January 27, 2009

"Dino"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel 8" x 8"
When Piper had her kittens last summer we named the litter after the rat pack. Although perhaps not politically correct, the little black one was obviously named Sammy, the black and white one we named Dino and the little girl we called Shirley, after Shirley MacLaine. Dino's black and white spots are more Robert Motherwell than Dalmatian. I was more open to the abstract expressionists back in my youth. I remember going to a Halloween party dressed as Motherwell's Elegy to the Spanish Republic number 57. It was during the mime years so I had ready access to grease paint. I wore my beatnik black and painted Motherwell's painting on my face. No one at the party knew who I was supposed to be, imagine that. Then it occurred to me that I had painted the painting using a mirror so the image was backwards. Did I feel foolish. We had a couple in inches of snow today and Dino is really enjoying playing in it.
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18 comments:

  1. UnknownJanuary 28, 2009 at 10:23 AM

    Oh my goodness, Mark! Another great one! Your paintings keep me coming back time and time again- they are consistently beautiful! I guess it helps that I relate to most of your chosen subject matter, but it is mostly the level of your ability that captures my loyalty and my ooo's and ahhhh's. Dino is gorgeous - if this cat was an orphan, your painting would give it a choice of homes, for sure!

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  2. Mark AdamsJanuary 28, 2009 at 10:59 AM

    Thanks, Joanne. I have been waiting for the right time to bring the rat pack inside. We may have some opposition from Miss Anna. JJ likes them and is cool with it. Fear not, they are living the high life on the covered patio, in a 96 quart cooler with an 8" square hole cut in it, complete with heated sheepskin bed. Piper and all the kids have been roosting there this winter. I need to get them spayed and nuetered asap before the colony grows.

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  3. Chris BeckJanuary 30, 2009 at 10:12 AM

    I've been following your blog for a while now and I just want to say how much I like your work. It's really beautiful. I enjoy your sense of humor too!

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  4. AnonymousJanuary 30, 2009 at 12:45 PM

    Marko,

    Dino's a cutie. Got to get you to the farm though so you can paint some REAL horses! LOL

    Cityfarmgirl

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  5. Mark AdamsJanuary 30, 2009 at 8:06 PM

    Thanks, Chris. I'm happy you took the time to comment. It always makes my day.

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  6. Mark AdamsJanuary 30, 2009 at 8:57 PM

    CityFarmGirl,

    You mean dem really BIG horses, instead of dem prissy ponies with dare braided hair-dos, hon?

    I'd love to do that sometime.

    Thanks, Debby

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  7. AnonymousJanuary 31, 2009 at 8:38 AM

    Well sorry to say but we dress up the big ones with ribbons in their manes and forelocks and braids and bows on their tails. Oh and paint on their hooves. LOL

    Sometimes even as french poodles much to Jason's chagrin. LOL

    Debby

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  8. Mark AdamsJanuary 31, 2009 at 10:32 AM

    Not to mention the clydes-burrow.

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  9. Diana Moses BotkinJanuary 31, 2009 at 4:59 PM

    Beautiful painting!

    I love the story of the Motherwell painting on your face. Did anyone think to take pictures at the time?

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  10. Mark AdamsJanuary 31, 2009 at 11:36 PM

    Thanks, diana. There is a photo floating around here somewhere from that party. I'm sure it will surface when I pack up to move. When it does I'll post it for you.

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  11. MónicaFebruary 3, 2009 at 7:03 PM

    Awesome painting ! So beautiful ... !!!
    regards,
    Monica

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  12. Mark AdamsFebruary 4, 2009 at 12:53 AM

    Thanks, Monica.

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  13. AnonymousFebruary 6, 2009 at 4:22 AM

    Lovely artwork on your blog. I love all your cats...especially the calico with the kitten at the door.
    ahhhh,,,but my husband says that cats can read the invisible word "free food" that is written on my forehead...as I feed 12 cats on my patio everyday and love when they appear and wait,,,as each one is a different color and pattern. They look so gorgeous all sitting there.

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  14. Mark AdamsFebruary 6, 2009 at 3:07 PM

    Cynnie, We have 5 regulars at the Kitty Cafe on the patio and a few surprise guests from time to time, not to mention JJ and Anna, the resident studio cats. They do make good models.

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  15. Eugenia Wadsworth MartinFebruary 6, 2009 at 3:39 PM

    Your brushwork with the animals appears as if one could reach out and touch them just beautiful.
    Oh course I am biased as I am a cat person. We have 18 inside all rescues and now have 5 to 8 outside this is not counting the ones rescued and adopted out over the last 20 years. In addition, we have an invisible sign all over the neighbor hood saying we give out free food as we have new ones show up every now and then. As they do, we capture and have them spayed or neutered. Just trying to do our bit in our corner of the world.
    If you bring the inside, ones in we found having every one bathed and dipped masks the order and every one smells the same. This is what my hubby and I did when we got married 15 years ago I had 6 and he 5. We are such suckers for a little furry face.

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  16. Mark AdamsFebruary 7, 2009 at 11:05 PM

    Eugenia, Good idea about bathing them to equal their scents. I may try that. We do need to get our colony spayed and neutered soon. We are going to try and adopt the 3 kittens.

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  17. Alice ThompsonFebruary 16, 2009 at 12:45 AM

    This is glorious and cool at the same time. I think you need to place a few of these pieces on ebay from now on so that others(myself included) can fight for it fairly. I am very refreshed with what you've been doing.

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  18. Mark AdamsFebruary 17, 2009 at 8:59 AM

    Nice to hear from you, Alice. I glad you like the new work. Sorry there is not more of it. Building a house is really eating into my painting time. How's the walkabout going?

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