This portrait of a stretching cat has been in my studio closet for a year, carefully sandwiched with the rest of my unframed pastel work. With the pet fair coming up this weekend, I thought it was time to finish it properly so that I can display it at my booth. It is one of my favorites. While it doesn’t have the detail the others do, I like it’s loose, expressive style.
The stretching cat, named Fiver, belonged to my college roommate. He loved to hang out in my room, maybe because he could hide among the white blankets on my bed. His fluffy white coat would blend in perfectly, except for the dark markings on his head. I frequently found him in unusual poses like this one – his body resting, but in a fully stretched out position. Silly cat, how was that comfortable?
I happened to have some ivory mat board that would complement this piece well, but not distract from it’s simplicity. And at the frame shop I found the perfect frame. It’s warm silvery-gold finish is pretty, but doesn’t over power the painting. I prefer basic mats and frames for my work, specifically for this reason. Decorative frames draw too much attention, and colored mats, if not chosen carefully can completely alter the color balance of the composition. I was amazed when I turned the painting over to view it through the glass for the first time. I hadn’t even had the artwork with me at the frame shop – how did I pick such a perfect frame? It enhances the mood I was going for in the painting, and suggests that this is one very special kitty.
As I said, the painting will be on display this weekend at the Northwest Companion & Pet Fair. It will be one of two framed portraits that will be for sale (the other will be Dark Bay Horse), and if it doesn’t sell I think I’ll just hang it in my studio so I can enjoy it all the time. I’ll also be displaying Abby and Driftwood, and demonstrating my process with an in-progress gray and white cat portrait. There will be greeting cards (of my original artwork) for sale, a poster showing the creation of a portrait from start to finish, and another poster with illustrated tips for taking good pet photos. It’s been a lot of work to put together, but I am excited to have an opportunity to meet some pet people and share my work. For anyone who lives in the area, it will be a fun event. All the details, plus admission coupons are available here. Pets are welcome too! Joel, Byron, and I will be at booth #525.
Abby Driftwood
Dark Bay Horse
