While casting about for an idea for one of my latest 6″x6″ animal paintings, I was listening to the Radiolab podcast about an astrophysicist who buried her husband’s ashes at sea. That reminded me of my late mother’s request to be buried at sea. We did that 2 years ago. Following the casting of the ashes, as the boat headed in to the dock, a pod of dolphins started escorting us. We watched as they stopped and strand-fed along the shore. It was a special moment, and inspired me to paint this dolphin. Photo credit to Mick Buxton in the Free Reference for Animal Artists on Facebook.