March 30, Maynard James Kitten

 And here is the last kitty of March!  Though maybe I'll paint another tomorrow just because there's one more day in the month.  Sometimes I like to do that!

And I wanted to invite you to Diamonds Coffee Shoppe this Sunday, April 3rd, for a little 30 Cats in 30 Days Celebration from 2 to 4!  Come see them all hanging!  I'll probably have a closing gathering as well, when I'll have the book ready so stay tuned for that too!

Here's a great story about Maynard! Such a noble face...

Not sure if you’re full up or not for the month, but thought I’d send our first kitty, Maynard James Kitten. My husband had him for about 11 years, after adopting him at 5-7 years of age. He was the sweetest guy, who loved humans but wasn’t a big fan of other animals. He was a frequent cuddler, he “caught” socks and hollered to announce his successful hunt, he made caves in blankets and then passed out in them. He was a wonderful first cat, and we still miss his presence! 

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

 

March 29, Frank and Sam, "Sleeper Hold"

This is another one that I just had to paint! And they are asleep!  Isn't this CUTE?!?!

Here's what Mary wrote!

Hello, attached is a picture of my boys, Frank and Sam.  Frank and Sam were found abandoned as newborns, and were bottle fed by a wonderful organization called Bitty Kitty Brigade.  I adopted them in October 2021 and life has not been the same since.  These two schemers have gotten into just about any trouble they possibly could.  We now have toddler locks on our cupboards and drawers, and on doors they managed to open to our attic.  I have no living plants left, and I often hear thumping in our vents which means they are walking around in the ducts, but I love them immensely and think they are the cutest boys ever.  Hopefully you think so, too. In this picture they fell asleep wrestling. 

8x10 acrylic on wood

$300 inc tax, shipping and BOOK

click here to buy!

 

Kat's 2022 Art Colony Art Residency VIDEO!

Hi all!  here is a short 2 minute video tour of the work I accomplished at my residency at the Art Colony this past week!  I tried including it in a newsletter and it just didn't work, so here it is for you!

Thank you!

March 28, Otis!

 I painted Otis' sibling cat, Foof, on March 19th, and this one was just about as much fun!  Those HUGE eyes, that slightly titled head... I love it!

Here's Amy's story about Otis! I love it when someone has such a great sense of humor about their pets~

Otis Snorflebeest has been clinically determined to have "really nice feet" and has been known to cuddle his veterinarian. Handsome, athletic, smart, and friendly, Otis is always happy and usually purring. He's a hit at parties and everyone loves him. He's practically Captain America. When he's not busy being perfect in every way, Otis likes playing with string toys, eating stuff he finds on the floor, and taking up entire sofas even though he is only the size of a bowling ball. Otis's dream is to open a tavern with his sister, call it the Loaf and Circle, and serve a bug that you catch yourself.

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

March 27, Kira for Patrick

This is my brother Patrick's cat, Kira.

She's wearing a hat that Patrick made from her fur, by felting it. 

Isn't that clever?

And I found a book that tells you how to make things with your cat's fur!  Isn't that just PURRRRRFECT?!

6x6 acrylic on wood

spoken for

 

March 26, Donn's Cat for Aunt Diane and Uncle Roger

So I'm a day behind-  I did actually paint this guy yesterday, I just didn't post him because so many other things came up!  So I'm posting him now~

This cat belongs to my aunt and uncle's neighbor Donn, and he is a very helpful guy and helped us load a huge heavy tent into the back of my car when I went over to pick it up from my aunt and uncle. And they seemed to think Donn might like this!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$130

click here to purchase!

March 25, Lulu for Lissa!

And here is a lovely black and white kitty named Lulu, another green-eyed beauty!

I'm up at the Art Colony in Grand Marais for a Solo Art Residency, in which I am attempting to paint some otters and deer and a few wolves, and possibly some of the lake too. It's been an adventure already, just getting here!   I left on Tuesday morning (after a 7am dentist appointment that had already been rescheduled once, and a video interview with the Star/Trib that had also been rescheduled!) and it was icky and exhausting just getting to Duluth, where I took a nap at my sister's new house, and then spent the next nearly 36 hours debating whether I should head out or not, as a winter storm came in on Lake Superior and dropped snow and sleet all over the place. Yuck.

