Calico Scout
Calico Scout fini, originally uploaded by Cathy (Kate) Johnson.
This one was difficult to do, but satisfying. It's the final art for the section of the book I'm working on--I think, anyway! This section is on dry helpers, like watercolor paper, paper towels, tissues, plastic wrap and more...
I hand-raised Scout from a kitten; she barely had her eyes open when she led her siblings out from under my canoe, demanding care and food. Her mother, a stray, had died, and I was left with three babies to care for when I most needed them.
It was the summer my first husband died, and to have something charming and challenging to capture my attention was just the medicine I needed to help heal my soul. Scout did that, in spades! She was always a personality kid, loving and funny and always the ringleader, though she was always small for her age.
She continued to be a joy all the years of her all-too-short life. Her kidneys failed suddenly at age 9, and I cried for days. It's been over two years, and the first stages of facing this painting were still filtered through tears. Funny how much a part of us they become...
I had taken this photo a few years ago--it was as if she knew how she mirrored the Double Wedding Ring design on the quilted pillow and was quite aware, thank you very much, of how beautiful she looked! The winter sun streaming in the window warmed and lit her, and I couldn't get to my camera quickly enough! I always knew I'd want to paint this, someday...and I'm glad I did.
(If you're interested in the techniques used, you can click on the image, above, to go to my Flickr page--I made notes on the process, and on the one before this one, the work-in-progress.)