"Cleo"

Oil on museum quality ampersand gessobord panel 6" x 6"

Like ordering a Cosmo at a bar, it takes a truly manly man to paint puppies and kittens. I really wasn't going for the cheap shot with this piece - honestly. I was grabbed by the Tissot-like back-lighting on this little imp. My friends Sherry and Joe just adopted two sweet sisters from the S.P.C.A. These gregarious girls, Cleo and her litter mate, Iris, couldn't be cuter if they tried. Cleo was clowning around on the landing stairs and her aura of light and amusing expression was something I deemed paint worthy, if just a silly bit of fun.

"Please sir, I want some more."

Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 6” x 8”

We weren't lucky enough at my high school to have our own composer like Kelsey from High School Musical to create something original.  For our senior musical we were forced to use the work of Lionel Bart.  I must that say our production of Oliver! was very professional, and not just because of the great scenic artwork in which I had a hand. Right by the computer are two large french doors and very often one or more little faces are pressed up against the glass, looking in with pleading eyes for more food.  Even if I slide the door very slowly, they scatter.  All except Sammy that is, he comes just inside the door to have a look.  There is a scene in Oliver! when young Oliver, having finished his meager bowl of gruel goes up to Mr. Bumble for seconds. "Please sir, I want some more." he says.  I often think that is running through these little girls' heads. This is of course Piper and her new daughter Shirley.

This painting looks better in reality.  The photo doesn't show off the softness of the fur very well.  For the record, my high school basketball team were the Parkville Knights.  "Get your head in the game!"

"Kittens in a wall"

Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 8”

Maybe it's the little guys frolicking just outside the studio that made me want to paint this piece. I have been spending way too much time watching the "rat pack" as we call them. Sammy, Dino and Shirley are destined to make the move into the studio before the snow flies. I made a make-shift house by cutting a 8" x 8" hole in front of an old igloo cooler and put a heated dog bed in it, which they have taken to, so I am slightly less worried about them being cold. Piper is still a hissy little bitch but the kids are starting to think the big pink monster is O.K.

These little kittens looked at first like they were stuck in the wall of my friends barn, but I was assured that they could come and go with no problem and that they felt safe in their nest. Having a farm can be a challenge. People seem to think they can dump kittens off with impunity. After all, everybody knows you can't have too many barn cats. At last count my friend has 50 some outside cats and 16 inside. She is more of a bleeding heart than I am, God bless her.

"China with Kittens"

Oil on museum quality, archival ampersand gessobord™ panel - 8” x 8”

I guess the feral kittens outside have reminded me of when my own cat China gave birth to her litter almost eighteen years ago.  The last of which, Anna, is on my lap as I type this, with both paws over my left wrist and her head resting demurely on them. This does not help my already poor typing skill, but if I try and extricate my hand, she takes her paw and puts it back where it was.  I think she is pleased that I finally got around to painting her, albeit if only one day old.  As China got close to delivering, we made her a nesting box and placed a yellow towel on the bottom. Here, exhausted after a long night in labor, she settles in with her new family.  The next night she decided we all should sleep together and one by one placed them on our bed.  Fearing to crush the kittens in our sleep, we tried to persuade her keep them in the nesting box, to no avail.  In the end, we made an island of pillows on the middle of the bed and there the seven of us slept for the next 8 weeks.  It was one of the happiest times of my life.  China, too, lost her battle with cancer three years ago, which was one of the saddest.