Art Review

DESTINY & COOPER MURPHY AT THE ROUNDUP

Sparks

destiny

 

I was unfamiliar with Mark Victor Hansen. He is a 73-year-old American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author. Hansen is best known as the founder and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series.

Sparks is the creation of Annie from McGuffy’s Reader. Sparks began as a blog hop, created by our friend. Annie stated when she began Sparks,“I believe we are meant to be lights in this world. If we allow our light to shine, we can see where we are going. It is then that we can begin to truly see each other clearly. Together, we can light up the entire world.”

Awww Mondays

destiny

Cooper Murphy was all nonchalant before Dr. Neel and vet tech, Alexis, arrived for the annual roundup last Thursday. He turned less than cooperative when it came time for his pawticure.

I will give you the details of this year’s roundup on our Thankful Thursday post.

Cooper Murphy is participating in the Awww Mondays blog hop at Comedy Plus. If you’d like to do the same, click on the badge below.

The Adventures of Periwinkle & Stinky

 

Your favorite, fun-loving tabbies will be sharing another of their adventures tomorrow, and they will be doing it right here. They have their paws crossed that lots of you will join in the fun again tomorrow.

 

MAURICIO’S PORTRAIT BY THOMAS DALSGAARD CLAUSEN

You may recall this ballpoint pen sketch of Lily Olivia created by Thomas Dalsgaard Clausen last April.

 

portrait

 

Clausen was drawing many of our friends, like Sammy, Flynn, Siddhartha, Austin, Speedy, to name a few. At the time, Clausen had challenged himself to draw daily and was taking requests for portraits.

When he contacted us last week to let us know that he is now doing portraits on commission and ask us to put the link to his new site on our previous post, we were happy to oblige. You can find that original post here.

We like supporting artists and so offered to do another post for Clausen, who offered to do another portrait for us. Several of us and most of our angels have been memorialized in one type of art piece or another. Mom would like to have a portrait of each of us eventually. We’re sort of surprised which of us she selected for this new portrait—none other than the pest/bum Mauricio. She claims to have selected him not out of favoritism but because of his distinctive look.

portraitMom sent Clausen three photos to work from, and he chose this one. Mom used this same photo as the basis for her “double exposure” entry in the Caturday Art Blog Hop a couple of weeks ago. Mom really liked her art piece but claims it cannot compare to the portrait Clausen created using india ink, ballpoint pen and white correction fluid. We are certain you will agree.

 

 portrait

 

Clausen says of his portraits, “There’s a great difference between seeing a portrait that looks like someone and a portrait that clearly is that someone. Some of it is in the eyes—some of it is in the posture—but a big part of it, you just can’t put your finger on! My goal is not to create a “photograph-like” representation of your pet—granted, a great photo is a work on art in itself—but what I like to do, is paint or draw your pet the way I see it—I make an interpretation rather than a copy, and then put some of your pet’s “being” back into the picture.

We think he caught Mauricio’s being perfectly and send our sincere and heartfelt thanks to Thomas Dalsgaard Clausen for the inspired portrait of Mauricio.

To see more of Clausen’s work, visit his blog, One Drawing Daily. To commission a pet portrait, visit his new site at http://tclausen.net.

Purrs and paw-pats, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

 

TUESDAY DOOZY OF A SNOOZY: LILY SKETCH

It is with sincere thanks and appreciation that I post this sketch of Lily Olivia.

SKETCH

 

Thomas Dalsgaard Clausen has been busy sketching many of our kitty friends. He’s been asking for subjects, so I requested that Clausen select and sketch one of the Kitties Blue. He chose Lily Olivia. This is a sketch of a sleeping Lily done in ballpoint pen.

I believe this is the photo he used from our post, The Day After the Day After, published on March 10. I think he captured her purrfectly.

To see more of Clausen’s work, visit his blog, One Drawing Daily.

As of September  2015 Clausen is doing pet portraits on commission. To find out more, visit his site at http://tclausen.net.

