Double Trouble






















The cats were playing with an empty box yesterday morning so I shot this sequence and used them to make a birthday card for my husband.

We took Rosie the tortoiseshell tabby in as a 2 week old orphan who weighed just 25 grams and had to be fed a special formula with a syringe every 3 hours 24/7!

She thrived but we felt she was maybe a bit lonely when we were out and also we were worried that she didn't understand other cats at all and was terrified of them and was absolutely petrified of everything outside and would even run in if the wind ruffled her fur! Indoors she was fine and she's very loving.

We decided to adopt a kitten from a refuge and brought home Paddy (black) - he was a confident, swashbuckling little soul, very different from her. She was terrified of him! He kept trying to get her to play with him and she'd hiss and spit and growl and run away - pursued by this little sooty scrap a fraction of her size! I really didn't think it was going to work as it took weeks for he to accept him - at first she'd even attack my hand if I'd touched him. Sheer terror not just jealousy.

Eventually she gained confidence and learnt to chase him and now they play beautifully with no bullying by either of them. She's much more confident but still a big baby.

No painting going on, though I have to finish one painting that is a present.

Comments

tlwest said…
haha My dogs were doing the same thing! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
2:38 pm
Making A Mark said…
Hi Viv! What a lovely card..........but, I'm puzzled, where are the scratch marks on the sofa?
5:19 pm
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hedges silhouetted agains the snow, winter light: watercolour and Derwent tinted charcoal pencils in Stillmand and Birn Beta Hardback sketchbook

Image
 Detail  I have always liked the calligraphic tangle of the hedges when they are sihouetted against the sky.   Recent snowfall meant even more opportunities with amazing light and the landscape simplified and hidden by the snow, throwing hedges into relief. Above is a detail of a double page sketch in the lovely Stillman and Birn Beta A4 hardback sketchbook.  This paper is so forgiving and the watercolour works beautifully with it.  It allowed me to work through wet washes with charcoal pencil - something that tears many papers, leaving holes.  Some of the hedge is paint, some tinted charcoal. First snow, more on the way, winter light: silhouetted hedges in watercolour and Derwent tinted charcoal in a Stillman and Birn A4 beta hardback sketchbook The earlier warm golden glow of the low sun is covered by clouds, threatening more snow to come.   The spiky calligraphic marks of the hedge and the underlying form of the bank, w...
Read more

The Eye, Urban/Rural exhibition

Image
Vivien Blackburn's work in the Urban/Rural show We've just hung a group show at the The Eye Project, Urban/Rural show.  If you want to come and see it it's on for a month - well worth seeing, 11 lovely artists and some fabulous work. Those large canvasses are 40 inches square. There are rural landscapes, flowerscapes, intriguing textile work including a large knitted building, abstracts .... something for everyone. It's in the gallery below the cafe in the Adult Education Centre at the top of Wellington street, Leicester, opposite Fenwicks.  Meet the Arttists day is Saturday 1st April 10-2.  Come and have a chat with us?
Read more

looking at non traditional composition and quiet vs busy areas in paintings

Image
Paul Klee I thought I'd look at non-traditional composition - where the rule of thirds isn't the key but the painting relies on different compositional methods. in response to an excellent series of posts on the various ways of looking at composition by Katherine (link at end). These alternative considerations or breaking of rules - but making it work - appeal to me more than too heavy a reliance on the rule of thirds. The painting above, by Paul Klee is a 'field' painting' - the composition is overall, the eye travels around enjoying the glowing colour that he creates by juxtaposing complementary colours, subtle greyed greens enhancing the oranges/reds/pinks. Most of the image is composed of the various greens, greeny browns and khakis, with accents of the warm colours. When working this way it's important that the balance is unequal and that the accent colours are placed carefully to keep the eye moving in the way the artist wants. A couple of the brighter...
Read more