My Inspiration

I thought I might share my inspiration for this years painted cat statue.

First, some background. The painted fiberglass statues, painted by local artists (from the Rogue Valley, Oregon) are to be auctioned off at a fundraiser for C.A.T.S. (Committed Alliance to Strays), a wonderful cat rescue organization (See Link to C.A.T.S. on right side of blog).

My first painted statue was last year, and the inspiration for the design was from Butterfly, my rescued calico kitty. She almost died, but was spunky and determined to live. The first statue was titled: "Little Cat, Big Dreams" and the scenes included a lion, white tiger, and a jaquar.

When I started sketching the design for this year's statue, Butterfly had just turned one year old. She had just experienced, for the very first time, all four seasons. What a hoot! She is an indoor kitty, but can go outside into an enclosed, protected pen to experience grass, dirt, weather,rain, snow, sounds and smells...and of course, track in mud and drag in her favorite toys: leaves!

So, this year's statue is titled: Little Cat's 4 Season Fantasy, and will again feature the Big Cats of Butterfly's dreams, the lion, white tiger, and jaguar.

As you can probably tell, I adore my kittys. I hope you enjoy following along with this project as much as I enjoy creating it!

Happy painting,
Loretta
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WIP #2 Little Cat's 4 Season Fantasy

Made a little more progress with the underpainting. Been having fun experimenting with a looser impressionistic style for the underpainting...lots of color to peek through the layers later. That's the plan, anyway! ;-)

Rettakat
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WIP#1.... Little Cat's 4 Season Fantasy

Onto the nice white, swirly textured gesso layer, goes some of the first acrylics underpainting. Yikes! Looks weird so far...hee hee hee. I call this the "ugly" stage...it's still in the worm phase. Later, it will turn into a butterfly. :-)

Rettakat
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Poetry! by KEB

My sister, Karen, has a wonderful gift with words. Sometimes essays, perhaps a song, other times poetry. At times deep and thought provoking...other times hilarious! Here, for our amusement, is her poem to kick off the 2006 "Pawsing for Art" fundraiser, and the cat statue I am painting for C.A.T.S. (Committed Alliance To Strays).

She didn't tell me the title of the poem, so I have dubbed it......

"Little Cat, Standing Tall" ;-)


Kitty, Kitty standing tall
You don't look so good at all...
When you start you look so 'blah'
No pictures on you...head to paw

But then I see you start to sprout
Tiny pictures on your snout
Here a flower...a butterfly
And what's that thing above your eye?

Like a tree from winter grows
Blossoms, colors, wind that blows...
Maybe pictures, scenery...
I guess we'll have to wait and see

Because it's logical, of course,
To see a birdie or a horse
Spring from tail onto your sides...
Imagine greatly my surprise!

But that's OK because I know
The painter and I know the show...
And how she put you on this earth
Through lovely painting and her mirth!

Kitty, Kitty standing tall
You don't look so bad at all!
I'd like to take you home with me...
At least a picture - if you please?

by Karen Elizabeth Brown

Little Cat revisited

Last year I had a blast painting my first 3 foot tall fiberglass cat statue. If you missed it, here is the link (from Archives, November 2005):

http://artbyretta.blogspot.com/2005/11/little-cat-big-dreams.html

Well, it's that time of year again! I get to do another one. This year it will be titled: Little Cat's 4 Season Fantasy. I plan to post WIP photos (Work In Progress), and you get to see all the weird and wild stages it goes through, before emerging as a finished piece of art.

Here is the smiling cat, with just a white gesso coating, ready for my acrylic masterpiece...LOL!

Retta
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"Oh, The Possibilities"

Finally! Here is the long promised finished version, stars an' all...Genesis Heat-Set Oils on 4x4 canvas.

Rettakat
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