SO I stayed an extra night at Beaner's, and it was lovely, and I'm so glad I did!  The drive up yesterday morning (I left around 6:30am) was beautiful and sunny and I got to the colony and set up and have been mostly painting ever since!  It is tremendously windy today and it feels like the roof might come off the old church I'm painting in...

I'm sure I'm fine!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$130

click here to purchase

March 24, Alo

 This one was a delight to paint!  Dang!  All that color, all that gleam...

Here's what Stacy says about Alo!

Meet Alo! I adopted Alo and her sister Aasta when they were kittens 15 years ago. Alo is gentle, loyal, and loving. She is also mischievous. She loves to do things like open closet doors, balance on railings, and climb on top of kitchen cupboards. She hates being carried, but she loves to cuddle on a lap. She has so much love and is always purring. She greets us at the door and is quick to win over everyone she meets. She even allows our dog to groom her. We love her so much. 

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

March 23, Rinji for Janet

 This is another delightful one to paint~ and here's Janet's story about him~

"Our boy came to join our family at the age of 6.  He was a recently neutered Tom who’d lived his life (up until the St. Paul shelter) on the Red Lake Reservation. I was smitten the moment I met him!

"We re-named him Rinji, a Japanese boy’s name meaning "peaceful forest." It suited him perfectly.  When he first met our other two resident cats they hissed and fussed at him.  He simply backed up, lied down, and kept a soft gaze on them. Rinji was the most emotionally intelligent cat I have ever met (and having volunteered at a cat shelter for more than 10 years, I’ve met a few). He adored people and other cats and was funny, gentle, loving and truly kind."

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

March 22, RBG for Tracy!

 This is another one of those photos that I saw and went "Ahhh!  I HAVE to paint that!"  Mostly because it's just a cute pic, but also a little challenging, and then there's that thing where animals have their eyes shut and you want to make sure they look alive...

I think RBG looks alive!

And it also seems timely to me, that I'm painting her on the day that another hopefully strong female Supreme Court nominee is undergoing whatever it is that they are doing~

Here's what Tracy said about her RBG, when she'd adopted her in September of 2020-  "Everybody asks me if she is Bengal breed but she was from rescue foster so I highly doubt it. "

6x6 acrylic on wood

$130

click here!

  

March 21, Freddie in the box!

 I LOVED the eyes here!!!!  They are just liquid and lit from whithin, and to get that delicate white face on a black ground is a heck of a challenge, my friends! But I think I did it-  it takes a lot of layering, and figuring which layer should stay and which needs yet another layer on top of it, to get to that white, that beige-y color, that pink little nose, that sweet little chin!

Love it!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

March 20, Jack the Cat

 And here is the lovely Jack, who sports a heart-shaped patch on his coat!  Molly sent me a collection of photos and I loved this one, because it also includes his tail and the colorful table cloth that accents his green eyes~

Such a fun one to paint-  I think it's the eyes too!

Ah, spring in Minneapolis!  I trimmed my son's hair last night, and trimmed the biggest dog's hair this morning.  It is shedding time!  Hope your home is hair free!

12x6 acrylic on wood

$270

click here to nab this one!

March 19, Foof!

 Okay, I love doing these projects because we end up creating a community of cat and art loving people and I love putting the books together and including all the stories of these amazing creatures. 

And sometimes, someone is really really great at writing entertaining stories.

Like Amy's here~

"Nine years ago, Gigi "Foof" Snorflebeest and her brother, Otis Snorflebeest, were rescued from the streets as tiny kittens. They were fostered out to their humans, Beth and Amy, who refused to give them back. Today Foof is eleven pounds of pure self-assurance, even if sometimes her reach exceeds her grasp. Foof's interests include cat treats, fine textiles, being gorgeous for days, popping in and out of existence whenever she feels like it, and sitting in spots where ley lines intersect so she can command the entire house from her position on the staircase. Mr. DeMille, Foof is ready for her close-up now. "

And don't worry!  You'll get Otis' story when I paint him on the 28th!

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

March 18, Fluffy Cat!

 So this guy caught my eye in an instagram post and I asked my friend if I could paint it and he said yes~ I loved the noble look and those piercing yellow eyes, and the regal mane...

6x6 acrylic on wood

$130

click here to purchase!

March 17, Mr M

 And this is Mr M!  I had the wrong kitty story at first-

Sounds like a character though!  here's what Bethany says about him!

