Soco Cat

Soco Cat
Oil on canvas panel, 5x7
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On this warm and balmy January day (63 degrees while I was outside) - the cats are posing and prancing!  They love a warm day as much as I do, and while the giant puppy is put up, they can frolic in peace!  When I first sketched this out, the cat was much smaller in the composition, and the steps below him were part of the scene.  I just didn't like it.  It seemed contrived, more about the shapes than about the life and spirit of the animal.  The brushwork tight, and rather harsh - I even thought of just starting new on a fresh canvas.  Instead, I simply brushed out the lines and added more paint, enlarging as I went.  The blend of colors added so much to his fur, and the loose brushwork more accurately portrays his personality.  Dropping bits of color here and there, the whole painting came together with a flush of life.  A little crazy, but a fun way to capture this adventurous boy who has been in our family for twelve years now.  This painting is number 751 in 751 days, and Day 20 in the 30 Day Painting Challenge.