small grey cat studio

Valentine's Day mush (perhaps painfully so)

2012-02-14T18:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day to my sweetheart...

in and around Sóller, Mallorca - 5

2012-02-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

21 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

in and around Sóller, Mallorca - 4

2012-02-13T09:31:00.000-08:00

20 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

in and around Sóller, Mallorca - 3

2012-02-10T10:20:00.000-08:00

19 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

in and around Sóller, Mallorca - 2

2012-02-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

18 December 2010
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

in and around Sóller, Mallorca - 1

2012-02-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

16 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

While on the island of Mallorca, the husband and I took a day trip to the lovely town of Sóller , following some walking paths that wound up to the neighboring villages of Biniaraix and Fornalutx. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, the air smelling of citrus. Naturally, many paintings of the views we encountered resulted.

heading out to sea - Palma de Mallorca

2012-02-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

10 January 2012
8" x 10", acrylic on paper
gifted

I painted this one for a friend as a gift.

park area near Catedral, Palma de Mallorca

2012-02-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

15 December 2010
8" x 10" (20cm x 24.5cm), acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 18

2012-02-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

3 January 2012
10" x 8", acrylic on paper

Believe it or not, this is the last (at least as of now) of the Bosc de Bellver paintings...

Bosc de Bellver -17

2012-02-02T11:20:00.001-08:00

1 January 2012
10" x 8", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 16

2012-02-01T12:42:00.001-08:00

31 December 2011
10" x 8", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 15

2012-01-31T14:24:00.000-08:00

30 December 2011
10" x 8", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 14

2012-01-30T12:22:00.000-08:00

14 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 13

2012-01-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

12 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Yes, more of Bosc de Bellver...

Bosc de Bellver - 12

2012-01-26T12:59:00.000-08:00

10 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Evidence that we reached the top of the hill. This is a view of Palma de Mallorca from the castle grounds atop Bosc de Bellver.

Just for fun, I'm including photos taken by my husband from the castle grounds.

Yup, that's me.

Bosc de Bellver - 11

2012-01-25T12:57:00.000-08:00

9 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 10

2012-01-24T12:17:00.001-08:00

8 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 9

2012-01-23T16:06:00.000-08:00

7 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 8

2012-01-20T10:21:00.001-08:00

6 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 7

2012-01-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

4 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 6

2012-01-18T10:58:00.001-08:00

3 December 2010
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 5

2012-01-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

2 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Yes, here's another painting of the footpath. A word of warning: I went berserk painting these views; there are many more to come.

Bosc de Bellver - 4

2012-01-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

1 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 3

2012-01-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

27 November 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver - 2

2012-01-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

22 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Bosc de Bellver, Palma de Mallorca - 1

2012-01-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

21 November 2011
8 x 10, acrylic on paper

The husband and I walked up a footpath in the Bosc de Bellver leading to the Castell one gorgeous day. The air was filled with the sound of buzzing cicadas, and smelled of the trees and the sea.

Mallorca Tenis Club - 2

2012-01-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

30 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Mallorca Tenis Club -1

2012-01-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

29 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

My husband is a devoted tennis fan, so of course one of our stops in Palma de Mallorca was the Mallorca Tenis Club, where Rafael Nadal played some as a junior. I painted a couple of views I found during our meander through the club.

a view of the main tennis court, Mallorca Tenis Club (photo credit to my husband - he took a number of photographs of the courts)

along Paseo & Passeig de Mallorca - 3

2012-01-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

2 January 2012
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

This is an alternative version of the painting I posted a couple of days ago. I used primarily phthalo blue rather than ultramarine blue for the sky in this one.

along Paseo & Passeig de Mallorca - 2

2012-01-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

5 December 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

along Paseo & Passeig de Mallorca - 1

2012-01-04T06:44:00.000-08:00

20 November 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Jardi Botanic, Palma de Mallorca - 7

2012-01-03T08:14:00.001-08:00

17 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Jardi Botanic, Palma de Mallorca - 6

2012-01-02T06:46:00.001-08:00

16 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Jardi Botanic, Palma de Mallorca - 5

2011-12-30T16:24:00.000-08:00

15 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Happy Holidays

2011-12-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

Jardi Botanic, Palma de Mallorca - 4

2011-12-23T10:25:00.001-08:00

14 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Jardi Botanic, Palma de Mallorca -3

2011-12-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

12 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Jardi Botanic, Palma de Mallorca - 2

2011-12-21T11:19:00.000-08:00

11 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Jardi Botanic, Palma de Mallorca, Spain - 1

