This was a commission for a pair of Golden Retrievers – loved and much missed now. They fitted perfectly to my midwinter mood: the short grey days, and long dark nights, that usher in memories, both happy and sad. They began to feel like the spirits that haunt Scrooge, but with less work to do, surely – for who could be hard-hearted when faced with these gentle ones.

This was my favourite shot:

I just loved the expression of the dog on the right – so benign, maybe a little weary of the world and all its follies, but with a heart full of love still. And the other, well – he’s just getting ready for his walk.

They painted up beautifully – and sewed perfectly.

I love the ghostly smiles on the back of the picture here. I’m often surprised how much sense these pictures make, how characterful they still are, even without any of the outline or shading of the front.This, however, is one of those pictures that makes you wonder how it can ever work out. At this point, you just have to keep on going – though weariness of my own must have crept in around this point, as there are no more photographs until the end.

And so:with another from the back:We ended up with an unusual background for these two – unusual only in that it wasn’t a Liberty print. It’s a piece of grey shot Ikat – silvery to dark grey, with a tiny pattern woven in, that ended up giving the picture a serendipitous heart, which seemed to fit the mood.

Hopefully it will hold their memories, and happily.