Witness :2012 Painting Project by Leigh Jackson: July 2012

I apologize for being away so long. I have been busy with commission work. Also my cat Eli became very ill and diagnosed with cancer and internal bleeding. After a month of bravery, he lost his battle. I miss him very much. I will be back shortly with new Witness portraits. The killing of dogs who are "pit bull type" continues.

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As a dog portrait artist, I usually paint dogs who are greatly loved. I wish all dogs were so treasured. However, there are millions of dogs waiting at shelters for a family who would love them enough to have me paint their portrait.

The majority of dogs languishing in shelters are labeled as pit bull type dogs.Brought to the shelter due to breeding, abandonment and/or abuse,they face extreme discrimination based upon appearance,not behavior.

Although pit bulls score better than 121 other breeds on temperament tests, propaganda has branded them as vicious, dangerous dogs. Breed specific discrimination laws are enacted, people are afraid to adopt them, and insurance policies do not allow for them.

Until all dogs are treated as individuals, the myths and politics surrounding pit bulls result in shelters having to kill happy, healthy, and perfectly adoptable dogs.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Weisel wrote about the power of bearing witness to history. "For the dead and the living, we must bear witness," he wrote."To forget would be not only be dangerous but offensive: to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time."

I choose to bear witness for the all pit bulls who did not make it out of the shelters. They are more than a number or a statistic. I paint their portraits to put a face on this shame. I will be painting at least one portrait a week for the year.

These portraits are based on photographs taken in 2011 by Josh Liddy and J.J. Woofin Paws. These are not all the pit bulls euthanized in 2011. This is not a scientific study or exclusive to the shelters mentioned. These dogs and their portraits represent the millions killed every year at all shelters.

It is emotionally challenging to create these paintings. It is not easy to look at their faces, but I ask you please do not look away. Bear witness. Remember these dogs.

My paintings for Witness would not be possible without the amazing photographs taken by Josh Liddy and J.J Woofin Paws. I am thankful for their permission to use their photographs as references.

I encourage you to follow Josh's pitbull advocacy on Facebook here

Follow J.J. and her rescue agency on Facebook here

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All paintings,words,opinions are mine (unless otherwise noted) and are subject to copyright and intellectual property protection. Please do not post my images without giving proper credits & links.