Animal crackers

True my animals have been a bit crackers today -- but the real
reason for the title is that I'm painting animals again. You
might think that's simpler than painting people -- but isn't.
Getting the same verve, personality and joyous painting
feeling is just as demanding with animals as with people.

Shorelines
Susan and Simone
acrylic on canvas
12" x 12"
unfinished

That made me think of this little painting I started last
fall, and didn't finish. The subject -- my cat
Simone wrapped around my friend Susan's neck, was
a good one. I loved Simone, but she died after surgery
last fall, and for a long time I didn't have the heart to
look at the painting.

Susan loved the photograph this painting was inspired
by. Simone loved Susan, who really doesn't like cats.
She especially loved Susan in a certain velvet collared
jacket Susan arrived in one day after work. Simone was
a shoulder sitter. Our cat Fiona isn't. Sometimes I
still get a clutch in my heart thinking about Simone,
but Fiona is an excellent distraction.

Simone the cat
Photo by Caitlin Grandison

I need to work on the painting a bit to finesse Susan's
face and hair, and to get Simone's beautiful eyes just
right. Oh and her ears need work. In fact the whole thing
is in a very rough state.

I like both the total awkwardness and humour
that's already there in the rough version of Susan's face.
Susan loves Cape Breton, that's why there's
just a hint of Big Smokey in the background.
I was working on my Shorelines series, and planned
to have a whole wall of people in favorite landscapes
painted on 12 " square canvasses and bolted together
to make a big canvas. I will do this one day!!!

Have a crazy like a fox day.