Cat 28

(Above- the painting reworked again, a few years later...)

Cat 28.
Acrylic on Masonite. 14" x 12".

Lizzy on the bed, looking back at something happening out the window behind her. A bug?A bird?

I reworked the painting from the earlier version (below) with subdued color, and added brushstroke textures. When working on the smooth Masonite board you get a more hard edged look, and don't have the natural texture to utilize as you do with canvas. It's more like working on a smooth hot press paper.
Although pleased with the overall look, I am sorry to have lost the dynamic directions of the folded stripe material in the previous version below.

Cat 28, First version.

In retrospect, I wish I had done a separate version of this painting instead of painting over it.
I like the motion of the undulating stripes forming a circular composition. But for some reason I became disenchanted by the handling of this. It was too smooth, too much like the previous works and I felt compelled to change the color scheme and add more textural elements to push into a different direction.

I am beginning to see the value of  walking away from a piece and letting it sit for a while before making a major decision.

Cat 27

 Cat 27.
Acrylic on canvas board. 12" x 16".

I give up. There is just no salvaging some things.
I have reworked this so many times that I have lost the original canvas texture.
On this last version I used sandpaper to remove the build up of paint in the background.

I like the fluid form of the cat with the hard geometry of the architectural structure and the back lighting. I added the soft curtain material to resolve the harsh back ground, but it just is not working for me.
The angle of the table surface was an ongoing challenge as it is actually an elongated octagon which ended up looking improbable no matter how I adjusted it. The shallow bay window also had challenging angles.
I will need to try this again and put more thought into the composition before jumping into the paint.

Cat 27, earlier version.

Cat 26

Cat 26.
Acrylic on Masonite. 12" x 14".
(sold)

Back to the cat on the floor. Here I was looking for a different angle to try, and I like the perspective on this.
I wish I had positioned her closer to the left edge of the painting surface and not so centered. That would have created a nicer curve. I find the color of the green ground almost disturbing, but that may also be adding an interesting tension.

Cat 25

Rework painting in progress: I hadn't planned on spending the time on this one as it was a pretty unfortunate composition to start with. But I always liked the cats form in this one. This became an exercise in how to redirect the viewer's eye away from the perimeter and back into the center of the canvas.

Cat 25.
Acrylic on canvas board, 14" x 18".

Lizzy sitting in the box lid on the table at the window, with a pot of "kitty grass". I tried the commercially packaged seeds, but found she prefers chewing on the tougher wide blade wild grasses instead of the softer, finer grass.
I was initially drawn to the the strong lighting from the window, the subtle shades and reflections in the white of the pot and the cat being very still except for the flicking of her tail. There was interesting dappled light in the distant widow in the left background.
This went through numerous revisions,  changing the background, removing and adding the pot of grass.

I don't care for the tension where the cats face and back meet the window frame.
Why didn't I notice this before? I should have either overlapped these intersections, or given them more space.

Cat 24

Cat 24.
Acrylic on Masonite, 12" x 9".

I wanted to revisit this image (see Cat 20) and include more structural elements.
This time I pulled back to include the screen door which added some scale and a little more architectural interest. I was still after that back-lit halo/glow, but I think the white on the back is a bit overwhelming and needs to be toned down a hair.
This composition forms an interesting eye pattern. The cat leads to the left and the longer plane created by the screen door leads it back to the right.

Cat 23

Cat 23.
Acrylic on Masonite, 12" x 16".
(sold)

Back to the stripes, again. This is a painting of "Miss Kitty", an older cat I had taken on from a co-worker a short time before I found Lizzy. Soon after I brought her home, I realized she had some very serious problems, and ended up having to put her down a month later, diagnosed with severe damage to her colon. I was amazed at how quickly I became attached to her- and how hard loosing her hit me. She had a nice personality, very content and good natured.

 I was very focused painting the striped comforter, which satisfied my need to be fussy and detailed. I like the repeating patterns in the comforter and curtains, and the transition pattern zone between them on the cat. I probably should have positioned her more to the left, but the angle of her torso and extended paw keeps the composition stable and not listing too far to the right .

