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You’ve seen this picture in a couple of pages on this website. It’s the sample of my
pet oil painting style. She was my model for the portrait. She did not actually pose
for me she would never sit still posing for a painting. So, the best thing I could do
was to take a snapshot of her.
Her name is Lady Isabella Cattington, I call her “Lady” for short. It beats calling
her by her long name when her food is in the bowl. “Lady” is my wife’s cat, in reality
she’s our family pet.
I came home one day and saw Lady hiding something under her paws. She wouldn’t
let me see what it was but it was obvious by the long tail sticking out that it was a
mouse. Luckily it wasn’t the real thing. It was “Charlie” her old cloth “mouse”.
What I saw was “picture perfect” so I decided to get my camera but “Lady” walked
away taking “Charlie” with her. I was hoping she would repeat the pose with the
“mouse” under her paws. But, sadly she didn’t.
In my long years as an artist I learned that sitters hate to have their picture
taken for a formal portrait. They always look very uncomfortable and I don’t blame
them (there are ways to have a sitter relaxed, but that’s a great topic for another
article). They’re quite aware that their image will be painted on a large canvas and
hung in the family living room for everyone to see. I’m sure those are not the
reasons “Lady” didn’t want me to take her picture. She just didn’t want me to point
at her with a black clicking “thing” following her around.
I showed the painting to her when it was done, she would stare at her portrait with
much curiosity.
“Lady’s” oil portrait is now hanging on the family home wall. She looks so awesome
resting on top of “Charlie” her mouse.