I have had three cats as roommates since moving to Colorado in 1990. The first was Valkyrie, the second and current housemate, is Violet. Both are represented in these two appropriately named paintings. The third live in kitty friend of mine is Jo Jo. She currently lives with another family of good friends and has a wonderful life, but more about her at a later date…….
Soon after moving into my first Colorado domicile, a 1980 14 x 70 foot mobile home, in a nice Boulder Trailer park, I acquired Valkyrie. My neighbors, living across the street called out to me, even before we officially met, during my move in progress, and asked if I wanted a kitten. I really did not even have to think about it I just said yes and crossed the street to meet my new friend. There were two cute little ones left, a tabby, (male) and a striped, (female). I sat them together, moved back a few feet and wiggled a finger on the rug, the fluffy little striped attacked, and I found a friend who stayed with me in my mobile home for 12 years before she passed on. Her brother, the tabby, was not left out, I found the little fellow a home as well and “Harley” was my good friend Toms shop kitty for many happy years.
Valkyrie loved playing in my garden and she, for some reason really liked my Violets (Pansies). It just made sense to me to paint her, with her favorite flower. Aside from immortalizing her in a pastel Pet Portrait for all to enjoy, I decided to pay homage by naming my current friend “Violet”. In this way the two will be linked forever.
Now, Violet likes a common plant, in the mint family, which grows wild here, and we all know it as Catnip. I have many flowering pots but I reserve one for a thick full crop of fresh catnip. Violet runs to it every morning and basically climbs in, eats a leaf or two and scurries away to do cat stuff. I also give her a little treat when I leave the house by pulling a couple of leaves and rubbing them gently in her nose. She wiggles around on them before eating them and then finds indoor cat stuff to do, sometimes unfortunately which results in a clean up by yours truly. You cat lovers out there, grow some catnip and let your kitties enjoy, they will love it!
My Pet Portrait of Violet is painted in Acrylic on canvas and she is accompanied by a tall flowering plant called a Canna Lily. These beautiful tall flowers love a large pot in full sun. I do not know if Violet likes them or not, but I thought they would look great together. What do you think?
Thank you for taking the time to view my two friends, and some of my favorite flowers.
Talk to you soon….Cy