Cat 22

Cat 22.
Acrylic on Masonite. 9" x 12".
(sold)

I liked the front porch image, and had to explore it further.
This is Tiger again, cleaning himself on the porch railing in the morning fog. There was no lap to sit on.
The light is constantly changing throughout the day, with the fog bank rising and dissipating off the Snoqualmie River valley in the distance. Its difficult to settle on any one solution.

This started as a foggy morning painting, but it was listing to the right and needed more balance. I added the more distant elements to the left side with the rising fog bank from the river behind the trees, and by including the road below I ended up with a nice counterbalance diagonal with the cats front leg. I was particularly interested the red halo effect by the light hitting from behind the leaves of the big leaf maple. I want to do more with that.

This was an earlier version, where I had opted for the fog bank covering everything in the distance.

Cat 21

Cat 21.
Acrylic on Masonite, 12" x 12".

This is a picture of my brother sitting on my front porch, with the neighbors cat, "Tiger".

Tiger lives for lap-time, and can spot a warm lap from blocks away. I liked how they were both relaxed, sitting on the front porch on a cool summer day. Tiger is enormous and I emphasized this by exaggerating the proportions of cat to human.

The background went through several versions (see below). It started out with a vague misty background which was too much empty space. I added in the foothills and distant mountains, which struck me as too busy and distracting. Removing some of the distant hills opened it up.
I felt this needed a stronger counterbalance on the left side, so I added in the porch supports. In retrospect, I wish I had left the hills and mountains in the background, but it's too late. The painting is out of my hands.

Cat 21, earlier version with mountains.

Cat 20

Cat 20.
Acrylic on Masonite. 20" x 16".

It was time to try a vertical format. Throughout the day, Lizzy follows the patch of sun as it moves around the side of the house and here she is on the floor at the back door.
I was attracted to a strong direct light source and long shadows and particularly liked the contrast of the green floor mat with her orange undertones. I set this aside for a while then returned to it later.

I tried a new approach (for me) building it up in thin layers of transparent washes, letting each dry before applying the next. I found the angle of the tail bothersome. It looked fine in the digital image, but didn't read right in the painting. I changed the angle of her tail, added texture on the floor mat and a color pattern to the vinyl floor, all applied with thin, semi-transparent layers. This resulted in a nice surface luminosity.

Cat 19

(Above- painting reworked a few years later...)

Cat 19.
Acrylic on Masonite. 9" x 12.

 Lizzy in the window again.
I was interested in the luminosity of the eyes, enhanced by light reflecting off the table and also passing through the clear membrane.

This feels unresolved to me. One problem may be where the ear intersects with the light and dark division in the background.  My eye keeps going directly to that point, then down, then circles up to the right and back to that point again. I may try a different transition by darkening down the wall on the left..

Cat 18

Cat 18.
Acrylic on Masonite. 9" x 12".

I decided to rework this early painting 4 years later (2016) to see what could be done to improve it. I found the angles in the original composition a little awkward, the form of the cat stiff, and the background distracting. So I softened the background and removed some structural elements, and incorporated more background colors into the cat. The hind leg in the foreground still looks unresolved to me.

Here is the original entry:
Lizzy in a "bunny" pose, dozing in the sun again. I was attracted to the awkward positioning of her legs and feet.
This was another awkward pose that challenged me, and never felt resolved. I would like to see a little more definition in the white areas of the cat. The background needs to relate more to the foreground. Darkening the window frame might have worked better. Or perhaps adding a suggestion of what is outside the window. 

Cat 17

Cat 17.
Acrylic on Masonite. 9" x 12".
(sold)

Lizzy in her patch of sun, spilling out of the box.
The strong contrast and diagonals worked well on this. I like the relaxed, draping position of the cat juxtaposed with the hard lines and angles of the window and table.
This painting was more successful, as it was not overworked and labored like the previous one. Limiting the color pallet made it more cohesive.

Cat 16

Cat 16.
Acrylic on Masonite. 12" x 16".

 Lizzy enjoys cramming herself into the small shallow box. Perhaps a comforting sensation to be contained but not confined. The small box emphasizes her chubby tummy.

I was ready to tackle a more challenging form and drawn to the back lighting, the strong shadows cast, and the reflective colors.
This was perhaps too challenging. This turned out to be one of those images that was believable as a photo, but looked distorted as a painting. I changed the architectural angles numerous times as they never quite read right, and the angles of her legs were impossible to resolve.

