Sometimes, "Man's Best Friend" needs a friend too. Such was the case of Jack, a dog rescued from a kill shelter in Texas and adopted by painter Trudy Askew's daughter. Now, Askew is paying tribute to that precious canine family member in her exhibition "Jack of Hearts."

The opening reception for the "Jack of Hearts" exhibition is set for Dec. 5, from 5-8 p.m. at the Jung Center located at 5200 Montrose Blvd. in the Montrose/Museum District area. On view from Dec. 1-22, the show features dazzling drawings and paintings of Jack.

"Jack was rescued from a kill shelter in Texas," Askew explains. "My daughter adopted him and discovered he had been abused: he was missing teeth, had battle scars, heartworms, and a list of neuroses a mile long. However, he now lives a life of luxury. Jack is the iconic American Dog. He’s part Dalmatian, English Pointer, Greyhound and Great Dane accidentally molded into a perfect form. An object of beauty and grace, he is easy on the eyes, and hard on the tender-hearted. My show is dedicated to all essential dogs like Jack: you can’t breed for them, and money can’t buy them. Luck brings them to your door."

Before she ever painted Jack, Askew, a Sugar Land resident, spent eight to ten weeks sketching him.

"He was a good subject because he slept most of the time, but he changed positions incessantly. I had to maintain several sketch books to work on his varied poses as he moved in his sleep. Paper was waiting for me near his favorite sleeping spots; I had to rifle through the drawings with care so I didn’t awaken Jack and incur yet another pose," Askew says.

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Askew's work has been exhibited in local and national competitions and has won several awards. Askew says that she started painting dogs because of a serious knee injury.

Askew explains, "A damaged knee is unable to climb stairs to an art studio or tolerate painting for hours at an easel. It wants to be a couch potato. I needed a new venture; a novel idea; original subject matter to pursue. The answer was on the floor at my feet,fast asleep: a perfect 10 rescue dog."

And thus the material for the "Jack of Hearts" exhibition came into being.

The opening reception for the "Jack of Hearts" exhibition is set for Saturday, Dec. 5, from 5-8 p.m. at the Jung Center. Located at 5200 Montrose Blvd. in the Montrose/Museum District area, the Jung Center's gallery hours are Monday–Thursday, from 9 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information about the Jung Center and its events, call 713-524-8253 or visit their website www.junghouston.org

Askew received a B.F.A. degree from the University of Texas in Austin, and a M.F.A. degree in drawing and painting from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. She also studied in the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine; University of California, Santa Barbara; Universidad de Valencia, Spain; and Universidad de Artes Plasticas in Guadalajara, Mexico. Askew has taught art for 25 years in a variety of locations: University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, University of Illinois, Alief Independent School District, Art League of Houston, Grace School, and the Jewish Community Center.

Askew may be contacted through her Web site www.artaskew.com or through Archway Gallery. Archway Gallery is located at 2305-A Dunlavy in the Montrose/River Oaks area of Houston. For more information about Archway Gallery, its artists or events, call 713-522-2409 or visit their Web site at www.archwaygallery.com.