It's fun to paint Yoshi, as he has a very expressive face. I love the bright colors of the plush toy, too. When I saw the photo, I thought it's almost as if Yoshi is ready to scramble away with his prize at a moment's notice if anyone comes near him!

My son's friend Pat has a Westie named Gracie, and she can truly understand *so much* of what we say to her. I stopped by Pat's house to pick him up to take both boys to the airport for their trip to Texas. Gracie was going to be alone for a few hours until the family arrived that was going to take care of her. She cocked her head and looked at me as if to say "And will MY ride be arriving soon, too?"

What are some of the fun ways your Westie communicates with you?

Thank you ~

   ~ Connie

Item number: 320268664870

Carney was the sweetest cat! He has since passed on, but he was so devoted to his little family! It is very cold in China where he lived, and he loved to snuggle under the covers. His Mom called him her "Carney Burrito" sometimes, because he looked like a little burrito tucked tightly inside a coccoon of covers.

I love the way the shadows play along Carney's eyes, with his right side more in shadow than the left side. This really is a study in values (lights and darks). I always turn my paintings upside down when I'm painting in a darker shadow like this. That way I don't really see that it is a "cat", so much as different colors and shapes. This way I'm sure to get the shadow dark enough. I did turn this painting upside down, especially when working his eyes, in order to get the shadow on his right side dark enough.

Thank you!

  ~ Connie

Item number: 320268327095

Ruth is a sweet Siamese that I photographed a couple of years ago. I had driven a little ways out of town to photograph a black lab named Lucky for Lucky's portrait. While I was there, I was admiring their lovely Siamese, and asked if I could photograph their kitty lounging on their porch. I thought it was the loveliest setting with the dark wicker chair, the sunny day and the beautiful, soft cushion she was resting on.

I never know when I'm going to find the perfect scene for a painting. The other day I was walking in downtown Lake Oswego (a small suburb of Portland, Oregon where I live), and a big, shiny black car drove by with the sunroof open. Peering out of the top of the sunroof was an Australian Shepherd who had his front paws up on the back of the front seat, and his back legs on the back seat. It was the most comical scene. The wind was whipping through his fur and he had the biggest "smile" on his face! I wished I had my camera at that moment!

Thank you!

  ~ Connie

Item number: 320267515585

Jovan and Jarred are two Maine Coon kitten brothers that were 18 weeks old at the time that this reference photo for the painting was taken. They live in the UK, and their Mom breeds gorgeous Maine Coons! Her cats have won awards and she is an avid cat show enthusiast.

When I adopted my two rescue kittens here in Portland, OR, she was invaluable with lots of information for me via e-mail about how to help my kittens thrive. I've met so many people through my paintings and I *treasure* all of my animal-loving friends!

Thank you ~

   ~ Connie

P.S. I love the way cats look when they're sleeping peacefully. It's a wonder what comical positions they are in sometimes, too.

Item number: 320265821731

Here is the reference photo for the painting of Brock:

Isn't he a sweetie? He is my kitty.

I had my camera handy because I was taking photos of my latest painting for my ebay listing, and he jumped onto the bathroom counter to see what I was doing. This pose does remind me of how he chases the flies that come into the house. Anything that moves catches his attention.

I just have to be careful I don't get in his way when he takes a swipe, or I end up with one more scratch to add to my collection - LOL

Do your kitties seem especially good at prowling and pouncing?

Thank you ~

    ~ Connie

Item number: 320265133019

Chloe has such a steady gaze in this painting. I love the light color of her eyes. In the reference photo, she is laying on the grass, and I added the barn in the background with the blue sky. It is a true story that she started life as a barn cat in Kentucky and that she was adopted and now she has her own home.

I could just imagine a patch of 4-leaf clovers for her to lay in, as she started her new life with all the good fortune that will be coming her way.

As I came in from the backyard this morning, I thought I saw a 4-leaf clover, but it turned out to have three leaves - LOL

Here's to a life filled with 4-leaf clovers to everyone! Do you believe in good luck charms?

Thank you!

    ~ Connie

Item number: 320264372888

I think Chiquinha has such a dreamy expression in her eyes, that I had the impression she must be lounging at a Kitty Day Spa, so that's where I came up with the idea for the story.

I just took my 16 year old son to the airport for a trip to Austin, Texas for some summer fun at the huge waterpark there. It's quite hot already, so a waterpark sounds like just the place to relax after a whole year of school. We have indoor schools here because it rains most of the year, so I'm glad he'll have a chance to be outside for a change.

