"Who let in the riffraff?"

This is Jasmine, who knows she's upper crust and is quite selective about the company she keeps.

The source photo had her on a cream-colored sofa, which seemed visually not strong enough to hold up against her bright black coat, and in any case not expressive enough of this particular cat's bold character.  So I kept the basic shape, but made it more luxurious and bright, and gave our kitty some jewelry while I was at it.

Calling the cops at 4:30 a.m.

That's what I had to do this morning. There was a huge fight next door. I lost a lot of sleep and now I do not want to do much.

But artists make art, even (maybe especially) when we don't wanna.

This is often called DISCIPLINE. I hate that word. It's a trip to the principal's office. It means running laps, driving yourself hard, everything soul-sucking and miserable about working. Also I've never been able to maintain it for more than a few days.

Then I would feel like a failure.

Yet here I am, working on Queen Ruby when I don't feel like it. If this isn't discipline, what is it?

I'm calling it MOTIVATION. When I thought I needed discipline, the underlying feeling was, "I suck. I have to work harder and be better because I'm lazy."

Motivation is deciding I'm good, that I deserve to have the life I want, that I'm worth my own effort. It is one big decision followed by thousands of smaller ones, from "Do I bother entering this show?" to "Do I take the trash out before it gets rancid?" And since I deserve to have my work get seen, and to live in a place that smells nice, I do both those things. I'm no longer "lazy." Maybe I never was.

The Drawing Board

Or in this case, the drawing coffee table. This was yesterday afternoon as I was getting started. Click to enlarge the photo.

And several hours later, I had this:

Wrong Side of the Door, 8 x 10". I've emailed this to the kitty's owners, who will have first choice if they'd like to own it. Either way, it's going to become a greeting card and print.

"I expect you to die, Mister Bond."

"I expect you to die, Mister Bond" is available here, $69.

Everyone posts pictures of their pets on Facebook. Lots of people find it silly. Then there are people like me, who love to draw animals and think it's one of the greatest resources ever.

One of my friends posted a photo of her cat, wearing the most deliciously wicked expression. Immediately I saw him as the elegant, cultured villain; I added the bow tie and ran with that idea. It's delightful to me when I can create not just a new piece of art, but a character.

Result: "I expect you to die, Mister Bond," 10 x 8" mixed media on velvety, expensive imported French printmaking paper. Nothing but the best, you know. This fellow took a considerable amount of care and attention, which you can see better on his Etsy listing (photo quality sadly suffers on this blog). $69 for the original is something of a steal -- so I'm sure our Very Bad Cat would approve.

Prints and greeting cards are here.

Cartoons of Ruby the Great

I was sketching Ms. Ruby from life last night, and she was moving a LOT. So I got these cute cartoon drawings rather than an actual portrait -- more based on Ruby than actually looking like her, but still so fun. 

Sizes of these are about 6 x 6" and 9 x 6.5". Pencils, micron pen, and watercolor on tan paper. They're available at $39 each or $75 for the pair, unframed.

Marmalade Cat

Royal Eli Jake, 10 x 8" mixed media on paper

I had such a blast with this kitty. I was working from a black and white snapshot for the pose, with a few color pics so I could see just how red this cat really was. I loved the angle and the graphic striped cushion.

Just don't let him get too close to the goldfish from yesterday.

A Cat named Monkey

Monkey got her name for her habit, as a kitten, of climbing on everything in sight. She grew up to be a soft, kind, patient soul who is now much missed.

Animal Portrait Styles, Sizes & Price List

Portraits of animals -- every species and size -- are always a challenge and a joy. They feel like a lengthy conversation in which I learn about the animal's heart, its dignity, even its sense of humor.

My goal with each portrait is not only to capture all that character and life, but to do so in a work that is not just a likeness, but a piece of art in its own right.

I offer paintings and drawings in a variety of sizes and media, and tailor each job to the needs of the client. This is a basic price list with examples.

Motley the Yorkie, 11 x 11" mixed media on cotton rag paper

Traditional Oil Paintings on Canvas

Built up from drawing to finished work in the traditional, complex method of layering and blending. I use oil-primed linen canvas, the highest quality available, with finished edges that make framing optional rather than required.  On request, I may also paint on high-quality artists' hardboard panels.

