Black and White and Loved All Over

Did you know that Friday was Black Cat Appreciation Day? Lucky for our household, we had one show up on our patio two weeks ago, so we were able to participate with great appreciation.
 

Much to Buttonwillow's surprise, however, no one has come forward to claim our little foundling.  So The-World's-Cutest-Black-Kitten-Known-To-Man-Woman-Or-Patio has now been dubbed with an official name, which I'm pretty sure means she is officially ours. Her new name is Inka.  

This means that everyday around here will be Black Cat Appreciation Day.  Not to mention Bicolor Cat Appreciation Day.

What color of Cat Appreciation Day is it today in your household?

  

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If it's White Cat Appreciation Day, you might enjoy the newest addition to my "I Heart Cats" designs.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/103727180/white-cat-personalized-glass-pendant

 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/106911071/white-cat-glass-earrings-wearable-art

  I've added white cat glass pendants (they can be personalized with a pet's name on the back, and dangle glass earrings with sterling silver earwires.

 You'll find them, plus many more colorful cats, in my Etsy Shop...

Thanks for visiting!

Today's Featured Cat Lady ACEO... Cat Mom No. 9

Cat Mom No 9 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on February 24, 2009. She introduced us to Spay Day, an annual campaign of The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International to inspire people to save animal lives by spaying or neutering pets and feral cats.

Spay Day takes place on the last Tuesday of February each year, however, Cat Mom No. 9 encourages you to make EVERY day "Spay Day."

Four million cats and dogs—about one every eight seconds—are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year. Spaying or neutering is the only permanent, 100-percent effective method of birth control for dogs and cats and a proven way to reduce the vast numbers of animals who are born each year, only to die prematurely and without a family who loves them. Learn more here: Pet Overpopulation and what you can do.

Thanks for visiting!

My original ACEO art of Cat Mom No. 9 (pictured above) is now available for purchase in my Etsy shop! This mini watercolor painting is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card.

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. Click here for more details.

Garden Cat Lady No. 5... Cats Who Chomp Greenery

Garden Cat Lady No.5 was first featured on 365 Cat Ladies on June 30, 2009 . She warned us to be aware of plants that are toxic to cats, both inside and outside in the garden.

Does your own furry friend like to chew, chomp, or eviscerate plant matter?

The ASPCA website has a very useful list of plants that don't mix with cats, many with photos to help with identification. There are also descriptions and symptoms, plus a 24-hour hotline-- this is a great website to bookmark: Plants That Are Toxic To Cats

Happy (and safe) Gardening!

My original ACEO art of Garden Cat No. 5 is now available in my Etsy shop. This mini watercolor painting is in ACEO (Art Card Editions and Originals) format, which means that the artwork size is 2.5" x 3.5", the same as a baseball card.

It is hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor paints. Click here for more details.

Perennial Favorites (Chomp, Chomp)

Illustration Friday
Theme: perennial

copyright 2011 Susan Faye

Apparently Bob the Cat (the stripey one, pictured above) has a thing for perennials.

Cat Lady Karen explains: "My kitties Zoe and Bob are both rescue cats. Certainly if this were a real picture, those flowers would be little green stumps because Bob would have eaten them all before the flash went off."

Hey, a guy's gotta make sure he gets plenty of fiber somehow, doesn't he?

Does your furry loved one have a thing for greenery? Please share in the comments section at the end of the post.

The custom portrait of Zoe and Bob was drawn with pen and ink, then hand-painted on super-heavy Arches 300-lb. acid-free cold-press watercolor paper with professional quality watercolor and gouache paints.

Thanks for visiting!

Story Time with Flora Cat

Words and images copyright 2011 Susan Faye. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in ANY form, including electronically, without express written permission of the artist. Thank you for respecting this policy with regards to ALL artists--it's good karma!!

FLORA THE GARDEN CAT

Garden cat Flora loves the summer sunshine, but when it shines too brightly onto her silky white fur, she heads for the cool blue shadows of the garden shed.

