Let’s face it; without light things would be pretty dismal. In fact without light there would be no life.  In my painting career I have celebrated light in all of its incredible manifestations. Light and life go hand in hand. Toward that end I want to  share a recent painting, actually this is a watercolor study.  This study will be used to develop a larger egg tempera painting. This study has a story; so here goes.

Callie in sunlight                                      8.5″ x 6″                                watercolor on paper

Animals have always played a large role in our household. Almost all of our furry children are rescues of one sort or another. The first cat came into our household when my daughter was around 8 years old. That has been more years than  I wish to think about. So a little over 16 years ago my daughter, Carol, came to visit from one of her business trips carrying a furry ball in her arms. She had already been named Callie since it was obvious that she was a Calico. Callie had been rescued from starvation in a town where my daughter had been sent to do some field work.

Callie needed a home and like others before her,  we welcomed her into our home. As everyone knows cats are not like dogs and pretty soon Callie became pretty much the dominant pet in our home. There was one exception, our Golden Retriever mix didn’t like cats.  There was always barking and snarling and threats but no bloodshed. Detente reigned.  In fact it was quite comical.

A little over a year ago Callie became quite ill and we went to the vet.  They did a number of things for a cat that had been lethargic and with little appetite.  Callie pulled through. Her personality changed.  Our fairly quiet cat had become vocal and demanding, always seeking food.  She started slipping out onto the deck in our fenced in backyard. She would sit for hours on the deck gazing and dozing in the fresh air.  She would even brazenly strut close to Marley, our retriever, as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?”  Talk about chutzpah, she displayed it in her final days.  About two months ago Callie died and now rests under a stump in one of her favorite haunts in our backyard.

At this point in our life she will be the last cat to grace our home. This watercolor was inspired by one of those moments when she sat in the sunlight in our den gazing out onto the deck she loved. The light seemed to illuminate her as she melded into the light. Little did I know that she was nearing the end of her days.