March 31, Oliver!

 I wanted to paint one more cat because I neglected to make a video of me painting any of these cats. Of course, this year has been difficult in more ways that we ever imagined, but it is spring, and life does feel more hopeful, and as I speak a giant cardboard maze is being set up in the backyard for our son Max's 12 birthday and we will be celebrating in our limited and masked way with as much joy as we can! I was able to get the book done, and I'll have extras on hand if you want to buy one! Here is the blurb link for it!

I also did manage to of this cat painting, and I've sped it up for you!  I did talk during the entire painting, so maybe I'll post that one somewhere as well, if you have some time and want to watch me paint longer... there are more videos of me painting on my youtube channel!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$98

click here to nab!

March 30, The BFC

And this is mostly the last kitty, BFC, for Anne and Scott!  Here's what they say about this amazing creature-

"The BFC (Big Fat Cat) has also been called Caesar or  Mr. Creosote. Very friendly, a doggy cat. He likes to get up on a seat  in the kitchen and box with people through the spindles of the chair back. The BFC adores being combed and will look at you accusingly when you stop.  He’ll do just about anything for shrimp. We suspect he is running a Dark Empire from the fern bed of Scott’s yard. “  

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for~

March 29, Frankie's Cat

 This is a sweet old kitty, sent in by one of my favorite students~ We'll see if we get a story and a name!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$98

click here to nab!

March 28, Tyler

 Okay, so its getting towards the end of the month and I've been having a great time painting kitties, and I've also been up north (last week, from Sunday to Thursday but I didn't want to post it because we weren't home and you hear about people posting that they are on vacation and then someone breaks into their house, so I thought I'd mention it AFTER the fact!) and I've painted a bunch of landscapes/lakescapes of Grand Marais that I want to post too. SO this is Tyler, who is Cecil's brother from last week~ 

and Connie says that "Tyler is endlessly curious and a bit aloof (I don't need you, but it's an act)."

6x9 acrylic on wood

spoken for~

March 27, Felix the Observant!

 And here is Leo's brother, Felix, who is also a handsome fellow, and who also has that regal look, but I think Felix looks more like the king's brother, who knows he doesn't have to be all THAT noble, and that he can maybe tell a joke once in a while or goof around with the young royals because the king is taking care of the hard stuff.

And he's got those super huge cute eyes!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

March 26, Leo the Magnificent

Boy, he really needs a royal title. It felt that way painting his face. Those eyes, and maybe especially that chin- he's got a little goatee in this photo, and those eyes look right into yours~ 

I think there's something in the way he's holding his head as well-

I just really like this one!  And I get to paint his brother Felix tomorrow, who looks like he's got another personality entirely!

Here's what Emily, their owner, says about the two of them~

Leo and Felix were born in my now husband’s childhood home back yard. Their mother would let my husband and I hold her babies while she left to hunt. She would come back and gently take each kitten from us and put them back in her nest. It is a memory I will always cherish ☺️🥰 Leo and Felix turn 10 this April and enjoy wrestling, sun bathing, and napping together. 

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

 

March 25, Wilson!

I am not sure I'm done with the background on this one, but I'm getting tired and need to go to bed soon, so I'm posting it as is, for the moment!

Here's what Emma says about Wilson, because I asked her-  And I also painted her dog Gwen a year or two ago!

"There is a small story - Lauren (my niece) and my sister Amanda liked to watch this TV show together called Friday Night Dinner. On there, they had a German Shepherd called Wilson who got into all sorts of bother with his inept owner. Amanda just fancied one day having a cat called Wilson, she just turned out to be a girl. Not a great story! But it's true."  

And I had thought Wilson was named after Tom Hanks' volleyball...

8x8 acrylic on wood!

Redone background for Wilson!

8x8 acrylic on wood

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March 24, Millie!

 Oh my goodness this was one I had to paint. Can you tell?

Another one of those beautiful crazy tortoiseshell marmalades!  And her owner Susan has a lovely story to tell~

This is Millie, her mom disappeared and a rescue woman my son works with found Millie and her littermates, 5 black males.  The woman found homes for the males, nobody wanted Millie.   My husband and son had told me I couldn’t have anymore cats-we have 7.  But still Derek, my son brought home Millie’s kitten picture on his phone and showed it to me.  What did he think I’d say?  I had to have her, I’d wanted a tortie for 5 years since my first and only dog died. And  just the previous night, I had, for the first time, prayed about getting a tortie kitten. Within hours, Derek came home with her picture and we went and picker her up.

