Emmett

The story of a pig in the city.

Spend some time with pigs and you come to appreciate their intelligence and individual personalities.  As a native of Iowa, where pigs are plentiful,  I was very curious when I first learned  about Emmett, the beloved beast of Kelli Miller and Jason Lowenstein. Emmett has been a Brooklyn resident for many years, he celebrated his nineteenth birthday in July.

Emmett didn't begin his life in Brooklyn, what pig would?  He began his life in Louisville Kentucky, where he was found in a gutter on the street.  He is a strapping 105 pounds now, but when he was rescued from a life on the street, he was small enough to sit on a lap.

Kelli, the coworker of a friend of mine, very generously shared photos, articles and her reflections on Emmett, who she calls Piggers. The devotion and effort that Kelli and Jason have given to Emmett over the years is only compounded by the humor and patience they’ve shown while sharing their lives with their quixotic and intelligent creature.

"He's a little territorial about the  apartment.  He kind of doesn't like people.  Outside, he's very sweet.  Little kids surround him at the park."  This is a quote from Kelli Miller in  a Village Voice article by Toni Schlesinger titled Shelter.

"Naps take up most of his time these days, but he will participate in a carrot hunt as long as it is not raining or snowing and the temperature is between 45-83 degrees Fahrenheit-otherwise carrots be damned."

I loved the photos that Kelli sent to me.  My favorites being the 3 above.  The orange vest, the enticing bowl of veggies, and the milky smile on Emmett's face, all that, and the incredible colors made for a very fun portrait to paint.