Kitty wants that treat…. pleeeeeeease!

“How pleasant is the day when we give up trying to be young – or slender!”
–William James

Copyright Beth Parker Art 2012

Kitty wants that treat…. right now!  I can smell it! – 3″ x 4″ Watercolor & Sharpie

Susan (Surob) at WetCanvas posted a photo of her cat, Trixie for us to paint last weekend.  I love painting cat eyes.  I think this expression could also say… “Who me?  Those are not my claws in the dog’s nose!  I have an alibi!  I was right here napping…. feel the warmth on my back from the sun?”.

William James,  January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910

William James was born into an affluent family. His father was deeply interested in philosophy and theology and strove to provide his children with a rich education.

The James children traveled to Europe frequently, attended the best possible schools, and were immersed in culture and art, which apparently paid off – William James went on to become one of the most important figures in psychology, while brother Henry James became one of the most acclaimed American novelists.
Early in school, James expressed an interest in becoming a painter. While Henry James Sr. was known as an unusually permissive and liberal father, he wanted William to study science or philosophy. Only after William persisted in his interest did Henry permit his son to formally study painting.
More here.

Kitty Closeup - December 22, 2009

“Attempt easy tasks as if they were difficult, and difficult as if they were easy; in the one case that confidence may not fall asleep, in the other that it may not be dismayed.”
– Baltasar Gracián y Morales

Kitty Closeup

2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor with touches of white gouache

This is Possum again. I really loved this cat’s eyes. Working in this small size, I can do study after study, without taking a lot of time or using a lot of paper. Another one is coming tomorrow.

About Baltasar Gracián y Morales

Baltasar Gracián y Morales, the Jesuit scholar and moralist author, was the leading Spanish proponent of conceptism (conceptismo), a method of expressing ideas through puns, epigrams, and other verbal devices. He was born in 1601 in Aragon. The Jesuit leadership frowned on his oratorical style, which included reading a letter from Hell to his congregation. His best known books include The Art of Worldly Wisdom and The Hero, which repudiated Machiavelli. He died in 1658.

Inktense Kitty - September 9, 2009

“Laughter is the closest distance between two people.”

– Victor Borge

Inktense Kitty

Inktense on 4″ x 6″ postcard

Derwent Inktense soluble ink pencils are a lot of fun. They have an intense pigment and can create a vivid result, depending on how heavy you apply them.

Inktense is activated with water, then once dry, the color cannot be lifted with a wet brush, like normal watercolor. It gives you time to blend while still wet, if you want, but not if you don’t. It just depends on how you use them. I put all the colors down at the same time, for this kitty, so I could do some blending.

Here he is with the inktense and some masking. I’m not experienced with masking fluid, so I did use some additional watercolor to smooth out the areas I used mask on.

Jerry’s Artarama carries Inktense pencils. Just click on their banner on this page if you want to try them.

About Victor Borge

Danish pianist Victor Borge was affectionately known as the Clown Prince of Denmark. Born as Børge Rosenbaum in 1909 to musician parents, he began playing piano at age three. After a stint as a classical pianist, he began combining music and jokes. His anti-Nazi jokes landed him on Hitler’s enemies list. In 1942, he was named Best New Radio Performer by the American press. His Comedy in Music show on Broadway was the longest running one-man show in the 1950’s. He died in 2000.