Best in Show at "The Cat Show" art exhibit

"The Cat Show" exhibit at Pinnell Gallery in Fallbrook, California opened today, June 6, 2015.

During the artists' reception, my painting, "Shades of Blue", was awarded Best in Show. So exciting!

Thank you to the Pinnell Gallery and the judges for this honor.   After the reception, we came home and hugged my little model, kitty Cash.

Originally, there were three paintings ready for the show.   One of the three paintings, "Come Fly with Me", sold before the show.   Three paintings had been committed to the show so I had to scramble and create a new painting to take the place of the one that sold.  

I had a number of reference photos of my bluepoint Siamese cat, Cash, from a few years ago.   No painting is ever rushed, so I took my time with this third painting - which is titled, "Shades of Blue."  This painting was one that really drew me in while it was being painted and I had to make myself stop when it was completed.  Sometimes I keep fiddling when that is no longer

necessary.  It is almost like a great book, one hates to get to the end because then the story is over.   That is what happened with this painting.   I could have kept painting!

Some things are just meant to be.

Thank you again to the gallery and judges.

This is Silver Spots.  He is a "Savanah" cat.  If you've not heard of a Savanah - take a moment and google it.   They are amazing cats - and HUGE cats.   I've known Silver Spots since he was a baby and was thrilled when his owners asked me to paint him.

For the photo shoot, we took about 150 photos.  He is such a poser and in the end, his owners couldn't decide which photo was best to use as the primary pose.   They gave that job to me.   Talk about pressure!!!   He is such a regal cat that I decided to paint him in an old style feeling.  I wanted to capture as the old Masters did their subjects.   To do so the background needed to be very dark and rich so the lighter colors of his fur and eyes would pop.   The chose to have a dark frame to enhance the effect of the painting.

The end result was exactly what I'd planned and hoped.  When you look at the painting, the background draws you into the subject and your eyes rest there.

Drew and Monet help in the studio

I'm just starting the sketch on a 3' x 3' close up of a tabby cat in oil. Our dogs are always in the studio with me and I have a big brush that I use to dust the eraser off the canvas with.

I put the brush in Drew's mouth and posed him next to the canvas. He spit the brush out a few times and then figured it was kinda fun to hold the brush. He decided the brush was his new toy and "I" couldn't have it. Monet had to see what all the fun was about and decided to get off the sofa and peek around the canvas.

Better get back to work and stop playing with the dogs!