Welcome to DJ Geribo's Art Apart Newsletter!

On Monday, July 12, while coming downstairs to have me put her harness on to go outside and do her morning business, my 8-year old Pomeranian, Kameko, collapsed. Fortunately, I was sitting just two steps away and caught her. We thought it was a fluke, she went from AC bedroom to a warm house (we have been having an unusually warm summer). About an hour later, again, she collapsed. We rushed her to the vet where they took blood samples and said they would call the next day. When we got the call, our vet wanted to see her right away. Her pcv (blood count) had dropped significantly and we rushed her to CAVES (Capital Area Veterinary Emergency Services) in Concord, NH, about forty minutes from where we live. Our Kameko's life over the following weeks involved 4 blood transfusions, vomiting, hospitalization for several days at a time because her blood kept clotting, ultrasounds, and a myriad of medications to first get her blood to stop clotting and then to get her pcv blood count to go up and stabilize. Exhausting for us, but nothing compared to what our little sweetie has had to endure.

Fortunately, I have my art. When she was first hospitalized, all I could do was cry. But everyday we visited her, usually in the evening, and I filled my days with painting. Although I feel I am not producing at the rate I usually do because of this stressful time, still, my art was my saving grace. Painting and writing are the two activities that I can truly lose myself in and shut everything else in the world out.

I did recently manage to complete a couple of new art works and I have my 2nd batch of Eye Help Animals paintings nearly completed (the wolf and cub painting is complete, the horses will be complete this week). The ones I have completed, along with a couple of landscapes, have been added to my New Paintings category.

We know this process for Kameko is a long process before the correct dosage for each medication is found, and when we can wean her off the medications because her immune system is back to working as it should. We are in it for however long it takes. As of September 2, her pcv count is up to 34 (normal is 40-55) and she is pretty much back to her usual playful self.

Buy This Painting!

Buy This Painting!

Although I use several different mediums when creating my art, I do what I can to be green, as futile as it sometimes seems. Unfortunately, paints are what they are. Some paints have more toxins than others so I'm conscious of this fact and do what I can to not only protect myself but to also protect the environment. To compensate for my almost daily use of these mediums, I help the environment in many other ways.

First, I don't eat any red meat, pork, or chicken. I also pick up trash along our road (a two mile section of our road has been named for our business, Eye Help Animals, since we have committed to picking up trash 4 times a year on this road where we live). I recycle as much as I can, or as much as our town allows. I have been switching over all cleaning products to more environmentally friendly products. I only use white Kleenex tissues (no dyes) and limit paper napkin use (using cloth mostly), and paper towel use (having a hand towel always available).

I'll be using paints for as long as I can hold a paint brush (I do use water-soluble oils only) and I will also continue to make environmental changes in my home and my habits for equally as long. Every little bit helps. If we all commit to do a little, it will soon add up to a lot.