It's fun to play hide 'n' seek from Maine Coon tabby cat Gardner among the flower pots and watering cans. Sometimes Flora looks right at him through the window and he doesn't even see her. (Gardner is easily distracted by lady bug beetles and other bitty-crawly-fluttery things in the garden)...

READ PART I OF STORY TIME AT THE GARDEN SHED HERE: PART I


Flora Cat is the star of two new handcrafted glass pendants and matching earrings now available in my Etsy shop.


I used the citrus-y colors of summer in this artwork. The lemon yellow and lime green of the garden shed get a breezy cool-down from the deep blue window.

I was happily surprised by the Mondrian-like geometric pop-art effect of the window lines when I cropped the art for the square pendant:

I've handcrafted each of these pieces of wearable art using a mini paper print of my artwork which has been preserved under crystal-clear glass. The pendants are artist-signed on the back, then sealed. A silvertone bail is added on the back. The earrings have a solid lime green back; the larger dangle earrings feature a sterling silver earwire.



You'll find these brand new designs in my Etsy shop at this link: Susan Faye Jewelry.


Enjoy!

Welcome Summer! Introducing The First Of A New Series

I'M CELEBRATING SUMMER WITH SOME BRAND NEW ART!

I'm excited to introduce the first in a series of illustrations called "Gardenkeepers". Inspired by my own horticultural adventures in my humble posy patch and greenhouse, I am working on 12 new images that depict the joys of tilling the soil, sowing seeds of happiness and going green. Each illustration will feature a different gardenkeeper girl enjoying the beauty and wonder of Mother Nature with help from a furry friend or two.

The first of the series is "Gardenkeeper Carletta" and her garden tool shed. It's hard to start a posey patch if you don't have the right tools and a place to keep them! When summer arrives, I think of citrus-y colors: lime, lemon, orange, pink grapefruit and I wanted to incorporate them into this piece.

Here is my initial sketch in pencil on graph paper:
I then used waterproof Micron pens to draw the black and white outlines on my watercolor paper, then painted the details with watercolor paints. Once the image was scanned into my computer, I added a solid blue sky using my very favorite color at the moment: turquoise-aqua-Caribbean-sky-blue! You can read more about Gardenkeeper Carletta and her garden helpers in last week's post: Story Time With Captain Wheeler Von Barrow IV

Here is the finished artwork, now available as a print in my Etsy Shop:

It's an 8 x 10" inkjet print on high quality matte photo paper, printed with Epson Durabrite Ultra inks. The print will be signed by me. [NOTE: the image in the listing is low resolution --rest assured, your print will be crisp and detailed]. You can pop it into a standard size 8 x 10" frame. It's an easy way to brighten up a child's room or surprise your favorite cat lady or garden goddess.

There are three variations also available in print form (click on each image for more information):

The Garden Shed

Wheelbarrow Cat (Captain Wheeler Von Barrow IV)

and "Invitation to a Wheelbarrow Ride"

Enjoy!

as seen on:

Story Time with Captain Wheeler von Barrow IV

Summer is here!

That means it's time to shed those old fur coats. Gardner the garden cat is disposing of his as fast as he can, leaving a trail of fluff behind him wherever he goes.

That means Garden Keeper Carletta can work and play in the garden all day long. Have you ever had a butterfly land on your head?



That means a brand new watering can has appeared at the garden shed. Carletta picked it out yesterday on her way home from the last day of school.


That means the very first strawberries are ripe and ready to be plucked. Ladybug Lulu is at her post, defending the bounty of berries from unwelcome pests.


That means it's time for a game of hide 'n' seek. Flora Cat is already hiding--can you guess where?

That means that the garden shed is open for business and business is blooming!

And that means Captain Wheeler von Barrow IV is ready and waiting for his first wheelbarrow ride of the summer.

You can call him "Wheeler" for short...

...as in:
Wheeeee- ler!!

Summer is here!
Let's Celebrate!

Words and images copyright 2011 Susan Faye. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in ANY form, including electronically, without express written permission of the artist. Thank you for respecting this policy with regards to ALL artists--it's good karma!!