This is a painting that I will probably pull out again after a lot of time goes by and see if I can salvage it. It is so overworked that it has lost any feel of life, and looks like a rigid cardboard cutout to me. I will likely end up sanding it off and applying a coat of gesso to reuse it for a better purpose.

12-31-2016: I am sanding it down. The composition of this is so dreadful that it is not worth pursuing...

Cat 15

Cat 15.
Acrylic on Masonite. 12" x 12".
(sold)

Lizzy sitting on the back of the sofa.
I am pretty happy with the expression- it is a classic glare. I was drawn to her efficient compact form and her expression.

I started this (see below) with more muted earth tone colors but the foreground looked weak to me and became difficult to resolve. As the couch is in the center of the room, the actual light source was ambiguous, coming from several different directions. I wanted some dynamic punch to contrast with the quiet, sedate form and steady gaze, and it was back to the stripes again. In retrospect, I wish I had "anchored" the cat more to the striped ground.

Looking at a picture of the earlier state, I wish I had kept the diagonal shape in the lower right to keep the eye moving around the image instead of coming to an abrupt halt. I also liked the muted earth tones and the warm/cool contrast of raw sienna and ultramarine. I need to pursue that direction again and see where it goes.

Cat 14

(The original painting below was done 8 years ago...)

Cat 14.
Acrylic on Masonite. 9" x 12". 

Lizzy in a shallow cardboard box lid on the table. During the winter months, the only direct sun (when we actually have sun) comes through the dining room window for a brief hour or so, and I placed a box on the table where the rare patch of sun will hit. Even on a clear day, the light in the winter months is very pale and weak. The shadows have a gray cast and there is a lack of saturation, as if the colors are being absorbed by the light.
I like the washed out grays with hits of more intense color. She had an intense expression and her eyes had an interesting luminosity with light passing through them as well as reflecting off the table surface. I like the compositional triangle created by the angles of the window frame, box lid and the ear.

Cat 13

Cat 13.
Acrylic on Masonite.  9"x 12".

The chair back again. I keep returning to this because I still haven't resolved it.

This is one of those situations where the digital shot appealed to me, but I am challenged getting it to read correctly. I ended up going back into this painting several times, long after I had put it aside as "finished" as it just never looked right. The angle of the face did not match the position of the ears, and I kept shifting the focus and loosing direction.
In the end, I changed the eyes to being shut and that worked for me. It suddenly made sense.

Cat 12

Cat 12.
Acrylic on Masonite. 12" x 12".
(sold)

An odalisque Lizzy reposing against a pillow on the bed.
I was attracted to all the different patterns in the materials, and the patterns in her coat. She seems to instinctively seek out camouflage surfaces to sit on.

This painting went through several variations before stopping with this version, and I liked them all. One version I recall liking a lot had the cat simplified with no patterns, and the surrounding fabric was heavy with patterns.Wish I had not painted over it. I may try this again and explore that direction.

Cat 11

Cat 11.
Acrylic on Masonite. 12" x 12".
(sold)

Quietly dozing in the sun, in a box lid.
I like the simplicity of this painting. It was built up with thinned washes using two colors (ultramarine blue and raw sienna) and some white.

Best of all I had the sense to stop where I did,  instead of working it to death.

Cat 10

(Above- the painting reworked years later...)

Cat 10.
Acrylic on Masonite. 12" x 12".

Lizzy crammed up against the window, wedged into the last patch of sun on a cold winter day.
This is very similar to Cat 8. I used the gray tones again, and pleased with the result. I like the looser approach in the background outside the window allowing the brush strokes to be brush strokes.

The composition has a nice curve happening with the line of the cats leg, continuing with the background out the window. This is the kind of subtlety that I am trying to learn how to recognize. Maybe it was noted subconsciously, but I wasn't really aware of the curve until later.

Cat 9

(Above: painting reworked a few years later)

Cat 9.
Acrylic on Masonite, 12" x 12".

In the cooler months, Lizzy goes through a phase of jumping onto the computer chair every time I vacate it, having figured out the chair seat will be warm. I ended up having to set up two chairs by the computer so we could each have a seat, and we constantly switch chairs when I get up to stretch or refill my coffee cup.

