New paintings and regular art updates.
The kittens were starting to grow, getting ready to pack their bags and move in with their new parents.
I came across this photo today. They were so mischevious. The one with the black mask is still called Bandit, the new owners changed the other ones name.
I sometimes see photos of the two girl kittens, but I’ve lost track of how the boys are doing. Their mum and uncle are still here safe with us.
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Cat
Why can’t you look at me?
why won’t you stay still,
always moving,
except when you sleep….
Even then you chase mice.
feet flailing,
galloping across dreaming gardens,
or hazy, cobwebbed fields.
Cat, statuesque,
gorgeous, flexible, strong,
you won’t keep still
and be drawn.
The outside cat continues to patrol the garden, curling up, cozy, at night in the shed. He gets treats and extra food. He is warm and snug, and he is enjoying the early spring sunshine.
Our two indoor cats are well. One has retreated upstairs now the sun is coming in more, I find him curled up on the windowledge or asleep on the bed. The female comes downstairs for love. But she is enjoying the spring heat too. They have plenty of food and water. To be honest, I think they are self isolating from us. Keeping out of the way to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. We’ve never been around so much!
Try drawing a speedy cat, and include the background. Our challenge today was to draw something we love. In my case its one of our cats. She likes balancing with her front paws on the airer I use for washing, and her back paws on the cat tree. The result is a bit wibbly-wobbly.
I haven’t done an exact portrait, but that’s because she keeps moving, unless she’s curled up in a tight ball. Her brother is a bit quiet at the moment. He’s been enjoying sleeping on the windowledge upstairs in the sun.
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We all agreed after completing the thirty day challenge that London Urban Sketchers had put together that we would like to continue. We have a new list of about 37 challenges, which may well see us out of the lockdown.
Today’s challenge was ‘local to you’.
I was going to draw all the lovely terraces up the hill behind us. But I failed to realise how much next doors bushes have grown. So this is the cat and the 70’s houses behind us. Then someone walked into the bedroom opposite. It was like a scene from the film ‘rear window’ so I retreated!
I have the list somewhere. I’m setting the daily challenges. A few people have joined in so far.
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“Remember Felix?” she said.
“Yes, he was a good cat”, he said.
They sat quietly and remembered their adventurous cat.
“Remember that Saturday, when he came through the cat flap with a sirloin steak?” he asked.
“yes” she replied “I had to take it off him!”
“And a week later he came in with half a chicken?” “yes, I think it was from the neighbours?, I couldn’t tell them, and I think they blamed their own cat!”
“I still miss him, he was cheeky”.
They looked at each other.
“I bet he’s in heaven”, he said.
“You don’t believe in that stuff do you?” she said.
“bet he wangled his way in, and there’s a big ginger cat up their sporting a pair of wings?”
“maybe” she smiled.
Where does the cat sit?
On the fridge?
On the cupboard?
In the cupboard!
In the washing machine?
On your bed.
In the sink,
On you chair?
On the washing basket…..
On the windowledge?
In the flowerbed.
Behind a flowerpot?
Basically…
Wherever it wants to.!
Oh its coming on…. I’ve been cutting back a few bushes and tidying up. The summer house is full of junk so it needs clearing out. I’m keen to go out there and paint. The weather has been lovely, we’ve not really had any April showers yet. I guess they will be in the way.
Oh I ache from trying to cut back overgrown buddlias and ivy climbing up the cherry trees. When the cherry blossom is out I will try and share photos.
By the way the cat is Woody, he’s the outside cat we look after. He’s really enjoying lying in the sun now the weather has improved. But we have tomato plants, so I’m scared he will squash them!
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That’s what my cat does. He lies in the sun and keeps himself warm, and hides his head under his paw (an idea from the poem about a robin). Apparently cats sleep about 16 hours a day, but usually somewhere quiet where I can’t easily find them. But this morning, there he was in a Ray of bright sunshine. I had to reduce the exposure because it was so bright I was losing details.
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#uskstoke challenge. Today’s was to draw something furry or feathered. My cats were my subject. I used a 5b pencil on cartridge paper in a Daler Rowney, soft white, A4 sketchbook. One cat was on the cat tree which has several trays to sleep on. The other moggie was on the pile of washing that needs folding up. I’m going to do it when he gets off! He’s been asleep there most of the day.
So yeah, I could have done the birds outside. But apart from the odd wood pigeon, they don’t stay still long enough to draw.
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Mallaband-Brown