Pumpkin, 10 x 8" oil on canvas. Done as a portfolio piece; sold to MJ in Florida, who I know will take very good care of her.

Twilight in the Evening Sun, 18 x 18" oil on canvas

Maggie, 24 x 24" oil on canvas

10 x 8"  oil on canvas/panel, $495. This is a nice size for smaller dogs and for cat portraits.
12 x 9"   oil on canvas/panel, $595.  A nice format suited for long-faced dog breeds such as Greyhounds and GSDs, and for horses.
14 x 11"  oil on canvas/panel,  $695.  A good choice when you have a larger animal or a larger space.

Square formats -- common sizes are 10 x 10", 12 x 12", and 18 x 18"; prices for oils start at $545 for a 10" square. Horse portraits often naturally fit a square format.

Custom Sizes: Available on request, always. Call or email for a consultation and quote, free of charge.


Mixed Media Portrait Paintings.  I use a variety of techniques for these, generally chosen based on a combination of artistic instinct and my sense of the animal's character. Most commonly I use Rives BFK Tan paper, which is a rich, heavy cotton paper with a warm tone; the portraits are created on that backdrop in traditional sanguine pencils, pastels, velvety black carbon pencil, and even washes of watercolor.

Jane, Not Plain. 10 x 10" watercolors, pastels, pastel pencils and acrylic on cotton rag paper.

Mr. Brady, 8 x 10" mixed media on cotton rag paper

No creature too small. This is Torley, who is a dwarf hamster. His tiny portrait is just 6 x 6". 

1o x 8" is the standard and most popular size. Drawing only, unmatted, $300. I can mat these in a museum-quality, warm cream colored mat, ready to fit a standard 14 x 11" frame, for an additional $30.

Larger drawings such as the 11" square portraits of Motley the Yorkie start at $350 for the drawing only, unmatted. 

Custom sizes are always available! Just ask for a consult and quote, at no charge.

How to Commission: 

Email me photos! I need them to be large and/or high-resolution photographs, in good lighting (i.e. natural light and no flash). The animal's face should be in sharp focus, so I can clearly see the details. Send plenty of images; they help me get to know the animal. If you need some basic photography help, I will be happy to provide pointers.

For local clients, I can provide a package which includes a visit to your home or barn where I will meet you and your animal and take my own reference photos for the work. 

If the animal is deceased ... show me what photos you do have, and we'll talk. I have an unusual ability to transform less-than-great photos into beautiful art, at an additional cost for the extra time it requires.

Note that I cannot use photos taken by a professional photographer unless you provide me with that photographer's written permission to do so.

A 25% deposit is due on commissions at the time when they are booked. Turnaround will usually vary from 2 weeks up to 90 days, depending upon my existing schedule and the size of the work you are commissioning.  If you have a particular deadline, do let me know; if it's possible I will work with you.

I will make a preliminary sketch of the art and email that to you for approval or changes before I begin. Then, as the piece is in progress, I will take the occasional shot to send you, and to post to my blog and/or Facebook, as my readers enjoy watching the process. If the portrait is a gift and needs to be a surprise, I will keep it under wraps for you. 

Cat House

Cat House, about 9" high. Salvaged objects, oil paint, wax medium

One of the first salvage things I ever made was titled How to Let Go by Climbing, and I consider this one a direct descendent of that. It had about a dozen working titles, none of which I can remember now; I eventually settled on Cat House because that's what everyone was going to call it anyway.

Yes, that's a piece of a broken stereo, forming the doorway of the Cat House. Found in a vacant parking lot near the old Schmidt/Landmark brewery over the summer. The square wood piece is from the same site, while the triangular "roofline" is one of four such shapes I found near White Bear Avenue, beside a vacant hotel building. The bits of broken jewelry I used, I've had for years.

The bright little cardinal on the hanging ladder was part of a broken Christmas decoration, found behind a shopping plaza in Crystal. I've had it for over two years, and the cat charm for over ten.

Sometimes I hang onto things too long. By which I mean, when I have great stuff to work with -- the cat charm, the fine chains and pearl beads, the salvaged perching bird a friend sent me ages ago -- I don't want to "waste" them. I balk. What if I come up with some better use, later on? Surely I should wait until then!