"Mr M is often referred to by my husband and me as The Warden. M decides when we get up and when we go to bed. And God forbid, one of us remains up without the other. M cajoles, whines, paws, paces, and positions himself to give you the evil eye, eyeball to eyeball, until you go to bed or get up. He's relentless. Lol.

Mr M loves to jump into a large plastic bag and starts to purr while i gather up the bag's handles and swing him up and around in the air like a sack of potatoes. Even better is if he can make a hole in the bag just large enough to stick his face thru the bag. The "ride" is over when centrifugal force enlarges his peak hole beyond safety. Then he has to wait for another day when I shop again for large items requiring a large plastic bag. Kitty repurposing/ recycling plastic bags!"

6x6 acrylic on wood

$130

click here!

March 16, Jiji

 Good morning!

It's finally feeling like spring in Minneapolis, even though the sidewalks were still sneakily slippery in spots this morning... but it was delicious out! And supposed to be staying that way!  The snow is melting and there's puddles everywhere, with that little crispy layer of ice on the edges that was so fulfilling to crunch on when I was small and wearing rainboots and walking to school in the spring...

And this is Jiji! Did I mention how much I love to paint black cats?

Oh and I got to sit and be photographed yesterday while I was painting Stella and Milo for an article about Pet Painters for the Star/Tribune!  It will be published on Sunday April 3rd so keep an eye out for it!

Here's Jiji!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

March 15, Milo and Stella for Nancy!

 These two just called to be painted!  I had SO much fun with them, and I asked my friend Sally if I could paint them BIG because I like to do at least one larger painting in these projects, and she said yes!  

So this one is 12x16 acrylic on canvas, and here's what Sally says about the two of them~

"The thing I love about this photo is that it captures their personalities so well: Stella is a sweet, super chill cat, and Milo is a quirky, curmudgeonly guy who usually wears a look of annoyance when he knows you're looking at him. 

"Also, they're 16 year old siblings. 😊

12x16 acrylic on canvas

spoken for!

March 14, Anya for Cathy!

 So for Pi day, I chose a Cutie-Pi to paint!  Hee hee! I was captivated by this pose and wondered if I could paint it, especially with Anya's wide opened green eyes~

"Look ma! No ears!"

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

March 13, Gilbert Blythe~

 So as soon as I saw this photo I knew I wanted to paint this one- talk about surrealism!  This cat coulda lived with Magritte!

I'm hoping the little light and the fact that he's in a room comes across just fine-  I loved the lighting and that semi-serious face~

SOO good!

And his owner is Stephanie Watson, whom I met years ago at an Improv Class that was so much fun and helped me in my teaching, because every day of teaching is improv, and Stephanie was part of the fun and energy of the entire class.  Stephanie is an author, and her newest book is "Pencilvania" which I haven't read yet but will be soon and he other books are on this link here!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$130

click here to purchase!

March 12, Amos

 I believe you probably know by now that I love painting black animals. So yes, here is another one! I love it!

And here's what Jody wrote~

"We inherited  Amos about 4 years ago when my colleague and friend unexpectedly died (at 60 yo!!). 

Amos eats cheese any time he can. He also knows when we open the freezer for the ice cream! " 

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

March 11, Momma Girl

This is such a sweet face~ I've painted a few other cats for Cecilia.  She knows how to pick them~

"Momma Girl was gentle, fierce, independent and very social!  She liked to hang out with us in the yard, or follow us to the neighbor's and always welcomed company. She was loyal as well and would run to the fence to defend her family when our dog and the neighbor's dog would occasionally bark at one another.

"We miss her. "

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

March 10, Bubby, for Isabel (From Kelli!)

 I think I may do a bit more on this one later, but I ran out of time in order to post it today~ but I love his eyes....

This is for Isabel, from her friend Kelli, who is also my friend, and this is what Isabel wrote about her beloved companion~

"It was love at first sight, and it was love until the end. This baby boy has been the center of my life for years now and I really would not have gotten through so many things without him to come home to. He kept me pushing when I had given up hope on a lot of things in life... he let me annoy him as much as he annoyed me.  ... I keep several Polaroids of him in my wallet at all times and now I know he will always be with me.  He is off being gay with his boyfriend now. Rest easy, big guy. Little baby thick. Biggie Smalls. Boob Tube. Thicc Boy.  Mr Perfect Paws. The cutest of all the cutes that ever cuted. Te amo. "

8x8 acrylic on wood

spoken for~

March 9, Ginny

 And this is Ginny!  I've painted a few of her feline siblings and they've all been delightful fluffy creatures with luminous eyes like her~

I also have to admit that I DO try to get a painting done in one sitting, but sometimes due to circumstances or my pallet needing to be refreshed, or me just feeling out of sorts, the painting sometimes doesn't get completed in one go.  With Ginny, I started this morning at home, got a good start, and then brought her here to school to add some of the finishing touches... which sometimes take longer than expected and so then the painting travels with me all day!

