The Littlest Hitchhiker

Pet Portrait

Pookie came into my life in the most unexpected way. One evening, after visiting my mother in the hospital, my brother Charlie and I heard a kitten crying somewhere in the dark parking lot. We couldn't figure out where the sound was coming from until we discovered a tiny kitten, no bigger than a hamster, perched on the rear tire of a parked 4x4. Somehow, she had apparently hitched a ride!

With no one around, I sent Charlie to a nearby ShopRite for food, plates, and a box while I stayed with her. When he returned, she stretched toward the plate of food, and I was finally able to scoop her up and bring her to safety.

Working from a photograph I later took of Pookie, I wanted to capture her enormous, expressive eyes, delicate features, and distinctive black-and-white markings. The deep, shadowy background provides a lovely contrast to her little face, preserving the innocence and curiosity of a kitten whose unexpected arrival made her part of our family.