HENNA
Henna was never meant to stay. Jennifer had planned to find her a loving family. Henna was social, joyful, and friendly with everyone. She would have fit beautifully into almost any home.
But when they met, Henna was facing a serious diagnosis. The prognosis was short. Jennifer couldn’t send her to another family knowing how quickly goodbye might come, so she adopted her herself and began treatment. What was expected to be months became more than four years.
“I’ve been blessed to share my life with many amazing dogs,” Jennifer wrote. “But sometimes one touches your soul in a way that is unique. Henna was that dog for me.”
Henna never barked, but she was one of the most expressive dogs Jennifer had known. She greeted her with a toothy smile every time she entered the room, even if she had only stepped away for minutes. Her entire back end wagged with joy. She welcomed new foster dogs with calm grace and treated every person like a best friend. She loved winter walks, pushing her nose through the snow. She slept with her head resting on Jennifer’s stomach or legs. She waited at the door and stayed close during long workdays at home.
“She let me squeeze her tight and licked my face when I was sad,” Jennifer wrote. “Everything about her radiated pure love and joy.”
The end came suddenly while Jennifer was traveling. There was no long goodbye, no final night at home. She said goodbye through a screen while someone else held Henna in her last moments.
And in Jennifer’s words:
“She was all that was bright and good and joyful in this world, and it will never be the same. I will never be the same without her.”
Henna was never supposed to be her forever dog. But she became the one who changed everything.
Her portrait reflects the years they were given, the joy that filled the house, and the bond that made those years matter.
Using the images Jennifer shared, I created the initial mockup. After seeing it, she decided to include background photos of family property so Henna would be set within a landscape that felt like home.
Then I painted it digitally.
The digital painting was then sent to a trusted vendor to print on canvas. (click to see full-screen)
The finished painting, framed ready to ship out.
Interested in your own commission? Check out the commissions page for more information
and then reach out to get the process started!
A review from henna’s mom:
“Thank you Danica Barreau. I love it!
She sits on the table across from the desk in my home office where I can always see her and remember her sitting beside me while I worked.”