I hope your summer plans are shaping up, too!

Thank you ~

  ~ Connie

 Item number: 320263059328

I love calico cats - the way their fur is black/orange/white in patches. It's as if they are made of little puzzle pieces and everything fits together so nicely - ;-)

My two cats seem to have the best time playing when one cat is on one side of something and the other is on the other side. As an example, I put up an old baby gate across my kitchen doorway with a stick poking through. When one cat batted the stick, it made it move on the other side where the other cat was. They played like this for quite a long time, and it gave me a chance to cook without any cat paws on the counter! I heard the best remedy for cats jumping up on counters was to put some tin foil there, because they don't like the feeling on their feet. I tried that, but they didn't seem to mind it one bit. So I crinkled it up into a big ball and they had another toy!

What tips do you have for keeping your cats off your counters? I LOVE cat toys!!! LOL

Thank you ~

   ~ Connie

Item number: 320262422998

Peludo is such a beautiful cat. I was all set to paint his portrait from the reference photo, so I printed out a couple of copies of the photo. On the second printing, my ink was running low and the print came out in sepia tones - more browns and golds than the grays of the first copy. I just loved the effect of the browns and golds, so those are the colors I used for the painting. You might say it was a "happy accident."

I'm always on the lookout for such occurrences in my paintings. Sometimes I think I've totally messed something up, but when I see it from a new angle, I can see a fresh inspiration.

I hope everyone is doing well and is enjoying the beautiful Spring weather. Soon we'll be right smack, dab in the middle of summer. I must say Spring in the Northwest is my favorite time of year.

Blessings to all ~

   Thank you,

  ~ Connie

Item number: 320261743343

I love Lolla's blue eyes in this painting and her sweet expression. I think it's so appealing to have the subject of the painting backlit. She really stands out against the dark background. She lives with several other cats and a sweet dog who just loves her! The little dog is known to wash all the cats and help to keep them groomed.

Thank you!

  ~ Connie

Item number: 320259614178

I think it's amazing how much Victoria Little looks like my little tabby Carma. My tabby is almost fullgrown and yet is still very tiny. She was so sick when we got her, that she stayed on my son's shoulder for the whole hour it took to pick out our kittens to take home. She cuddled up by his neck because it made her feel better, and she still to this day loves to cuddle with him!

There is nothing more soothing than having a cat nestled on your lap or in your arms. Whenever one of our family members has a cat in their lap, it's almost as if they are frozen in place. At our house, it's not uncommon to hear, "I can't get up now. There's a cat in my lap, and I don't want to disturb her" or something similar.

I love the camouflage effect in this painting. I can just see Victoria Little pouncing and jumping through the leaves looking for that grasshopper!

Thank you ~

~ Connie

 Item number: 320260981804

Sylvia is such a beautiful calico cat! I love her long fur and the engaging expression in her eyes.

If everyone could contact anyone they know in the Arizona area who is looking for a kitty, maybe Sylvia could be adopted. ;-)

My two kitties love to sleep by my side during the night. Have you ever woken up on the far end of the bed with your cats and/or dogs lounging on the rest of the bed, taking up most of the room? I have a friend who's a realtor and she told me she'd just sold a house with a bedroom big enough for two king sized beds. One bed was for the couple buying the house. And the other bed was for their two great danes!

Thank you and blessings to all! 

  ~ Connie

Item number: 320260388893

I love the way Lolla looks with the light on her face. She is a very dear Siamese kitten. She loves to cuddle with her other siblings. I have one reference photo where Lolla and Petit are hugging so tightly, all you can see is Petit's tiny face peeking out between Lolla's arms.

I have stacks of reference photos for my paintings, and it just depends on what mood I'm in at the moment as to which painting I create next. I'm thoroughly enjoying these close-ups, so there'll be lots more of those coming in the next few days.

Carma, our tabby kitten, was soooo high in the tree in our backyard yesterday, that I was worried she wouldn't be able to get down! But she nimbly dropped down from branch to branch and was down on the ground with ease. I'm going to call her my "kitty with wings," as it seems she can just about go *anywhere*!!!

Brock, our black kitty, was up on top of the refrigerator, knocking down all my magnets and then chasing the magnets around the kitchen. I kept sticking them back on the refrigerator and he kept leaping and jumping and knocking them all down again. It made me remember how when my son was little, we had all the alphabet magnets on the refrigerator so he could stand and make words while I made dinner.

Thank you ~

  ~ Connie

Are there any games you like to play with your kitties that you are especially fond of?

Item number: 320259614178