I don’t know if you believe in that sort of thing, pray, I mean, but it sure was nice surprise.

Millie is one of those ‘cats of a lifetime’, she’s a real character and very special.

6x6 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

March 23, Cecil, the Infinitely Cuddleable

Okay, so that isn't the title Cecil's owner, Connie gave him, but I sure think it fits!  This is one of those weird photos that actually worked out fine.

Connie says this about Cecil and his adopted brother, Tyler~

"I had just buried Dottie, my last cat, when I moved to my new little house and was thinking I might take a break from pet ownership (and being covered in fur!) for a while. But life had other ideas. One of my daughters -- who is cat-crazy -- went through a very serious health crisis the month after I moved and that led to a visit to the Humane Society, where little Cecil climbed in my lap and chose me. He had been badly abused and was terrified of a hand reaching toward him, but once contact was made he melted into a cuddle bud. Within a couple weeks, we decided Cecil needed a companion of his own species, so went back for Tyler, who was clearly a runt and also full of energy. They quickly settled into a deep, connected companionship. They are the yin/yang of each other: Cecil is the sweetest cat I've ever known (puddle of love) and Tyler is endlessly curious and a bit aloof (I don't need you, but it's an act)."

6x9 acrylic on wood

sold

 

3-22 Wanda

This is an incredibly beautiful cat named Wanda. Tortoiseshells or marmalades or calicos can be super tricky to paint, with all that color flying around and distorting the sense of their facial structure and anatomy. I suppose it is like cat camouflage, right? 

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

March 21, Zabbo!

This name makes me think of "Zoboomafoo", the kids' show with the Kratt Brothers... if you haven't seen it, you might want to take a look.  I've found the PBS kids programming to be very soothing over this past year or so of considerable stress... you know there aren't going to be any horrible surprises that can't be dealt with safely in half an hour. 

And so this is the handsome, stalwart Zaboo!

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

March 20, Kibi Momma Cat

 Kibi is a beautiful dark quiet cat~ I loved painting this one! I've been so lucky to have such a lovely bunch of mysterious dark faces to paint lately~

I'll need to see if I can get a bit more of a story for her. I always love knowing where names come from, and this name is a new one to me!

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

3-19 Sippi and Baxter, Cat Puddle

 Whew!  I loved this photo at first sight, and am SO glad that Betsy allowed me to talk her into painting it a little bigger because it would have been just HECK to try to paint those delicate faces on a smaller panel.

And I love the comfort of the two, leaning into one another- 

Betsy says this about the two- "They are Sippi and Baxter. (Sippi is the calico). They are siblings and both passed away within a week of each other right before Thanksgiving. Kind of feel that god broke the mold with these two. I look forward to the delight of seeing your painting!"

8x10 acrylic on wood

sold

March 18, Sally Sabrina Lucky Lulu!

 Yes!  I love painting black animals!  here's a sweet black kitty with a big big name!

And here's her little story, from Alison, I think- tho maybe Svea had something to do with it...

The cat is Sally Sabrina Lucky Lulu.

Check out those lynx ear tips!

Svea took the picture.

She is a quiet cat,  she is good at hiding from the dog.

Cries at three am for treats.

Likes pets but then gets sick of it and bites you.

6x6 acrylic on wood

March 17, Oreo!

 I picked this kitty for St Patrick's day because he strikes me as a bit of a leprechaun!  I love Kelly's story and she and Oreo are why I've chosen MN Snap as my charity for this year's 30 Cats in 30Days Project! I've often had MACC (Minneapolis Animal Care/Control) in the past, and I'm sure I will again!

A little bit about Oreo from Kelly:

Oreo is a street cat who hung out in my back yard for a few summers. Disappeared entirely over the winters, and I assumed the worst each time. But he returned! I tried to nab him once and failed. Finally, I just got sick of being afraid and he looked so worse for wear this past spring, just as the pandemic took hold, that I grabbed him and plopped him in a cage. He seemed okay with it! Because MNSnap was closed, I pleaded my case to MACC where I volunteer as a cat cuddler. They were nice enough to take him in and do a work up, cleaned him up, fixed him, and sent him back to me. I then took him to my vet, who had to pull teeth. There were some worries that he was very ill, but it turned out he was okay! I took him in and he has no interest whatsoever in the great outdoors. He did like hanging on the porch in the sun (when it was warm). Now his favorite hangout is on a sheepskin by the radiator. We love him!

6x12 acrylic on wood

sold

I'm including this pic too because these longer panels are really hard to take photos of!

