Not long after Chessie passed away back in August 2010, I went through a mid-life crisis, needing a big change from where my job was leading me. Not wanting to get stuck in another dead end job, I tried figuring out what to do. So, one night while doing dishes, I was watching Bob Ross on TV. I'd watched him since I was a kid and had thought from time to time of taking up painting and selling my work as a possible career. That's when it hit me, and I began work on starting a new career doing paintings.

Since I started painting in early 2011 (http://chatanuga.org/KLWArt.html), I'd been wanting to do a painting of the Rainbow Bridge, although I wasn't sure exactly how I wanted it to look. That summer, I'd taken some pictures of a covered bridge near where my dad grew up (http://chatanuga.org/pics/misc/parker02.jpg) and decided that it and the setting was the look I was wanting for my version of the Rainbow Bridge.

So, this past Sunday afternoon, I finally did my version of the Rainbow Bridge, dedicating it to Chessie and all of the cats and dogs who have graced my life.