The Witch's Cat - Original Black Cat Oil Painting by Diane Irvine Armitage

Sometimes it is fun to paint the same image more than one time.  I have painted one photo of Tish at least four times and each time I learn something new.  Today's painting is one that I painted a while back.  I thought I would try to paint it as a softer version, but strangely enough it came out quite a bit like the original version!  Maybe my style just can't be softened so easily :-)  Here is today's version and below it the original version from a year or so ago.  Available on ebay HERE.

 

Original Oil Painting of a Black Cat in the Purple Twilight by Diane Irvine Armitage

Original 5 x 7 inch oil painting on archival gesso board - Black Cat at Twilight.  I like the contrast between the yellow green of the cat's eyes and the purplish twilight color of the background.  This painting is available through my ebay auctions HERE.

Black Cat Original Oil Painting by Diane Irvine Armitage

I wanted to go a bit softer with today's painting and I found it fun to do all the blending.  But I still keep areas sketchy for a little contrast.  This is a pose that I have painted before, but it is always nice to try new techniques with the same poses.  This painting is 6 x 6 inches on archival gesso board and can be found at my Ebay auctions HERE.

Art for the Catio

I am in the process of creating some art for my cats' catio.  I have a lot of ideas and have been working diligently on them.  One idea was inspired by Soo Sunny Park's lovely art installation "Unwoven Light," where she used many pieces of dichroic plexiglass suspended in the open holes of chain link fencing.  When I saw what she had done, I thought how perfect to turn my cat tunnels into works of art!  I used dichroic glass instead of plexiglass because of this being outdoors.

 Here is Morticia looking out of her stained glass cat tunnel.

 I left plenty of spaces so the glass doesn't block the cats' view.

 The dichroic glass changes color depending on your viewing point and also with the time of day and the light.  The squares catch the light and throw dancing fireflies of colored light all around - it is very magical!  And I only attached the squares on the top and one side so they can move and twinkle in the breeze.

Here are some photos of Soo Sunny Park's installation ...

 

 

 

Another part of my art-if-cation plan for the catio was to paint three huge paintings on plywood to go on the fence panels.  So far, I have completed two - a 8 foot wide by 4 foot tall painting of Mortica and a 4 foot wide and 5 foot tall painting of Luna.

 

 So on to more soldering of the dichroic glass squares (lots more!) and another large cat painting and several other fun projects.  I should be finished with it all by early June.

 In the meantime, the cats could care less about art and are just enjoying the great outdoors in their favorite spot - their catio!

Black Cat Closeup Original Oil Painting by Diane Irvine Armitge

I haven't painted in a while!  Time to get back to it.  Today's painting is 6 x 6 inches and is painted from a cropped-in photo of one of my favorite black cats, Cole, of Cole and Marmalade fame.  Cole has beautiful eyes, so I concentrated on them and left the rest very understated.

You can find this original oil painting HERE on my ebay auctions.

Ebony a Black Cat Original Oil Painting by Diane Irvine Armitage

Today's painting is of a pretty black kitty I found on Petfinder named Ebony AKA Eboneezer (love that name!).  You can read more about Ebony here - maybe you can adopt him!  This original oil painting measures 5 by 7 inches and is available on my ebay auctions HERE.

Thanks for taking a look!

Help Marmalade with his Fight Against Cancer - Buy a Raffle Ticket to Win an Original Custom Painting of your Cat - Only $5!!

The raffle is now closed - thanks for participating!

Please join our raffle to win a custom oil painting portrait of your cat - all proceeds from the raffle will go to help Marmalade (of Cole and Marmalade fame) win his battle against cancer.  Each raffle ticket is only $5.00 and you can enter as many times as you like.  Click on the DONATE button at the top of this post!

(Example - custom portrait of my cat Luna)

The raffle will go until midnight November 30th and then Marmalade himself will choose the winning name the following week.

If Marm picks your name, I will have you email me a photo of your cat to paint from and I will paint a custom portrait in oils, either 8 x 8 inches or 8 x10 inches.  You will receive your painting in time for Christmas!

And as a special bonus, Marmalade will choose one more name and that winner will receive a special portrait I painted of our favorite duo - Cole and Marmalade!  This painting is 8 x 10 inches and will also be mailed out in time to be received by the holidays.

Please help our sweet buddy Marmalade and you might win a painting in the process!!
Thank you,
Diane Irvine Armitage
(This raffle is approved by Cole and Marmalade's humans and all proceeds will go to them) - thanks!