 

March 16, Lola

This is such a sweet photo~ I have sometimes hesitated to paint animals with their eyes closed because sometimes they don't look like they are still breathing... but this one, with that trusting lean to the side, and  the almost visible purrrrrrrrrrrr... this one wasn't a problem at all.

Another one that nearly painted itself!

And what my friend Marcy had to say about this one~

"This is my son’s precious cat Lola. He loves her as if she’s his baby. It is very sweet to see how he cares for her. ❤️ Let me know if this is not a workable shot—she doesn’t like to pose as much as my fur babies!"

I've painted several of Marcy's lovelies! Zoe here, and Celeste here~ its always fun to add to a collection!

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

March 15, Khaleesi for Tini!

 Happy Birthday, Christine!  This is my friend's cat, Khaleesi, and she is an amazing animal lover who has rescued many a beastie in her day. I'm particularly happy with the eyes, though I may tone down the background a bit...

Here's Christine's story!

"Khaleesi came from a kill shelter in Kentucky, pregnant, and ended up having her babies enroute. One of the six unfortunately died, but my friend Susan took care of her and her babies until they were ready to be adopted. So I was lucky enough to meet her prior to anyone else getting to see her with her little ones. Then the same organization that Susan works with found four feral kittens and Khaleesi helped raised them as well.

Since Zelda (our dog) came from a kill shelter in Kentucky as well and had nine puppies in her belly and she and all nine of her puppies were adopted obviously for us it meant that Khaleesi the mom would come into our family as well.

She is a licker, which is a cat thing that I’ve never experienced before, and she also likes to use her little pencil feet to give you massages.

She’s a character. She likes it when male friends visit so she can jump up on their shoulders and hang out when they’re playing music with Buc. She’s a tiny calico with a big attitude!❤️

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold!

March 14, Jean Luc

 This is a noble cat.

You can tell from those piercing green/hazel eyes, and that straight-backed pose, with the feet arranged just so and the gaze cast just to the side of the viewer.

Surely you've known a Cat like this?

And I LOOOOOOVE painting black animals!

6x12 acrylic on wood

sold

March 13, Dumbledore the Gecko

 I have had my own leopard geckos as pets, and it is amazing how cuddly someone like this can be. Mine loved crickets so I had to buy those nearly weekly, and then keep them in their own cage so they became like pets too. And this was always in my art room at St Mark's because I love having pets and its so great to have them with you at work!  And I think the kids liked them too~

It wasn't often that the doves were let out of their cage, and they didn't really fly around much.   The canibalistic mice were probably the worst pets... but that's a long story.  Remind me to tell you sometime...

6x6 acrylic on wood

$98 plus tax

click here to buy!

March 12, Pandora

I do have to admit that the eyes of cats are much more intriguing to paint. There's a lot more going on in there. They are rounder, and bigger in their faces than dogs', and because of that ever changing pupil there's a lot more color often available. Dog's eyes are brown, sometimes amber, sometimes blue, but never really green...

Yup,

I really enjoyed painting this one too!  I'm just having such a great month!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

 

March 11, Wriggly!

 Wow, was this a delight to paint!  Somehow, those eyes, and the fur, and the negative space around the ears just combine to create a composition that is full of fun-to-paint-edness!  It's hard to put my finger on exactly, but when I hit the whiskers on this one, I just smiled and thought "Bingo!" all done.

Honestly, not every painting goes like this.  But because enough do, that makes it SO worth it!

If you're curious about painting and think you might like to try taking a class with me, I have one starting on Saturday April 10th, 9:30-11:30am, and in-person or Zoom options are open! Click here for more info~

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

March 10, Sol and Luna

Another pair of friends that I couldn't resist. This is Sol and Luna. They have such calm faces. Even just painting them soothed me. It's amazing how magical some cats can be...

This is what Joe wrote about them~

Sol and Luna were not brother and sister, but they were very close. But we only had Sol a couple years. He died suddenly one summer from a heart defect.  Luna was my soulmate in many ways. I miss her a lot. 

6x9 acrylic on wood

$175

click here for purchase info~

March 9, Weasley!

 And today's kitty is amazingly FLUFFY! With insanely long and luxurious whiskers!! Rebecca has had a few other cats painted by me, and here's what she says about this one!

"Weasley is our youngest cat, he is two (almost three) years old and lives with my daughter in her Uptown apartment.

 I always tell Anne that his whiskers make him look like Rollie Fingers but she never knows who that is (maybe you don’t either, he’s a very old Oakland A’s pitcher.)

