Jellybean

Completed April 18, 2005. Acrylic on 6"x6" stretched gallery-wrapped canvas.

Jellybean used to live in an elementary school classroom. At the end of the school year, he was sent home with a student, a friend of mine, and I took him in. He was brought to me in a filthy 1.5 gallon tank. Not only had the water not been changed in a long time, the water lost to evaporation had not even been replaced. Jellybean was living in about 2 inches of filthy water, not even enough room to fully extend his fins. He looked like a limp grey rag; I thought he would die that night.

I bought him a 5 gallon, filtered tank with a heater, gave him lovely clean water to swim in, and the change was amazing. His colours and his personality brightened so much, my boyfriend couldn't believe it was the same fish!

I've opened a CafePress.com shop featuring this portrait of Jellybean. You can buy a mousepad (shown), shirts, a thong, mugs, buttons, magnets, a totebag, and more!

Update May 18, 2005: Jellybean died during the night after a struggle with cancer. He is sadly missed.

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