August 04, 2010

Porcelain Cat and His World

Porcelain Cat and His World (oil 16 x 20) sold
I've been away for a bit so I thought I would post an earlier piece until I can get back to the studio.

THE PAINTING The style of this painting is primarily realism; keeping some parts intentionally loose to allow your eyes to rest on the focal points. Bold greens and reds are used to add excitement and to give a contrasting background to the more neutral colors of the main characters. The red peonies would melt in to the background were it not for their strong texture. Textural changes throughout the painting add depth and richness. The light, entering from the left of the viewer, strikes each of the characters boldly, like little treats for your eyes at every point.

THE PIECES The pieces in this still life painting are very near and dear to my heart and I thought you might enjoy knowing a little bit about them...

The porcelain cat is a piece I sculpted in honor of Gravy, our male (golden tabby) cat. It has a cup in the center of it that is generally used for a candle but for this composition I placed a painted wooden ball (yes, I painted that, too :-) to represent Gravy's world. Gravy loved to play with this ball so it seemed fitting to include it in this painting. To strengthen eye movement, I used the same colors in the ball, the wood shelf and the clay pot. The book of "Love Stories" symbolizes the relationship between our two cats; Biscuit and Gravy (they are vaguely painted on the cover of the book). Constantly at my side is the spiral-bound tablet given to me years ago by a dear friend. It contains numerous sketches I have done, over the years, of both our cats. Since my husband and I both enjoy doing pottery, I included a large pot that I drew designs for but which never made it to the potter's wheel. It's so much quicker to paint it.

A HUGE welcome to my new followers and a HUGE thank you to those who continue to follow my blog. I appreciate the comments and your interest in my art world and adventures.

9 comments:

  1. Fabulous. You are SO good! It is a treat to view your work. You know, I live up on Vancouver Island, the so-called sunshine coast on the east side, but I'm up near Desolation Sound, Kelsey Bay near the village of Sayward. It would be great to try to get together sometime - we don't live that far apart!

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  2. Sandy, amazing work and sharing your journey through it's completion was so enlightening, thank you! The sculpture of Gravy is just lovely. You are incredibly gifted. Beautiful piece.

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  3. Awe..I love this all the more for the story that goes with it. I love that combination of colors and textures between the jar+shelf and the fabric. So well done I can almost feel them.

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  4. Hi Sandy,

    What a treat to glimpse your world and the things that matter to you. Wonderful painting, the sculpture is beautiful and I especially like the touch of the spiral bound tablet and "Love Stories". They are treasures to keep.

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  5. Well, Sandy, this painting just reinforces to me what I'd figured out already - you're good. No. Really. You're really, really good.

    Thanks for the in-depth breakdown of your thought processes and the devices used in the creation of this masterpiece. You not only gave me a wonderful work to study, but an excellent guideline to compare it against.

    Sweet!

    -Don

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  6. Wow! I thought it was a photograph at first! Absolutely fantastic!

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  7. Wonderful!
    You are such a talented artist
    Thank you for sharing the story

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  8. Anonymous8/15/2010

    Came across your avatar on Jala Pfaff's blog - and I couldn't resist that kitty.

    Your work is lovely, vibrant, and - well - excellent! I'm a fan.

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  9. Karen, Thank you so much. You know, you're just a boatride away - it would be fun to paint together sometime.

    Suzanne, thank you for your kind comment about Gravy's sculpture and my painting. I truly appreciate it.

    Carol Anne; thanks so much for stopping by and leaving such a nice comment.

    Sue, That was just so sweet - thank you!

    Don, Gosh, I'm blushing. Many thanks for your never-ending kind words.

    Sandra, thank you :)

    Suzanne, Many thanks to you for stopping by and commenting on my work.

    Patrice, so sweet, thank you!

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