We’ve been waiting until we knew he had lost all his “kitten” face before we had this done."

And I had no idea who Rollie Fingers was either, and Rebecca was kind enough to send me a photo which I've included at the end of this post for you!  You'll notice!

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold!

Can you see the similarity?

This is Rollie Fingers!

March 8, Moxie

 And this one is Moxie!  And I'm realizing I forgot to paint his whiskers! Poop.  I'll go back in and do that and repost a little later-  I've been playing catch-up for two days now!  Crazy how sleeping all day can set you back!

I'm particularly pleased with the white fluffy bits, and that little nib of a black nose...

MJ says this about Moxie- This is Moxie, our (probably) 15 yr old rescue guy. Sweetest feline ever, has special needs, kidney disease & a thyroid disorder.  Will be wonderful to have a painting of him🙂

8x10 acrylic on canvas

sold

March 7, Clementine!

 And here is the actual scheduled kitty for the day, Clementine!  She is the next kitty after Twinkle in the household, never a replacement, more the next in line, I'd think.  And here's what Naomi said about her

'Next kitty is Clementine and she looks kind of similar except she has more white and a few patches of orange, so is calico. And she's now 7 months old and totally crazy. We call her "richochet kitty"! It's been a LONG time since I've had kitten energy!'

6x6 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

March 6th, Puck!

I was a bit laid up yesterday, most of the day... I'd gotten my second COVID shot on Friday morning, and felt fine all Friday so we could celebrate my husband Duane's birthday a bit in the backyard socially distanced around a fire, and I brought Max inside around 9 to put him to bed so Duane could have some "guy" time, and I went to bed too. Then all night I had shivers and aches and my head started to hurt and my body was aching and I took some Tylenol and was just absolutely good for nothing all day yesterday. So I didn't get my cat painted until today!

SO this is Puck- and it was tricky getting him to look soft enough here- I had to redo his eyes several times before I was happy with them. That is the problem of loving to paint on black- lighter colored subjects can prove to be very difficult!  I'm loving those green eyes now!

8x10 acrylic on canvas

spoken for!

March 5, Beau, Hugo, and Alphie

 This one feels nearly abstract with the composition and the contrast of black to the pearly grey.  What fun to paint!  And then to try to get those facial expressions and the eyes looking like they are actually LOOKING somewhere!

I've included Patty's stories about these three below!

10x10 acrylic on wood

spoken for

Alphonse

I was lured into adopting Alphonse when a friend sent a link from PetFinder.com with the message, “How can you resist this face?” Well, I couldn’t, and shortly afterward, I adopted Alphonse from the animal shelter in La Crosse. He joined Beauregard and Hugo, and immediately made his presence and personality known by smacking Hugo in the face. Despite that rocky start, they became best wrestling and bird-watching buddies, while Beauregard viewed both of them like the wise, but slightly goofy kitty that he was. Alphonse loves nothing more than butter, although shrimp is a close second. He has me well-trained to turn on the bathroom faucet for him and is not shy about speaking up when I’m not Johnny-on-the-spot. He’s got gorgeous green eyes, is a top-notch mouser and loves to snuggle under the covers.

 

Beauregard 

Beauregard also hailed from Wisconsin – Chippewa Falls – and once again, PetFinder.com united us. It was kind of bait and switch; the photo was of one of his siblings, but by the time I got there, Beau was the only black kitty left. So of course, I brought him home. After having lived in a cage for all of his 9 months of life, he knew nothing about houses: rooms were a revelation, as were the stairs. He was so weak that he couldn’t jump on the bed and a game of chase-the-string left him panting. So he undertook his own fitness course and soon was as robust as he’d ever be. His long tail suggested he’d be a big guy, but he never topped 7 pounds. He was a sweet, goofy, but quiet presence who loved his buddy Hugo, and kept a his roomies in line.

 

I met Hugo at the Humane Society and it was “like” at first sight. Hugo had a mind of his own, hated to be held on his back and frankly, acted more like a dog than a cat. Lithe and powerful, he could make a 3-foot vertical leap after a toy, but there was nothing catlike about his thudding walk or whomping jump onto the bed. If there was something scary outside, Alphie and Beau clustered around Hugo. He taught himself how to catch treats in mid-air by just throwing his head back. When Alphie joined the trio, Hugo was his kindly uncle who let Alph pounce on and stalk him. Once Alph was big enough, they held ferocious wrestling matches. Hugo was a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime cat, who exuded personality, a true, unforgettable character.