But I think I got her now~

Just so you know that sometimes I do start a painting the night before, just in case!  Especially if its a larger one.

Whew!

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold

March 8, Tommy!

 And here is Tonks' brother Tommy!

Tommy the cat, Toe-mas, Big Cat, Tommy toes, Thomas O’Malley, TomTom (the list could go on)… He’s the sweetest, easiest going, and cuddliest old man cat I’ve ever met. A polydactyl, he’s got big paws and doesn’t always “know how to cat” (he’s the least graceful cat we know 😊). We adopted him at ~13, having always wanted a Tommy the Cat, so he kept his lifelong name. Now 15 going on 16, this guy is attached to my side. He’ll come to bed as soon as I go to bed, sleeps on my shoulder or my pillow every night, sleeps near or on me as I work from home most days, and often greets us at the door with his sis, Tonks. He thinks all food should be shared (especially cheese!), often finds himself with his tongue sticking out as he’s mostly toothless, loves a good sweater, and hollers at his water fountain. He’s a goof and has been a huge blessing in these COVID years and we hope we get many more years with him. 

6x6 acrylic on wood

spoken for!

March 8, Tonks!

Great day for painting today!  And I've painted both Tonks and her brother Tommy today to make some room for a few other cats- thank you Ashley!

 We adopted Tonks (formally Missy) and her brother Tommy from Ruff Start Rescue in June 2019. She’s now 10 or 11 years old and spunky as ever. With a T on her back, we knew she needed a new unique name, so we went with one of my favorite side characters in Harry Potter, Tonks. Tonks loves her people, especially her cat-dad Dylan, and will sleep on him nearly every night. We also call her Tonker Bonkers as she loves to head bonk her people on the chin/face to show her love. A neighborhood watch girl, she will sprint from one window to the next when she sees (or think she sees) something interesting outside, but she also loves to snuggle up on her cozy blankets or her people and snooze away. We like to say she’s part dog, and usually greets us when we get home. She’s petite and feisty and lovey all in one. She and Tommy are the perfect addition to our family unit!

 

6x6 acrylic on wood

Sold

 

March 7, Faye

 This is Faye!  And here's what Heidi wrote about her~

"Faye is our big, soft calico with the personality of a kindergartener.  She’s a ray of sunshine on a dark day.

"Quite the athlete, Fayes loves to run, although jumping is her true passion.

You can practically hear her yell, “I’m FLYING!” when she jumps for her

ball or races down the stairs. Throw the ball behind her, and she jumps up with

her paws in front of her chest, spins around in the air, and becomes a Lipizzaner Stallion. 

"We love Faye more than we can say, and she has become an important part of our family. "

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold

March 6, IdaMae!

 It snowed 4 inches last night!  So I had to spend part of the morning shoveling out the drive and the sidewalks and the dog paths in the backyard.  And because it was Duane's birthday yesterday, we stayed up past midnight watching the last two Harry Potter movies... so it's been a slow morning!  And I finally got to IdaMae here!  Isn't she a lovely tortie?

6x6 acrylic on wood

$130 inc tax and shipping!

click here!

March 5, Estrella and Naldo

Wow, did I have fun painting this one-   the light, the angles, and the look on Naldo's face...

Painting on black like I do means that you need to make adjustments constantly on darks and lights. And acrylic paint has a tendency to dry dark, so you also have to take that into consideration. With this painting, I was trying to keep the deck surface looking light enough to suggest wood and warmth, and I had to make it lighter three times!

Of course, the glory of this one is that the photo was such a great one.  Sometimes I worry about painting from a great photo because it is already wonderful... What can I possibly add?  But a painting does do something that a photo just can't do.

Can you tell I am really pleased with this one?

Joe sent the photo with this note~

"Not sure if you know but we had to say goodbye to our precious Naldo in early December. He developed tumors in his lung and liver, and we had to put him to sleep. We miss him dearly, even though we had him for less than 4 years. So, now we just have one kitty, Estrella--whom we've had for almost 11 years.

