The Truly Humane Society

On one of my morning walks with our dog Buddy he sniffed out a sickly skinny stray cat.  The cat was so desperate he wasn’t even hiding, he even let me pick him up.  But Buddy’s enthusiasm for all living things made it impossible for me to carry the cat back to our place.  I put him back under the bush we found him, took Buddy home, found our cat carrier and returned to take him home and feed him.  I decided I would take him to the Humane Society later that day after he rested and ate a little.  I prayed they would be able to take him because my household could not embrace another cat. I could, but not everyone else I lived with…  

After school, my 11 year old daughter and I went to the Humane Society and had to wait our turn to speak to someone.  While waiting a young man, looking a bit rough and worn for his youth had a frisky mutt sitting beside him while he filled out paper work on a clipboard.  When it was his turn, he told the a staff person at the Humane Society that he recently adopted this dog but lost his job and had to move back in with him mother.  His mother’s dog did not get on with his new dog and he was forced to surrender his new best friend.  There was no judgement in her voice when she said of course they would take him back.  He said he hoped once he got back on his feet he could come back and get him. 

We couldn’t help but overhear this transaction. It was heart breaking on so many levels.  At one point I had to get up and walk across the room to read something, anything on the wall because I was just about to burst into tears.

When another Humane Society worker came out, she recognized the dog and called him by name.  She gave him lots of strokes and kisses and chatted with the soon to be Ex-Owner of the dog.  The dog was taken away and the young man was left on the couch to finish his paper work.

I was so glad my name was called and I didn’t have to sit in the sadness of the situation.  Our stray cat was allowed to join the others and I was thankful that this little skinny guy would get the help he needed. 

I was so impressed with how the Humane Society staff handled both the people and the animals.  Good grief, life can be so volatile and rough.  But mostly I was so impressed with how well this young man handled his situation and made sure his dog would be okay even he wasn’t going to be his anymore.  I feel certain, if I worked at the Humane Society I would be crying all day.  I’m so glad for people who have the skills, personality and gifts to care for animals and people in gracious ways.    

When Pam and I were discussing the upcoming watercolor class to take place at her historic Bed and Breakfast Hollymead House, she wanted me to choose an organization that we could make a donation to as part of the Pumpkin Class.  It didn’t take me long to decide on the Humane Society.  We will be so thrilled to donated a portion of the sales from the Pumpkin Watercolor Class at Hollymead to our local Humane Society with thanksgiving for their ability to care for animals and yes, their ability to care for people too.

Meet Shuggy

Meet Shuggy

Meet Shuggy, also known as Sugar when she is being a good kitty.  That good kitty version of her name only seems to come out of my mouth when I see her asleep mid-morning after her very early ”feed-me-now” meows, zooms across my sleeping body with her peg legs and other annoying cat behavior.  Honestly, she is the funniest cat I have ever had.  She greets visitors and likes to be around people instead of hiding.  She always smells our dogs’ feet after his walk, likes to lay on freshly made beds and one of her favorite sleeping spots as at the top of my daughter’s head with her nose burrowed deep in her hair.  She’s an all-around happy cat and not moody like most cats I’ve known and loved.  She’s handled our move from a home with a yard to a third-floor apartment with only a small porch better than any of us.  No longer can she roam and hunt in the great outdoors.  She now must settle for attacking ferocious hair ties that are flicked at her.  She certainly is none the worse for all the change in her year and a half life. 

There are many days I sit on our little apartment porch and look at her.  I wish I had her nature.  I wonder if she remembers the days of being outside and running around.  Does she long for a chance to be an outdoor cat again?  Or is it enough to have a family, food and a cozy spot to snooze.  I painted this picture for lots of reasons.  Yes, visually it is pretty- seeing this black and white cat, my Shuggy, on top of one of my Kantha quilts.  But I also love how this moment is one of contentment.  I am reminded of this quote from Walt Whitman,

“Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour, but this hour.”

 

The Art Process:

I have found over the years of painting that my subject matter has not been solely an aesthetic choice.  Something inside is drawn to the subject beyond the physical beauty of the subject.  Often it’s a feeling I get from the image.  I mean, I do spend hours and in some cases days on a painting so often what draws me to work through it is the feeling I believe the picture should convey.  Sometimes it translates, sometimes it does not, but then again, that is the challenge of painting for the artist.

 

Some Technical Tips:

I have become a big fan of Shadow Violet.  It is a great shadow color and is fairly transparent which allows other colors to come through.  I used if for painting shadows which includes the folds in the fabric.  I paint some of the shadows as a second layer when the first has dried.  But, I always add darker paint in the shadows while doing the initial layer as well.  I don’t like painting in layers and I think it can take away the texture that is an important part of watercolors.   The threads of the Kantha quilt were drawn in last using a white gel pen.  I used that same gel pen to draw the whiskers and a few hairs of the cat, but very few.  Most of the white of the cat’s fur that you see is the white of the paper.  I think that always look best – leaving the paper white and not adding white pen or pain over watercolor.

 

Cat – any Humane Society

Kantha QuiltsEtsy.  You don’t get to choose your colors or patterns, but that doesn’t bother me.  I love the surprise and I use these quilts in a variety of way – table clothes, chair covers, picnic blankets, bench covers, cat beds….

Watercolor Supplies – I generally order from Dick Blick. This is my list of suggested supplies for beginning watercolor students “Keep It Simple Sweetie”. And here is list of supplies Top Notch Watercolor Art Supply List.