3-4 Twinkle

 And this is Twinkle, with flowers and glowing eyes- this is what Naomi has to say about her~

"Here are a couple of photos of our lovely cat, Twinkle, who we lost at age 19 this past summer. We were glad she got to have us at home full time for her last several months, as she was a very friendly, snuggly being who would come out and visit with anyone who entered our house. Would love to have you paint her!"

I love that nose- just wanna rub it!

6x6 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

3-3 Stephani

 And this is the beautiful, one-eyed Stephani!  She is good with people and kids and more than makes up for cuddles and such~

Thank you Cami for sending her to me!  Do let me know if you have more of a story for her!  And I'll edit out my own nonsense here and put yours in!

I had fun painting her because she has such fun fur, and also I often have to try to make eyes look similar and there was no issue here!

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

March 2, Clyde!

I was excited to paint this little baby tortoise because I don't often get to see a tortoise this small!  We have our own Greek Tortoise at home and he isn't huge but you'd trip over him if you didn't see him on the floor. This little sweet pea is Clyde, and he's actually in a red dish in the photo, but I changed it...

 

6x6 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

DOGS hanging at Coffee Paws Cafe in Stillwater this MONTH!

 I was fortunate to be contacted by Kat in Stillwater, who owns Coffee Paw Cafe which is right on 4th street and super easy to find, and has great lovely big windows and AMAZING great big HUGE cookies! Anyway, she offered me an opportunity to hang some of my dogs in her cafe this month of March and I was delighted to accept.  I was able to pull some of my favorite pieces from the series "My AutobiDOGraphy" from a few years ago out of our basement (because I haven't brought them back to my studio yet, because the Ivy is still under reconstruction) and hang those along with most of my recent Pug Paintings. It is always just such a joy to be able to see my work hanging up on a wall.  I think most artists feel that way.  You have to put your work up and away from you so you can see it at a distance and kinda live with it for a while.  So I'm hoping to get back to the cafe for a cup of tea (or Kombucha!!! they have MANY flavors!!) so let me know if you're heading that way and maybe I'll meet you!  Dogs are welcome once there's outside seating!

Here I'm standing by one of my older works, and still one of my favorites of our dog of my teenage angst years, Rusti, at Puget Sound when I was 18... I still love this one!

The show is up through the end of March!

Coffee Paw Cafe is located at 826 4th St. S. Stillwater, MN 55082 and is open Wednesday-Sunday, 7:30am- 2pm!

March 1, Lydia Peeping, the FIRST CAT! of 30 Cats in 30 Days 2021!

 Yay!  I LOVE this one!! Those green eyes, peepers jeepers! It's Lydia, and she's in a box. And she's the first kitty of this month of March, 2021. I'll include the Official List below too, so you'll know who's coming up next!  Lydia is available, just click on the link below~

And I do have a few spaces open yet if you still want to send in your cat or bird or gecko!

Oh, and I NEED to post another post today about my show in Stillwater! I forgot to post for the last three days, and I have some stuff to share!!!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$106 (tax incl)

click here!

3-1 Kathleen D- Lydia peeping 6x6

3-2 Madi S- tortoise Clyde 6x6

3-3 Cami A- Stephani 6x6

3-4 Naomi S- Twinkle  6x6 COMM

3-5 Patricia M - Hugo,  Beau,  Alphie 10x10  COMM

3-6 Elizabeth G- Puck  8x10 COMM

3-7 Naomi S-  Clementine  6x6 COMM

3-8 MJ Turinia-  Moxie 8x10 COMM

3-9 Rebecca D- Weasley 6x6 COMM

3-10 Joe Larson- Sol and Luna 6x6

3-11 Amelia K- Wiggly 6x6

3-12 Jody B- Pandora 6x6 COMM

3-13 Lydia K-  Dumbledore, gecko

3-14 Tracy Y- Jean-Luc 6x12 COMM

3-15. Christine D- 8x8 Khaleesi COMM

3-16 Marcy W- Lola 6x6 COMM

3-17 Kelly E- Oreo 6x12 COMM

3-18 Alison H-  Sally Sabrina Lucky Lulu 6x6

3-19 Betsy W- two cat puddle 6x6

3-20 JC W/Chris -  Kibi 6x6 COMM

3-21 JC W Chris - Zab 6x6 COMM

3-22

3-23 Connie L- COMM

3-24

3-25  Emma G- Wilson 8x8 COMM

3-26

3-27-Colleen C- Maddie and Maxie

3-28

3-29

3-30