2011-12-20T11:45:00.000-08:00

8 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

The husband and I spent some truly glorious days on the sun-drenched island of Mallorca *sigh*. Maybe one day we can return. But there's so many other places in the world to see...

across the street from La Sagrada Familia - 11

2011-12-19T10:51:00.001-08:00

10 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

across the street from La Sagrada Familia - 10

2011-12-16T11:02:00.000-08:00

7 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

across the street from La Sagrada Familia - 9

2011-12-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

5 November 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

across the street from La Sagrada Familia - 8

2011-12-14T10:43:00.001-08:00

29 October 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

across the street from La Sagrada Familia - 7

2011-12-13T09:11:00.001-08:00

27 October 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

across the street from La Sagrada Familia - 6

2011-12-12T07:50:00.001-08:00

26 October 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

across the street from La Sagrada Familia - 5

2011-12-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

6 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

across the street from La Sagrada Familia - 4

2011-12-08T11:14:00.001-08:00

3 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

across the street from La Sagrada Familia - 3

2011-12-07T06:25:00.000-08:00

31 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

across the street from La Sagrada Familia - 2

2011-12-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

25 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

across the street from La Sagrada Familia (Barcelona) - 1

2011-12-05T06:28:00.000-08:00

18 October 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

I painted some views of the park area off Carrer de la Marina, across the street from La Sagrada Familia (as it turned out, more of the pond in the park than the looming basilica next to it).

Parc de la Ciutadella - 19

2011-12-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

2 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

This one is another version of one I painted earlier.

Parc de la Ciutadella - 18

2011-12-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

24 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 17

2011-11-30T06:55:00.000-08:00

21 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 16

2011-11-29T10:20:00.000-08:00

20 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 15

2011-11-28T08:06:00.001-08:00

17 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 14

2011-11-23T09:45:00.000-08:00

15 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 13

2011-11-22T07:35:00.001-08:00

13 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 12

2011-11-21T07:57:00.000-08:00

11 October 2011
8" x 11", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 11

2011-11-18T07:16:00.001-08:00

10 October 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 10

2011-11-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

7 October 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 9

2011-11-16T07:02:00.000-08:00

6 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 8

2011-11-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

5 October 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 7

2011-11-14T07:12:00.000-08:00

4 October 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

If this one looks rather familiar, it's because it's a variation (slightly different view) of number 2 in this series.

Parc de la Ciutadella - 6

2011-11-11T11:32:00.000-08:00

3 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 5

2011-11-10T10:01:00.001-08:00

2 October 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 4

2011-11-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

26 September 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella - 3

2011-11-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

24 September 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Virtual Paintout submission

2011-11-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

4 November 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Just emailed this off to Bill Guffey, for his November Virtual Paintout (Arles, France). The Google Streetview link is <here>.

Parc de la Ciutadella - 2

2011-11-04T10:54:00.000-07:00

23 September 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona - 1

2011-11-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

19 September 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Plaça Urquinaona, Barcelona, Spain - two of two

2011-11-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

18 September 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Plaça Urquinaona, Barcelona, Spain - one of two

2011-11-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

19 September 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Now begins what should be lots and lots of paintings of Barcelona and Mallorca...

Washington Park, Denver, CO - six of six

2011-10-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

29 September 2011
11" x 17", acrylic on paper

Washington Park, Denver, CO - five of six

2011-10-28T07:40:00.001-07:00

28 September 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Washington Park, Denver, CO - four of six

2011-10-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

27 September 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Washington Park, Denver, CO - three of six

2011-10-26T09:37:00.001-07:00

22 September 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Washington Park, Denver, CO - two of six

2011-10-25T07:07:00.000-07:00

21 September 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Washington Park, Denver, CO - one of six

2011-10-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

20 September 2011
11" x 14", acrylic on paper

Back in September, on our way to Spain, the husband and I stopped in Denver, Colorado to visit friends. We spent some time at the lovely Washington Park, which provided some painting reference material.

floral

2011-10-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

13 August 2011
7" x 5", gouache and graphite on paper
gifted

15 August 2011
7" x 5", gouache and graphite on paper

17 August 2011
7" x 5", gouache and graphite on paper

21 August 2011
7" x 5", gouache and graphite on paper
gifted

21 August 2011
7" x 5", gouache and graphite on paper

22 August 2011
7" x 5", gouache and graphite on paper

22 August 2011
5" x 7", gouache and graphite on paper

26 August 2011
5" x 7", gouache and graphite on paper

26 August 2011
7" x 5", gouache and graphite on paper

nowhere in particular

2011-10-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

19 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

in memoriam

2011-10-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

My husband and I lost our beloved cat-friend (and inspiration for this blog) a couple of days ago. After a long cat-life, twenty-one years (about 100 in human years, maybe more), he finally gave up the good fight. He was of course the best cat that ever lived, and, needless to say, we miss him terribly.