 

sketch

 

snugglingOur giveaway for a copy of the book, The Good, the Bad and the Fury by Tom Cox, remains open for Comments/Entries through Thursday, April 16, at midnight EDT. The interest has been overwhelming, so I contacted the publisher and asked for additional copies. I now will be giving away FIVE copies. If you haven’t had the opportunity to enter, click here. U.S. residents only please as this is the U.S. launch of the book, which occurs today, April 14. 

Kitties Blue will not be available as much as usual for the next couple of weeks. We will continue to post as well as host our Sunday Selfies Blog Hop. We may not be able to visit and comment as much as usual, however. Hope you will understand and continue to visit us.

 

 

 

 

 

CATWORKS BY KEVIN HARWOOD WITH GIVEAWAY

I am pleased to introduce you to another artist creating beautiful works featuring cats. Kevin Harwood, his wife and three children all love cats. It definitely shows in Kevin’s art. The family’s current and previous cats are the inspiration for his colorful, hand-drawn and painted original illustrations, CATWORKS.

 

Mivi

Mivi

I’d like you to meet the family’s two current cats: Mivi and Mazy. They couldn’t be more adorable. And if you think they are cute, you are going to fall in love with CATWORKS, just as I did.

Mazy

Mazy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artist Kevin Harwood

Artist Kevin Harwood

Kevin is a native of Minneapolis who lives in the Finger Lakes region of New York. He began drawing and painting at an early age. Kevin attended the Minneapolis College of Art & Design on a two-year Fine Arts Scholarship. In the early eighties he worked as a graphic designer, illustrator and award-winning art director while living in England. While there he also completed advanced courses in Studio Arts, Art History and English Literature.

 

Kevin says of his family’s cats, “They each possess their own unique personalities, and while everything people say about cats—such as being stubborn or aloof at times—is true, we wouldn’t be without them.” As evidenced by the green-eyed, smiling feline below, the painting we are giving away and the adorable kitties in Kevin’s Etsy Shop, he knows exactly how to capture those personalities in each original piece of art.

 

Catworks

CATWORKS painting gifted to Kitties Blue by Kevin Harwood.

 

Kevin’s goal is to focus on his art and develop more opportunities with his CATWORKS series, including greeting cards. Kevin also enjoys writing and painting watercolor landscapes inspired by the beautiful Finger Lakes region.

MEOW BABYAt only $20 for an original painting, and a wide variety to choose from, with titles such as “Hairball,” “Rescue Cats Rule” and “Birds and Squirrels,” I can imagine you wanting more than one of Kevin’s paintings. And don’t forget the holidays are quickly approaching. I know every feline fancier would be delighted to receive one or more of these little gems.

And to sweeten the deal, Kevin is offering a 10 percent discount in his Etsy Shop through December 31. Use the code CATZ10 at check-out.

If you see a CATWORKS piece that you really love but wish the cat looked more like your own, Kevin can do a custom version inspired by the look and coloring of your cat. Send an email to dallywaters1@mac.com with a photo of your cat. For an additional $5 [total of $25 prior to the 10 percent discount and Free Shipping] Kevin will be happy to create an original work.  

And now what you all have been waiting for…the giveaway. One fortunate reader leaving a comment on this post prior to Thursday, November 13, at 5 p.m. EST will win this adorable 8 1/2 X 12 inch “Meow Baby” signed, original painting by Kevin Harwood. The winner will be selected using Random.org.

Disclaimer: I received no remuneration from CATWORKS for this review other than the two original works of art (one for myself and one to give away). All opinions expressed are solely my own.

 

Previous Giveaway Winners

Winners from our giveaway for The Best Cat Book Ever by Kate Funk with AC the Cat are:

Donna
Rascal & Rocco
Prudence & Theresa (A Coonhound’s Tales)
CarolSue
Brian (Brian’s Home)

All others who left a comment are entitled to a booklet of four postcards featuring AC. I will send e-mails to all those who commented as well as the winners to secure addresses. All items will be sent directly from the publisher.