The subject matter of my art is primarily dogs. The dog in this piece of art is my favorite dog, a spaniel mix named Ted. He was a 3 legged dog with cancer. I felt he best understood my condition and helped me get through many very, very difficult times. Although he found me when he was 8 years old, we quickly grew close. He passed away a few months ago at the age of 11. He showed me that with motivation and perseverance, you can do anything. I feel this picture shows that although he may look sad, he still is absolutely gorgeous and has hope and drive to keep moving on. My experience as an artist affected by rare disease is that although it is difficult for me to sit or stand for long periods of time and that I am in constant pain, I feel the pain inside helps me see things differently. I see the beautiful side of things on both the inside and outside.