MEDIUM: Pastel; SIZE: 16" x 22";
2005, NFS
As a background
on this work, this is the guy who started it all--and nearly
the last one to have his portrait done! He fostered every stray
kitten and cat I ever brought into my home, and shepherded me
through the ups and downs of the fifteen years he was with me.
More intelligent than many people I've met, friends of mine will
remember him as the cat who opened the refrigerator door, took
out a container, opened it, and helped himself to the contents.
I've used his image in other works, but I've finally decided
that the best depiction of his personality is of him being silly,
rolling around in the sun and making sure I noticed how handsome
he was. I call it a "classic portrait" because I chose
to work it in the greatest detail I could manage, and it's rather
large, 16" x 22". Full-size and quarter-size prints
of it as well as note cards and mugs. Click on the image for
a larger version.
White
Cat Reflecting
MEDIUM: Pastel; SIZE: 15" x 11";
Sally, 1998, NFS My white cat was endlessly inspiring
to me, and I would need two lifetimes to recreate all the images
of her that I have photographed and saw every day. Sally was
deaf and spent most of her days in her own little world in pursuit
of her own happiness, which when possible included a rest, nap
or long snooze in the sun. Here she alights briefly on the stool,
reflecting the sunlight onto all that is around her while she
reflects on the events of her day so far and just what is to
be done next. Click on the image to see an enlarged version.
(Animal lovers, click here for more
on Sally.)
A
Warm Bath
MEDIUM: Pastel; SIZE: 13" x 11";
One of a series, 1996, Sold With all that lustrous white fur Sally's
baths are quite a production, but each bath is like a graceful
dance, especially when taken in the morning sun. I was fascinated
by all of the odd colors I found in this simple scene, even though
Sally, the bookcase and the wall are all white. Click on the
image to see an enlarged version. This is also available as a
greeting card; see my Cards and Prints page. (Animal lovers, click
here for more on Sally.)
A
Rosy Glow
MEDIUM:
Pastel; SIZE: 15" x 11"; Sunshine and Cat, 1997, Sold She
found a warm spot to sleep in the sun on that old pink sweater
of mine, and the look of contentment on her face was my first
inspiration, especially since Miss Moses (we all thought she
was a boy) had been a feral kitten and to this day hesitates
to walk across the center of any room but finds security in keeping
close to the furniture. Next, the contrast of all the grays with
the varied pink shades in the sweater and the patterns of direct
and reflected sunlight all through the scene made me snap that
photo and render this scene. Click on the image to see an enlarged
version. This is also available as a greeting card; see my Cards
and Prints page.
Read more about Moses on her dedication
page.
After
Dinner Nap
MEDIUM: Pastel; SIZE: 10" x 13";
Colors and Shadows, 1996, NFS
Bright sunshine on anything
will catch my eye, especially when it's illuminating one of my
cats. During the late winter, the sun shines in at just the right
angle for my Stanley to take a comfortable nap right after eating
and the obligatory bath. The combination of his sleepy look and
the glare of the sun on his (sparkling) white chest and paws
and the angle of the shadows, a daily visual treat for me, became
a pleasurable subject for me to draw. Click on the image to see
an enlarged version.This is also available as a greeting card;
see my Cards
and Prints page.
The
Little Sunflower
MEDIUM:
Pastel; SIZE: 11" x 16"; Composition, 1997, NFS Real
sun worshippers, all of my cats wait for the sun to enter the
house in the morning and take their appointed spots. The brilliance
of that first light and its reflections around the room, plus
the contrast of all the exaggerated straight-line shapes with
the organic shape of little Cookie and her shadow inspired this
one. This is also available as a greeting card; see my Cards
and Prints page.
Click on the image to see an enlarged version.
Warm
Winter Sun
MEDIUM: Oil Pastel; SIZE: 10"
x 7"; Brilliant colors, 2000, $300.00 matted and framed.
Nothing is so clarifying
as brilliant early morning sun, and nothing chases away the chill
of a winter morning. Here, Namir was lulled to sleep by the natural
warmth and comfort. While the main body of this work is lit by
direct sunlight at that beautiful, long angle, the rest of the
work is lit by reflected light. Click on the image to see an
enlarged version.
The Perfect Camouflage
MEDIUM:
Pastel; SIZE: 11" x 16"; Her Goofy Look, 1994, $500.00
matted and framed This was something I thought all cat
companions could relate to, human and feline. Sophie really thought
I couldn't see her because she thought she blended right in with
the flowers. She almost had me fooled until I saw one of the
flowers looking back at me and I knew i had to investigte. Her
ulterior motive was to eat the flowers, something I hate to clean
up after. This picture was intended to be one of a pair, because
in the next picture she was delicately biting a leaf. Click on
the image to see an enlarged version.
