Cat 46

Cat 46: (above) Rework in progress... stay tuned.This is likely going to end up the classic scenario of not reconcilable, due to a poor composition. But I still feel compelled to keep trying. At least the landscape portion is showing signs of improvement!

 Cat 46: Mackerel Tabby and Mackerel Sky
Acrylic on canvas.  20" x 16".

This is "Mr Kitty" cleaning his feet on my porch railing in the morning sun. I have no idea where this cat lives or what his real name is. He is a large cat who has been visiting me for years, dropping by in the early morning for about 15 minutes, then continues on his daily routine.
   I started this painting at the end of last month, roughing it in with the intention of working more later after I got back home from visiting my father. Dad died later that afternoon, and it was weeks before I got back to working on the painting again.

  I was interested in the cloud patterns in the sky, the coat patterns on the cat and the patterns of the light hitting the foreground. I also wanted to focus more than I usually do on the landscape. I want to get more comfortable with landscape painting- I need to learn how to use brushstrokes more effectively.
   This is striking me as too visually busy. I have too much going on overall, and would benefit from letting some areas be less active. I never did resolve how to handle the foreground after numerous attempts at adjusting the contrast and saturation- it continued to look disjointed.
But I do like the stripes.