But waiting means nothing gets made and I still have all the boxes and jars of pieces, instead of something beautiful. I'm learning to let it go.

Playing with Zug the Cat

Let's Play (Portrait of Zug), watercolor and pastel on paper, about 12 x 14"

 This is the second of what will be three drawings of Zug. Most animals I draw or paint, their characters and images come pretty easily. A few are much, much more challenging, for reasons I've never really understood; Zug -- a brilliant prankster by all accounts -- is one of those. He seems to need a much more vivid, bold treatment, so I broke out the pastels and struggled with "working" on him until I got so frustrated I didn't care if "work" turned to "goof around and see what happens."

That was when it all started going right.

So I like this one, and yet I have an idea, or a feeling, in my mind, and I am going to make a third drawing although Zug's person has not asked me to. Just because of an artistic instinct or impulse: I'm getting some darker paper today, and I am going to play again with Zug as soon as I can; probably tomorrow in the studio.

Six Chartreux Kittens

Six Chartreux, oil on canvas, 20 x 32"

 This was, all told, about 64 hours' work.


Each kitten takes approximately eight hours to refine and finish, and then there's the background. And before all that can even begin, the process of determining the correct format and (in this case) buying materials and stretching a custom-sized canvas, and then getting the initial drawing in place.

The fur texture of these cats is so soft that I actually had to go buy some new brushes that could give me the right feel. None of the ones I already had would do it.

In short, these kinds of canvases are a great deal of work, but very rewarding!

Animal expressions

Ziggy the Cat, 7 x 5" pastel and carbon pencil on paper, by Tracie Thompson

This is one of many reasons it's intriguing to me, drawing and painting animals. They have this quiet dignity about them. Ziggy, finished last night, is a great example.

This drawing was done on commission. Ziggy's human emailed me a few photos; I picked one as a basis for the portrait. For these small pieces I ship them in a pretty, soft white archival mat, so they fit a standard 8 x 10" frame.

Kitty, Kitty

Gracie Asleep. Sepia pencil, carbon pencil, wash; 7 x 11", by Tracie Thompson

Sketch based on Gracie. Ballpoint and watercolor, 8 x 11", by Tracie Thompson

This, for me, is one of the joys of tending my friends' animals: I get to use them for art models. Gracie's human isn't home yet, and I can't wait for her to see these, particularly the pencil/wash drawing at top, which (unlike the ballpoint sketch) truly looks and feels like delicate little Gracie.

Motley Fool Kitty, Part One

Belly Up. Sketch based on Grumpybiker's lovely Hosuni. Mixed media on paper, approx. 6" x 11".

This is the first of what will be several cat drawings based on photos by my friends at the Motley Fool's Pet Lovers Board. Many thanks for their generous help with reference material!

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Kitty portraits

Ted, top, and Max, above. Both 5" x 7" pastel on paper.

Chia the Cat, Mark Two; Oscar the Cat.

Oscar the Cat, above, has no vision in his right eye. This is a 5 x 7" portrait in pastel on paper, for Oscar's loving humans over in England.

Below, Chia (the Second), also pastel on paper, 6.5 x 8.5". For a friend on The Motley Fool boards. She liked the first Chia portrait so much she ordered another for her sister.

Remarkable how, though I was using the same materials and techniques, Chia demanded utter refinement which Oscar stubbornly refused. The personalities of the animals always seem to direct the work more than I do myself.

A Cat named Chia

No, I have no idea how such a magnificent cat got a name like Chia, but this girl -- who clearly understands that she is Queen of the Universe -- did.

This is a pastel drawing on paper I coated with a pretty brown acrylic glaze -- so you can faintly see the brush marks in some places, a very interesting texture. Size is 6.5 x 8.5".

A Cat named T.S. Eliot

Mixed media on paper, 6 x 9.5"

I know this cat only from one photograph, as he is no longer with us. Something about him just grabbed my imagination, though, and this is the result.

Snow Emergency Drawing #13

Tuxedo Kitty. Cat portraits are fairly easy for me, since I've owned and sketched cats for a long time.

This is for a friend who allowed me considerable freedom to play, which is why I did the night sky. Just because I could.