I was attracted to the strong light source and the curving shadows. I added her toy mouse for another hit of the intense ochre color, and add some interest. Adding the small toy created a visual color diagonal, added some scale, and some silly relief to an otherwise stogy pose. The cat has almost a cardboard cutout quality which may have been resolved by softening the top line across the back. The line is too hard edged for a soft, furry critter. Now I think I should have intensified the pink tone in her ears, taking them closer in hue to the ears on the toy.

Later on I was asked why I had not included this painting in a showing of the entire cat series, and I had to stop and think about that. The painting was no better or worse than the others; it simply did not meet my expectations at the time. Sometimes you start a painting with an expectation or a very clear destination, and sometimes it just evolves and heads off somewhere else with variable results. Maybe the mark of a good painter is one who can control and manipulate the outcome.

Cat 8

Cat 8.
Acrylic on Masonite, 12" x 12".

Lizzy in the sunny dining room window, on a cold winter day. There is a lack of color here in the northwest coast region during the winter. Outside, the world is shades of gray, with very little contrast. Gray sky, bare gray tree trunks and a perpetual fog layer that grays down the evergreens. It's a good thing I like gray.

I started this painting in all grays which served to get my focus more on light source and contrast, as this has been a bothersome point for me. Later I introduced some areas with more color.
I became very interested in the ears, and the way the light illuminates them through the thin structure. I like the limited color palette and the loose directional strokes that imply structure without getting detailed. The softer edges are much more successful in expressing the subject, and it retains some hard graphic elements. Interesting direction.

Cat 7

Cat 7, reworked a few years later. Made corrections to the forms, and changed the color schematics. New pallet used was ultramarine blue, cadmium red and yellow oxide.
The original entry is shown below:

Cat 7.
Acrylic on Masonite, 9" x 12".

Another try at the cat on the chair back. I lost my direction on this one and reworked it several times, ending up shifting into the blue tones. I was pleased with the tones in the white areas, the overall texture, and the warmer under painting showing through the cooler colors; but wish there was more overall  light and shadow continuity. This ended up a bit too pastel for my taste- I prefer more contrast.

The distortion of the facial features still bothers me, and wish I had paid more attention to the angle on the head and correct placement of the features.

Cat 6

Cat 6.
Acrylic on Masonite, 12" x 12".

Lizzy likes to park on the back of a stuffed chair next to a reading lamp, and probably likes the heat from the bulb. Pretend sunshine. She has a vulture-like stare stare when sitting on something high. An instinctive predator expression? She never seems to be looking at anything in particular.

This painting went through numerous revisions. The digital file I worked from was poor quality, but I really liked the sensuous forms and the light source from a floor lamp. I had major problems getting past the poor contrast in the source photo and still fiddling with it occasionally, trying to use my sensibilities and not adhere so strictly to the photo. I added the bookshelf because I think cats and books go together, and I needed some vertical uplift in this square format. I "drew" in some of the wet paint layers with the wrong end of the brush, and liked the vitality of texture. I intend to take that further, try incorporating more textural elements and move away from using only flat layers of color. Getting a harmonious blend will be an interesting challenge.

Cat 5

(Above: the same painting reworked years later...)

Cat 5.
Acrylic on Masonite, 8" x 12".

This is Lizzy on a striped comforter cover on the bed, giving me the "stink-eye".

Having run low on the supply of canvas paper, I rummaged and found some scrap 1/8 inch Masonite panels left over from a construction project and cut them down into smaller pieces to work with.

Working on a smooth surface with no "tooth" produced some different effects.I went with the smooth side, as the texture on the rough side looked a bit heavy, but I will need to try that surface as well.

I like this one. It surprises me that I got away with horizontal stripes in a horizontal picture. Maybe because the comforter stripes are broken with folds.

Cat 4

Cat 4.
Acrylic on canvas paper, 12" x 16".

I tried this painting again, using a more limited color palette and giving more thought to the laying out the initial drawing.
I clearly need to slow down and pay more attention to the basics before rushing in to play with the colors.

I like the more volumetric treatment of the cat, giving it some curves and sensuality. I overused the white and would have had a better result using more tone and restricting the white to smaller areas. I could have done more with the light hitting the stuffed chair for more interest and light source consistency.