Sunbath
MEDIUM: Watercolor; SIZE: 13"
x 18"; Colors and Shadows, 1993, NFS
He's wrapped around
licking his hip in one of those only-cats-can-do-that positions.
The composition of the picture was very inspiring, with the strict
horizontal and vertical lines of the cupboard doors and the strong
diagonal shadows all leading to the very organic shape of Kublai
washing his hip among the shadows on the floor. The intensity
of the sunlight almost makes the scene look abstract, and I found
that very challenging. It was a picture I held onto until I had
the time to do it--about ten years--and until I had sufficiently
mastered the medium of watercolor. Click on the image to see
an enlarged version.
Waiting for Mom
MEDIUM:
Pastel; SIZE: 19" x 23"; The subtleties, 1989, NFS Fawn
was a real live wire as a kitten--always swinging from something
and talking about it--and was very attached to me; I had known
her from her first moment of life, thanks to her mother, a stray,
who honored me with choosing my home for the birth of her kittens.
And even though, years later, we'd moved and changed the bedspread
and dust ruffle, at least once a day when I went upstairs Fawn
still dove under the bed and peeked out, waiting for me to walk
past so that she could grab my foot. The challenge of not overdoing
the cute kitten, plus the richness of the wood and the deep shadows
and the multitude of reflected color in the "white"
dust ruffle inspired me to render this one. Click on the image
to see an enlarged version. (Animal lovers, click
here for more on Fawn.)
A Few of My Favorite Things
MEDIUM:
Watercolor; SIZE: 15" x 12"; Thought it would make
a neat watercolor, 1996, $400.00 matted and framed This picture is not one of my family,
but is out of the HSUS calendar from 1996, and what more could
I ask--flowers, bold colors, and a wonderful cat. I looked at
the picture every day for a month, then took it home and tackled
the details of the fur and simple shadows on the cat, the leaves
and flowers of the nasturtium, and the rich colors of the steps
and trim. Click on the image to see an enlarged version.
Sunday Morning
MEDIUM:
Pastel; SIZE: 11" x 18"; The mood, 1989, NFS Moses
made it back upstairs after breakfast before I had a chance to
make the bed, and I didn't have the heart to move her. So I got
a sheet of drawing paper and my pastels and did a quick sketch
of the scene, finishing it later from a photograph. It was a
pleasure to work in a looser style and just to catch the mood,
but not all the details. Click on the image to see an enlarged
version.
NEW
WORKS IN PENCIL
 |
“In
the Box”
9" x 10",
pencil, 2005
That box is prize real
estate in this house since someone is always in it. It started
out as an empty box from file folders that I set down on the
floor, and as if a magnet had pulled him, Namir was in the box.
I discovered it was a great way to encourage them to move from
my desk to another vantage point, so it sits on the table by
the door; summer and winter they can look out the door. Sophie
is a big girl with lots of fur, and she really does fit in the
box, even if the corners split a little. |
“My Little Girl”
and “How to Have a Good Nap”
9" x 12",
pencil, 2005
My niece regularly
sends me photos of her children, and while they are all beautiful
I couldn't pass up these ones of Miss Cassidy and her kitty Elsa.
Elsa knows the most comfortable place to sleep, especially on
a child who is like a little living furnace. When it's time for
Cassidy's nap, it's time for Elsa's nap. I pictured these in
pencil from the beginning—Cassidy's curly hair and little
pudgy face, especially the open mouth, the wrinkled clothing
and sheets and pillows, and of course, Elsa's markings.
 |
“Pawse”
12" x 10",
pencil, 2000
I follow my cats around
with a camera or a sketchbook, and while I can catch active moments
with the camera, most of my occasional sketches are of naps.
Here, Moses sleeps on my pillow, unaware that she's a subject.
This was donated to the Animal Rescue League in their annual
Paws and Prints art auction to benefit the shelter. |
 |
“Stanley's
Stripes”
9" x 10",
pencil, 2004
I've always loved Stanley's
"racing stripes" on his face and the back of his head.
This pillow was meant for me to use during yoga, but apparently
I was wrong about its purpose. Stanley was diagnosed with kidney
failure in February 2004, but with regular palliative care turned
around and is still finding new places to adopt for sleep. |
I have had the pleasure of sharing my life with these cats. It was through observing their feline grace and their individual natures that I found my muse as an artist and finally decided to get down on paper what I saw with my eyes and felt with my heart. While I render many other subjects now—wildlife, backyard birds, landscapes, people—it all began with these, and the hopeless affection I felt for each of them and all their moods and quirks and manners of affection toward me. This is the gift they gave to me, and I will be forever in their debt, spending a lifetime to pay it off by sharing them with others. 
