COLLIE PAINTING

A while back, one of my friends/co-worker commissioned a painting of her Collie, "Kelly" from me.
Kelly was a rescue dog she had adopted who had a lot of medical issues.
One of the problems was that her blood didn't clot properly and she had chronic nosebleeds. 
Kelly had many medical emergencies and was rushed to the University Hospital several times.
Thousands of dollars were spent trying to make her well.
M co-worker sent me many photos and told me that I could paint it however I wished.
The only requests were for me to include starfish and to tell the "Starfish Story".
She also preferred a more pastel color.
This is the photo that she said was her favorite:

And this is the final painting.

Kelly's "Mom" was so happy that she cried.
I always worry that I won't be able to achieve what they might be envisioning.

Sadly, Kelly had to be rushed to the University when she suddenly could not walk.
It was discovered that she had a blood clot in her leg. 
They were running various tests and her "Mom" was struggling with the decision on whether or not to approve the removal of the leg if need be, to save her life.
When another blood clot to her heart, took her life.
Heartbreaking news...thankfully she had a loving home in the final months of her life.