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Elderly couple painting one canvas at an easel in a lantern-lit backyard while a Basset Hound lies on the grass. 24 / 40

Grandma and Grandpa Painted the Same Canvas at Dusk. Rufus Wasn't Sure Why.

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Lanterns and string lights glow along the fence as dusk settles over the backyard. A wooden easel holds a single canvas, and both Grandma and Grandpa are adding brushstrokes to it at the same time, heads tilted in concentration. Grandma in her green cardigan works on one corner while Grandpa in a red plaid shirt handles the other. A palette crowded with blobs of blue, orange and green rests on a little side table. Rufus has flopped down on the grass right under the easel legs, front paws stretched out, looking up with an expression of polite curiosity about all this fuss over a rectangle.

Creative hobbies like painting are a lovely way for older adults to relax, stay engaged and share time together. If you paint around pets, a few precautions keep things safe. Some paints, solvents and thinners can be harmful if licked or swallowed, so choose water-based, non-toxic paints when possible, keep rinse water out of reach, and clean brushes promptly. Paint on paws can end up being licked off, so check your dog before he wanders back inside. If you think your pet swallowed paint or a cleaning product, contact your vet right away.

Rufus may never appreciate the finer points of landscape painting, but he does appreciate an evening spent close to his people. In this family, every masterpiece comes with a canine critic.

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