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.