Kitty Colors Italiano...(Are You A Gattare?)

Gattare means "Cat Lover" in Italian! How do I know this?

Earlier this week I posted a printable coloring page for 365 Cat Ladies readers to enjoy and invited you to send in your creations. Today I was very excited to receive Cat Lady Gio's interpretation of the garden scene! Giovanna is a mixed media artist from Rome, and I love how she incorporated the sheet music motif, including the tiny treble clef detail on kitty's collar! Don't you love the sunny colors and the scalloped edge on the wheelbarrow?

You can see more of Giovanna's beautiful mixed media art projects, plus tutorials on her blog: Scrap in Progress. (If you aren't fluent in Italian, you might find a translator like Babel Fish helpful...it has an option for translating an entire page from a blog--just plug in the URL of that particular page.)

A few weeks ago, Gio checked out my tutorial "How To Paint A Cat Lady" and she used watercolors to create her own portrait:

copyright Gio 2011

Bellissimo!!

Here is her blog post that tells more about it: Solo per gattare! Only for cat lovers!

It's not too late to print out your own coloring page and send me your interpretation in your favorite color scheme. You'll also be entered for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to my Etsy shop. Giveaway ends Sunday, May 29. For details, click here:

Free Coloring Page and a Giveaway

Ciao for now!

My Baby Sister

Happy Birthday to my Baby Sister,
Carol Mai!!

There seems to be a mistake, however. I got a notice from Facebook that my baby sister is turning 53 today. I believe that must be some sort of typo. Perhaps they meant 35. That seems about right. She is my BABY sister, after all.

Carol and I have shared many things over the years, including a love for cats and dogs, art and watercolor painting, vintage collectibles and antiques.

I spent most of the sixties envying her long, straight blonde hair, until wavy brown hair finally made a comeback at some point in the seventies. We shared many cats in our youth, including Brat Cat, a big white lovable boycat who had a knack for getting into trouble and had a heck of a time staying white...

If you enjoy treasure hunting, drop by my sis's Etsy shop: Carol Mai's Vintage Delights. Be sure to take a look at her banner and you'll get a peek at one of her beautiful floral watercolor paintings!

In the mean time, I need to drop Facebook a line and tell them to get their ages straight....No baby sister of mine could possibly be that VINTAGE yet!

Weather Report

What is the forecast in your corner of the world today? In the Pacific Northwest, Mount Hood and its fellow Cascade Range peaks are resplendent in a fresh coating of shiny snowflakes!

To celebrate, I've added 6 matted prints to my online Etsy shop featuring some lucky Cat Ladies enjoying a winter wonderland with their feline friends.

Remember, as freezing temperatures approach here in the Northern Hemisphere, outdoor cats need some special attention such as providing a warm place to sleep, and making sure that non-frozen drinking water is available. Here are more great tips from The Conscious Cat: Winter Health Tips For Your Pets

Thanks for visiting!

BRRRR...Is it getting chilly around here? These high quality reproductions of my whimsical watercolor paintings are the PURRfect gift for your favorite Snow Bunny or Feline Fanatic.

The image is 4.5" x 6.5" and comes in an acid-free 11" x 14" white on black double matting, ready for framing in a standard size frame. $12.50 each plus shipping.

Click on any image for more information.

The Naming of White Cats

In our last post, Paddy the Library Cat mentioned the importance of The Naming of Cats. I am constantly amazed and amused by the names that Cat Ladies come up with for their favorite felines. Today's focus is on white cats and their monikers. Some old favorites include: Frosty, Sugar, Angel, and Snowball.



What are YOUR favorite names for a white cat?
Share them in the Comments section below!

My auctions on Ebay this week feature ACEO artwork of snowy white cats. Each one of these original mini watercolor paintings was a part of the 365 Cat Ladiesseries featured in this blog during 2009. Here is your chance to collect original artwork without breaking the bank, plus you will own a little piece of 365 Cat Lady history! Auctions end Sunday afternoon, May 23.

Place your bid today at:

http://myworld.ebay.com/whimsysu