Mookie chose my husband those twenty-one years ago. I came along much later. As my husband tells it, it had been his then-girlfriend’s idea to get a kitten, and, after much persistence on her part they found themselves at the local humane society. There weren’t a lot of kittens there at the time and they were just about to leave when my husband thought he heard something moving amidst a pile of discarded carrier cases. He stuck his hand in one and re-emerged with a tiny kitten latched on, tenaciously and ferociously attacking his hand with its tiny teeth and claws.

He went over to the humane society worker and said, “I’ll take this one.”

Mookie had apparently been overlooked. All his brothers and sisters had been taken out of the carrier earlier that week and adopted out, and the carrier was in a pile waiting to be thrown out.

The humane society worker cautioned my husband that the kitten might not survive the week; he was so tiny, weak, and dehydrated. My husband relates at first feeding him with a dropper before graduating quickly on to a food dish.

My husband, then a university student, found him stuck behind the stove one day, and worried that the little guy would get hurt left to his own devises in the apartment. So my husband started bringing him to lectures, carrying him either in the hood or pocket of his hoodie. His professors apparently didn’t mind. He became known as the “cat-head” as his head, so large compared to his tiny body, would often be sticking out of my husband’s pocket.

My husband named Mookie after Mookie Blaylock, then a promising young NBA point guard.

Mookie saw my husband through various jobs, relationships, and moves, outlasting them all. My husband has some great stories regaling Mookie’s various adventures (including a flying fan, the mean neighbor cat, how rats and cats should not be friends, the missing baby ferrets, and the purloined barbequed steak, amongst many others). When I first started dating my husband, he tried to downplay their relationship, but he could only conceal this for a short time. They both forgave me when I almost set Mookie on fire (he jumped up on a ledge to greet me, right over where a tea candle was burning).

I had the privilege and pleasure of being part of Mookie’s life for these seven years.

Many thanks to the staff at Northwest Neighborhood Veterinary Hospital. They’ve taken such great care of our cat-friend over the years.

Link: Modest Mouse’s “Parting of the Sensory”.

Park Blocks - four of four

2011-10-14T07:51:00.001-07:00

1 September 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Virtual Paintout submission

2011-10-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

12 October 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

I just e-mailed this to Bill Guffey for his October Virtual Paintout, this month in Sardinia. Click <here> to see the Google Streetview reference.

Park Blocks - three of four

2011-10-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

4 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

I'd painted views of the Park Blocks last summer, as well, posted 26 July 2010 and 28 July 2010.

Park Blocks - two of four

2011-10-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

3 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Park Blocks (Portland) - one of four

2011-10-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

2 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

a family portrait

2011-10-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

30 September 2011
8" x 10", gouache on paper

summer in Washington Park - nine of nine

2011-10-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

18 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Here's the last of the "summer in Washington Park" series, and the very last of even a memory of summer here in Portland... back to rain and chill.

summer in Washington Park - eight of nine

2011-10-05T07:05:00.000-07:00

12 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

I painted a couple of other versions of this view (though in early spring rather than summer) a year and a half ago, posted 4 April 2010 and 26 April 2010. As both Heraclitus and one of my favorite high school teachers once said, the only constant is change...

summer in Washington Park - seven of nine

2011-10-04T06:45:00.000-07:00

11 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

summer in Washington Park - six of nine

2011-10-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

9 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

summer in Washington Park - five of nine

2011-09-30T06:49:00.001-07:00

8 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

summer in Washington Park - four of nine

2011-09-29T10:47:00.001-07:00

5 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

summer in Washington Park - three of nine

2011-09-28T06:57:00.000-07:00

1 August 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

summer in Washington Park - two of nine

2011-09-27T07:02:00.000-07:00

29 July 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

summer in Washington Park - one of nine

2011-09-26T07:50:00.000-07:00

27 July 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Cannon Beach - seventeen of seventeen

2011-09-23T06:06:00.000-07:00

26 July 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Cannon Beach - sixteen of seventeen

2011-09-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

25 July 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Cannon Beach - fifteen of seventeen

2011-09-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

24 July 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper

Cannon Beach - fourteen of seventeen

2011-09-20T06:13:00.000-07:00

21 July 2011
8" x 10", acrylic on paper