As My Break From My Real Life, Sometimes I Love To Stuff Cats In Boxes.

Unless you’re in the biz, you’d be surprised how many artists these days are painting pets. And it’s SUCH a great job: gorgeous critters/subjects to paint–and I can’t think of any client I’d rather work for than someone who’s so nuts about their dog, cat, ferret or bearded dragon that they pay me to make them immortal. Win for them, win for me–it’s probably the best job ever!
And in my commissioned portraits, I usually spend hours and hours doing hyper-detailed paintings–most of my clients want me to be very faithful to the pet’s appearance, and subtly enhance all that’s most elegant or noble or sweet about the critter. I paint them the way their people see them, which produces some beautifully poignant portraits.
But sometimes, between commissions, I REALLY need to forget about exactly how the fur curls, and kind of CUT LOOSE, and that’s when I do my cats in boxes, because a box brings out the side of a cat that’s something else entirely, and is so much fun to paint! I like to think these paintings are about pure, universal CAT-ishness–no precise likeness, no detailed markings–just CAT, in its most weirdly euphoric, least guarded, most embarrassing state.
I can only hope these kitties I’ve stuffed in boxes will forgive me for the indignity.

More info: wildeaboutanimals.etsy.com