Cats and Dogs
I was drawing at least 6 years before I was successful at drawing cats. People kept asking for cats so I went to our local library and checked out a bunch of books on cat breeds and immersed myself in them. Calico cats was my first acceptable cat drawing and now I have more cats than any other critter. Dogs however, are still a challenge.
Calico Cats
Calico cats are considered lucky. Fishermen in Japan kept a calico cat shipboard for protection from gales and ghosts.
Night and Day Cats
A friend described her cats as being “as different as night and day.” Here is a sun-worshipping Aztec cat accompanied by her nocturnal friend whose glorious celestial patterns come from the cosmic photography provided by the Hubble Telescope.
Laurie’s Cat
A cat portrait drawn for a friend. Perched on the windowsill, she is surveying her domain while enjoying the sun and the beauty and bounty of nature.
Catitude
Ever feel like this? Try meditating.
Meditating Cats
“I have lived with several Zen masters -- all of them cats.” -Eckhart Tolle
Here are a few cats on their zafu pillows proving his point.
Kittens
“A kitten is, in the animal world, what a rosebud is in the garden.”
Robert Sowthey
Turns out kittens are even harder to draw than cats. These kitties were adapted from photos of kittens rescued from the streets of New York City.
And dogs are the hardest of all!
Dogs in Barkcloth
Barkcloth is made by soaking and beating strips of inner tree bark, creating a strong flexible cloth similar to felt. Patterns are painted or stenciled on the bark with tree sap and mud. Trees with bark that can be made into cloth grow in warm, rainy lands near the equator.
I couldn’t resist this combination.
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Bye Bye Patches
The loss of a feline friend can leave a big hole in our hearts. Our cat, Patches, was with us for eighteen years.When we had to put her to sleep, the vet suggested that I’d feel better if I wrote her a eulogy. Instead, I drew it.
Cat Heaven
Yes, Fluffy, there is a heaven. Perched on a cloud growing catnip, under the warm glow of the sun a cat enjoys new wings and communes with a butterfly.
Missing You
Pet portrait commissioned upon the loss of a beloved buddy.
Dog on a Cloud
Laid back and comfy in the warm sun this dog enjoys the view below.
Dog Heaven
Are there dogs in heaven? This dog thinks so. What could be more fun than chasing a ball with a pair of new wings?
Pet Totem Pole
I was asked to draw a portrait of a friends elderly pets. She gave me numerous photos and try as I might they wouldn’t settle into a ‘proper’ pose for me - pet photographers can sympathize. Fresh one morning I tried again and this totem pole emerged. The owl insisted on being included. The summer after her beloved dog died an owl stayed close to their house hooting mornings and evenings.