Peewee

This is Peewee, my sister's cat. I don't often like how my sister names her cats (we had kegger and miller growing up) or how she treats her cats (declaws them but doesn't spay them). Somehow, though, this cat, from a fuzzy out-of-focus film camera caught my eye. 

I'll be sending this as a holiday present.  Being the literal minded, realistic art sort of person that my sister is, she may not even think this looks like Peewee. 

What's that saying?  You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your relatives.  

S T R E T C H

I am still participating in Illustration Friday. It's actually a fun break from doing the more formal ( if you can call my art formal) pet portraits.  I have two commissions for the holidays.  I could do one more if you know of anyone who wants a whimsical pet portrait....

This is a morning calisthenics class in high meadow.  Everyone is supposed to be following the bird, but the raccoon just needed to stretch! 

This is mixed media, approximately 8.5 x 8.5 inches on 140 lb paper. 

It is for sale, but I have to find a mat for it.

Izzy Bee

Rats make great pets. Really. They are intelligent, social, and very entertaining. 

 

This is a portrait of a very special rat, Izzy Bee.  She was entertaining and very cute and was an ambassador at Ideal Pet Stop for what rats can be.

 

I had planned to paint this for years, and it had been laid out on a 4 x 4 canvas in my studio. When I finally decided to paint the portrait, it came easily.  

Scarves

This is another of my winter cards. While others may think birds in snow covered trees represent winter to them, to me, it's sweaters on dogs.  But have you ever seen a scarf on a dog?

 

My dog, Penny. just got a new sweater that she loves . While I got it at Ideal Pet Stop, it's a Chilly Dog Sweater.  And they sell scarves too!  But I have never seen a scarf on a dog -- or a cat.

 

Here is my attempt to show scarves on cats and dogs.  I originally thought I'd dress the animals in Washington university scarves.  And the colors are nominally a homage.  I just needed to add more pattern that the scarves I saw on the football fans that I crowded next to while they were riding the light rail home. 

 

This design is available as a card both individually and as a set at my Etsy store. Soon it will be available as a 7 x 7 print, too.  I must get mats!

 

 



Skating with dogs

Once in a while, I am not sure how well I execute a certain idea. I first thought I'd do a card with couple's figure skaters, perhaps a dog lifting a cat in one of those complicated poses.  But, with the anthropomorphism of the skaters, I got stuck.  So I simplified the skating (and the costumes) and put three figures on the page in a simple triangle placement.

I was happy enough with the design to make it into cards, just like I did with the other holiday cards labeled on my blog.  I thought this design was the least successful, but it was the first card sold.

You just never know... 

Crazy Cat Santa

 Who knew Santa was a cat lover? With this many cats, he could even be considered Crazy Cat Santa.  Now, we know why his clothes are so furry! 

Living with Santa on North Pole, these cats are all a bit wary of new faces. They will all run if you get too close.

For this, and the last design I posted, my inspiration was "Santa Claws." I knew I had to paint Santa with cats.  I tried two different poses, both based upon my memories, and then imagining where cats would sit on Santa.  These cats like Santa's beard. And, one likes his head.

I do have a cat who sleeps on my head, but I don't have a cat who jumps on my head when I am awake.  But, then, I don't wear a hat too often. 

Santa and three cats!

I am cheating.  I have tried for the past three weeks to participate in a creative work called "Illustration Friday" where a theme is selected and the participating artists create their interpretations of the theme.

 

The theme for Illustration Friday is "Whiskers" and this painting has plenty.  This is one of the designs I finished to create cards out of for the holiday season so it is not made expressly for Illustration Friday. But close counts. 

 

What's with the nose?  I love interesting noses, whether they are on cats, dogs, next door neighbors, or Santas.  Now that I look at this, I see that Santa's nose looks a bit like my husband's. But, don't tell him I said that!

 

One of my friends called this my rocking Santa, but I don't think he's rocking.  I think he's thinking!