A Storybook Moment in Watercolour

For years, I would photograph my dogs, weaving little stories from the moments I captured—my storybook dogs, as I called them. Those photographs weren’t just snapshots; they were glimpses into a world of quiet magic, where these ordinary moments became something to cherish. 

Though I haven’t photographed them in a while, I still find these storybook moments in unexpected places, often in the photographs others share.

This past week, I found one of those moments—Susie Leblond’s golden retriever, Tammy, nestled among flowers in Susie’s garden. It made me pause, a scene so gentle and full of warmth that it felt like a story waiting to be painted. With Susie’s kind permission, I settled into a cosy corner with my sketchbook and captured her in watercolour.

I’ve been unwell with bronchitis for a couple of weeks and we spent a few days in Hermanus this week -  I allowed myself some downtime to catch my breath again, literally.

It’s been a time of slowing down, of finding small joys in quiet moments—watching the ocean, feeling the autumn air shift, and getting lost in gentle painting. There’s also something soothing about putting paint to paper and allowing the brush to glide across the page, about watching colour bloom in water, about creating with no expectations—just presence.

Tammy’s portrait became part of my quiet healing, a reminder of why I love painting in the first place. Sometimes, it’s not about grand ideas or perfect technique—it’s about capturing something that makes you feel. A soft moment, a cool Autumn afternoon, a dog resting among the flowers.

And maybe that’s what keeps me returning to my sketchbook—the chance to pause, to notice, to create something small and true.