I have painted my share of cats. All with their unique personalities coming though. You can tell the cat that wants to stir things up. There is the cat that wants to spend the day in the window enjoying the sun. I love the cat that thinks it is in charge of the house; including the dog.
My experience is that cats can be a little standoffish until they know you. They don’t want to be petted by strangers and they’re not influenced by the treats in your hand. I have to respect a cat that is cautious. I’m a little like the cat.
This is a Christmas present. A portrait of a cat living his best life. A day by the window and a little catnip. What could be better?
This time of year involves traveling for many. Some of us travel by plane, car or bus; we travel near and far. Traveling can make me a we bit anxious. I know the facts about traveling but it doesn’t always help. Fact: we are safer in planes then on the road. Fact: people die in crashes closer to home then faraway. Fact: seat belts save lives. I could go on and on. Highway safety was kinda my thing before retiring. I was in law enforcement for over 30 years so this was what my agency focused on.
I think about these facts whenever we leave the house. My husband and I get additional insurance when we travel out of state. Before we leave our driveway we kiss and say “safe trip”. I really don’t remember when this started, but we’ve been doing it for years. Once we reach our destination we kiss and say “thank you God”. We always do this.
I’ve seen the aftermath of enough vehicle crashes that no matter how good of a driver you are you can’t control the other drivers who share the road with you. You can’t control the deer that may run out in front of you. You can’t always know when your vehicle will have a major equipment failure. So many variables that are outside of your control.
So when we travel I like that we kiss. That we take a tiny moment to say out loud what is in our hearts. We hope this trip is uneventful. We hope everyone gets to where they want to go safely. We don’t want any excitement along the way.
So this holiday season have a safe trip. Do what you need to do to arrive safely. I would be interested to hear if you have a ritual you would like to share. In the meantime be safe. 💋
It’s that time of year where we look for the perfect gifts for the ones we love. Perfect gifts are hard to find. If you are like me I buy what I want rather then wait for someone else to purchase it. I’ve been told I’m hard to buy for, but I don’t believe that’s true. I love colorful and unique, which I think provides a pretty big spectrum of things. I believe that a gift does not need to be new. In fact some of the best gifts I’ve ever received were homemade or gently used.
I say “I don’t need anything” when asked what I would like for Christmas. It’s a true statement. I need for nothing. There was a time in my life where I needed to keep track of every penny. My checkbook was balanced to the nearest dime. Never anything extra. I think we all should experience what it’s like to struggle in order to appreciate good fortune. I now have so much to be thankful for.
At this point in my life what I really want can’t be bought in a store. I want good health for my husband. I want time with those I love and who love me. A prefer a phone call rather then a text message and to simply be “in” the pictures I see on Facebook.
Sometimes those we love don’t live close by. We still can be creative in showing our love with a gift just for them. I painted this German Shepard, who is clearly enjoying the sun rays on his face, as a holiday gift. A father wanting something special for his daughter who lives very far away. It’s nice isn’t, that a dad wants something special, something unique? I’m glad he asked me to paint her dog. I believe she will forever remember this gift.
Years ago my father gave me the gift of fishing. He taught me how to bait a hook and cast a line. Gifts don’t always come in a box or from a store. I hope my client’s daughter loves her painting. I hope she loves that her father wanted her to have a gift that was from his heart. ❤️
Varla's Blue Sheep Art 