Attached is a photo of them from last fall. Naldo is in front."

8x10

spoken for

 

March 4, Pixel for Paige!

PIXEL!  I loved this photo and went ahead with it without really checking with Paige, who just landed her dream job at the Weaver's Guild!  Congratulations Paige!!!

And I painted Pixel before, as an 8x8, but I wasn't sure that was the size and went and painted this one as a 6x6 and I really love it-  it's more detail than I usually squish into a 6x6! I especially love that squinty little all-knowing eye there, looking right at you!

Pretty sweet, aye?

6x6 acrylic on wood

maybe be available, maybe not?

 

March 3, Hota Kah?

 Did you know that I love to paint black animals?  And this one is fluffy on top of it!  This is Hotah Kah? whose name includes the question mark, which seems weird when you are writing it all out, because it makes me want to read it as a question with my voice going up at the end, you know?

So here is Carolyn's explanation of the name~

“ Hota Kah? is our loving and attentive Siberian who joined our family as a pal for Fast Eddie (and us) after the passing of Ruby.  He is named after JK Rowling , creator of Harry Potter , using the phonetic spelling of her initials in Spanish.

Since we don’t really speak or understand Spanish , he has to have the question mark at the end... “

And here is the mysteriously named feline!

8x8 acrylic on wood

sold!

March 2, Nelly for Julia~

This sweet cat is Nelly, and Julia has this to say about her~

"Nelly came into my life on April 2, 2019 during my freshman year of college. She was a stray and very sick, so I snuck her into my college dorm room and nursed her back to health. I’m an animal lover, but I would never have considered myself a cat person before meeting Nelly. Her sweet snuggles and friendly personality had a lasting effect on everyone who met her. You could always find Nelly lounging on a lap or basking in the sun, and she loved being around her people more than anything. It’s been 3 months without her; I miss her everyday and always look for pieces and memories of her where the sun streams through the windows. Nelly absolutely changed my life… and made me a cat person to boot :) "

6x6 acrylic on wood

sold~

March 1st, Moonshadow for Freya!

 I didn't actually get a story for this one yet, but I loved the face and the look and so Moonshadow is first!  And that word always reminds me of traveling around Europe in 1987 when I was twenty and carrying my Walkman with me and Cat Stevens was one of my tapes, and "Moonshadow" was one of my comfort songs and I'd sing it along to myself when my batteries died...

There was an island in Spain somewhere that was covered with feral cats, and this face reminds me of them~

I love those green eyes!

6x6 acrylic on wood

$130 inc tax, shipping and BOOK!

Click here!

Feb 28, The OFFICIAL LIST for 30 Cats in 30 Days, March 2022!

 Hey there! Yes it is TIME!

Here is the OFFICIAL (with the understanding that some things may move around) LIST for this year's 30 Cats Project!  I do still have some room at the end of the month so keep sending me photos!

I'm so pleased to have such a great selection of kitties to paint!  I'll be attempting to paint each one in the morning so I have time to post it for the day, and I DO want a story to post too, so please include a story with your photos!

If you are interested and want more info, you can click here~ and if you thought you were ON the list and you don't see yourself, please send me an email at katjojo@hotmail.com!

AND so 

HERE we GO!

1- Moonshadow for Freya

2- Nelly for Julia- 

3- Hota Kah? for Carolyn and Brad

4- Pixel for Paige 

5- Naldo and Estella for Joe and Charlie

6- IdaMae for Debra G

7- Faye for Heidi 

8- Tonks for Ashley AK

9- Ginny for Marcy

10- Bubby for Kelli 

11- Momma Girl for Cecelia C 

12- Amos for Jody B 

13- Gilbert for Stephanie W 

14- Anya for Cathy S

15- Milo and Stella for Sally N- 

16- Jiji for C&B’s son 

17- Mister M for Bethany A 

18- Pierret forJeffery A

19- Foof for Amy B

20- Jack the cat for Mollie and Sammy-

21-Freddie in a box for Kathy R

22- RBG for Tracy

23- Rinji for Janet 

24-Alo for Stacy

25-Loki for Lissa

26- Donn's cat

27-Kira Wears Her Hat for Patrick

28- Otis for Amy

29- Frank and Sam

30- Maynard James Kitten for Ashley