether it is a dog painting, cat painting, animal painting, landscape painting or greeting cards, when they are created from photos of your beloved pets you will have unique and loving mementos of your special friend. All my pet portraits and landscape paintings are executed in oils on canvas or watercolours. I paint all pets and all pets are welcome, whether they be rabbits, mice, guinea-pigs, hamsters, horses, ponies, dogs, cats or birds of all kinds.
Many times I am asked to paint scenes, cottages, farmhouses, railway signal boxes and people's own homes. Whatever scene you have in mind, all I need is that crucial CLEAR photo and you will have a special and lasting gift.
Whether it is a pet portrait or painting of your own home you have in mind, don't leave it too late. I need some weeks to complete your painting so order as soon as possible.
So, if you have no CLEAR photos, get clicking and send your favourite photo to me for that pet portrait painting. You will be delighted with the result.
Pet dogs, cats, animals or any child or adult can be painted into the scene, even if they were not in that particular photo. Many things are possible. If you have a special request, just ask. If it is possible it can be done.
I care very much about animal welfare. Our companion creatures such as dogs, cats and other animals, rely completely on the sympathetic consideration of their owners. Many dogs and cats etc; are greatly loved and cherished by their doting human families. They live out their lives in happiness and contentment, with all their needs, physical and emotional tended to with deep affection.
However, there are so many other poor animals, dogs, cats, horses, donkeys and others too numerous to mention, who live their lives under the dark shadow of fear, pain, cold and discomfort. Many are maimed or killed by callous, cruel or indifferent owners.
In this web of misery there are many little candles glowing in the darkness. These are the numerous animal rescue centres, some consisting of just one or two loving, compassionate human beings. Some of these wonderful, caring people devote the whole of their lives to alleviating the suffering of these dogs, cats and other oppressed animals. They live on a knife-edge, never knowing where the money for that sick pet just handed in to them, will come from. But, somehow, they carry on because of their love for these poor dogs, cats and so many other animals.
There are also those marvellous people who, for one reason or another, cannot take in the poor animals themselves but either work for these rescue centres for free or contribute towards the maintenance of the distressed animals in their care.
The welfare of this Earth's wild creatures is something I feel very passionately about. We have done so much harm to these fellow residents of our planet, who, of course, have as much right to exist as humanity. Wild animals, including the smallest insect have no less right to live out their natural lifespan as ourselves.
We should not attempt to turn their wild habitats into pretty parks for our enjoyment. Nature is wild and beautiful in its wildness. Wild animals need to be wild and free.
We cannot turn this, still beautiful, Earth into a controlled, barren environment for the convenience of just one of this world's creatures, ourselves. We can help these animals in many ways, such as not mowing every piece of wild meadow near our towns. No voles, hawks or butterflies can exist on a lawn. These animals need the shelter of tall grasses to hide in and to feed from. Where there are no hiding places, there are no wild creatures.
We should have much tougher laws against the pollution of our rivers and fields, and stricter laws to protect these pressured animals.
Imagine a world with only one creature, the human being. What a dreadful place that would be. We must all do our best to alleviate some of the harm man has done to this world and its animal inhabitants.
If you want a really unusual and special gift for a pet or animal lover for Christmas, Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Easter, Anniversaries, Retirements, Presentations or any other celebration, a portrait of a beloved pet is always a unique and very welcome gift. Whether it is a dog painting, cat painting, horse painting, wild animal painting, bird painting, child or adult human painting or a painting of someone's home and garden, it will bring delight and surprise to the recipient.
Choose Unique and Special Gifts - Pet Portraits - Dog Paintings, Cat Paintings & Animal Paintings
There is no death. the
stars go down to rise upon some other shore. And bright in Heaven's jewelled
crown, they shine for ever more.
- John Luckey McCreery -
Pet Portraits of Special Pets make Special Gifts
Isabel Clark's Pet Portraits of Special Pets Make Very Special Gifts
"God made all the creatures, and gave them our love and our fear, To give sign we and they are his children, one family here."
- Robert Browning. 1812-1890 -
All images on this site are in tangible form and are fully copyrighted. None of them may not be reproduced or used in any form or any manner, or displayed on any website or any other forum without the express written consent of the owner, Isabel Clark BA (Honours) Fine Art.