This was a painting I must have done in the summer of 1983 or 1984, soon after I finished college I think.

My friend had lots of cats so I did a portrait of her with them.

I wanted to do the painting but didn’t have any stretched canvases to hand so I got some linen canvas and stretched it over a horseshoe shaped chair back with an extra peice of wood nailed in place at the bottom.

The painting was in oils  This was before I started using acrylics. After it was finished I gave it to my friend.

A year or two ago it turned up. It had moved house with my friend and she had got it propped up in the kitchen when I visited one day. It was starting to deteriorate because it wasn’t proper canvas and had a couple of holes in it. Bearing in mind it had been painted about 34 years before I guess it has done well. I took photos of it and left.

Sadly the painting got damaged beyond repair when they moved again. But at least I have this photo and I did a small copy which another friend purchased.

It feels like I am letting children go when they go to new homes .You never know if they will survive. At least I know this one’s history.

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