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The weekend after the witches left, I did something I have never done. I painted. It was really more out of necessity than inspiration.In the last month when I wan't exactly in my "creative high" , I had done the unthinkable and let my nieces and nephew fiddled with some of my minis. There was in particular an incomplete scene (90% done) I let them play with. Maybe they can inspire me, I thought. And true enough, they did.
My 7 year old niece, Qesha had scattered cats in that scene (coming soon). I love it so much I decided to steal her idea.
These were the cats:
Under better lights:
They came from a S$3.00 packet of a dozen. And yes, there were green cats , in 3 different shades, as if that was their most natural colours. One even had a yellow face. I needed skinny, hungry cats, not sick ones.
So I took out my encyclopaedia, some 10 year old poster colours that were hardened already (luckily they came in bottles and not tubes) and started working on the cats.I had earlier consulted with Rosanna who advised that I should use a primer before painting. I also did some research on painting plastic and found out that you should :
1st, sand the plastic - check
then 2 coats of plastic primer- Only had wood primer and 1 coat only
Use acrylic paint- Poster colours
Finally, varnish to seal colour-check
The madeover cats took forever to dry and some never did! In any case, these are my skinny, scruffy prized cats:
Before: The Orange & White Cat (pic above)
After: My dead Burmese, Khomeni Puntip
(disappeared 4 years ago, it was our most beautiful cat.)
Before: Mr Yellow Face
After: A Lilac Burmese
After: My dead Burmese, Khomeni Puntip
(disappeared 4 years ago, it was our most beautiful cat.)
Before: Mr Yellow Face
After: A Lilac Burmese
Before : Lime Green Puss
After : A Turkish Van
Before: Mr. Khaki
After: A Thai Korat
Before: A Black Stalker (1st pic)
After: A Black Bombay
Before: The Cat in front (2nd Pic)
After: A Singapura
Before: Lemon Brown Cat
After: A Burmese with whiskers
Before: The 3rd Green Cat
After: A Striped Bengal
Finally,
Before: Cat In Zebra Skin
After: A Prized Pariah
After : A Turkish Van
Before: Mr. Khaki After: A Thai Korat
Before: A Black Stalker (1st pic) After: A Black Bombay
Before: The Cat in front (2nd Pic)
After: A Singapura
Before: Lemon Brown Cat
After: A Burmese with whiskers
Before: The 3rd Green CatAfter: A Striped Bengal
Finally,
Before: Cat In Zebra Skin
After: A Prized Pariah
If there is such a thing as shabby cats, mine qualify I am sure. Its very strange ,but after I am done with them, they are no longer just plastic cats. They became my babies, as if I have made them. Is that how painters feel after they are finished with each canvas? Even the ones that are no good?
Maybe it's only the bad "artists" who feel this way and can't bear to junk their work.
Maybe it's only the bad "artists" who feel this way and can't bear to junk their work.
20 comments:
I like to paint and also try new things. So I think it is good that you've dared to change those cats. The truth is that they are much better now, at least have a nice color. I really like the last (a prized pariah.
Good work :)
By the way I also think that my finished work are my babies :)
You have been good to my eyes and your cats are much better looking now. I love the striped bengal and the prized pariah most of all.I understand it has been a lot of work but it's worth of it and I'm looking forward the new scene where they will play for us.I always allow kids to play with my minis, they have fresher eyes and can see things in a totally new way. I always have new ideas after a kid session. Big hugs Rosanna
Eva, I think its the fact that I picked up craft and work or create with my hands so late in life that I do treat every little thing I do as something not to be taken for granted. I really wish I had started earlier. I better improve vastly or my house will be overwhelmed with "babies" who should really be .... (can't even type "thrown away")!
i love your little cats :) it must have been tough painting such little ones? and the sanding??? :O
Oh, what fun you must have had painting these! I especially love the whiskers! I love cats (have several myself), in part because they have so much personality. I really think you've captured that here!
Fantastic Sans! I love that now that you have painted them they seem like your own! Maybe I need to have some kids come over and play with my minis! At least maybe it would inspire me to get more organized!! hugs - ara
Rosanna! We both share the same favourites! You know how you never want to admit there's favouritism when its your own babies but the striped Bengali's ( I really pushed this one, I wanted an Indian cat ..lol! But really, he was painted after a Tabby not a Bengali. Bengali looked more like a cheetah rather than a tiger) expression is so endearing. The way his head tilts just melts my heart. The black and white one is probably my best effort. He was also one of the last ones by which time, I got slightly better.
Kids, I love them and all their ideas. They are the only ones who can make me laugh like a hyena when I have the most rotten day! I wish sometimes, they never go to school because that's where they are trained NOT to be original!
Cindy!!!!!! Have you read the papers today? I am soooooo excited. China is sending over 2 pandas to our ZooSafari. OMG, can't believe I am so happy but panda bears (after white tigers) are my 2nd most fav animals. When I was painting the pariah, I thought it looked like a dog or a panda bear and now the real ones are coming! You know there are only about 30 left that's outside China?
Painting so tiny really needs a steady hand. Sanding's a piece of cake though. With the right brush its not so bad but I swear by hardened poster colours! Very easy to mix and no wastage!
Belle, THANK YOU! The whiskers were from the paint brushes I used on the cats..old stiff brushes that never were washed properly. I am surprised at how much I do enjoy painting the cats, the shading and layering and their expressions, with a dash or a dot and they assume a different look! 2 weekends later, I went out and bought mini canvases !!! My ambitions know no bounds, I tell you, despite the fact that my cats look like vintage toys who have seen better days.
Ara, are you nuts?? Kids can only DIS-organise! Never organise ! :):) I am not sure if you really really want them playing with your Sweeney Todd barber chair or Thing's fingers. I don't allow my 4 year old nephew to touch your magic wedding chair although he wanted to make the witches sit on it. Boys are rarely gentle creatures.
Very busy week, so very late comment from me this time.
I love the cats, especially the last two! I'm a cat person myself, even though I became allergic some years ago, and the Prized Pariah reminds me of my favourite cat. We had her for sixteen years!
Funny they were green first, one of my cousins did it the other way round and painted their dogs with green paint when he was five :-) (And his mother's fur coat and their new wallpaper)
So good to hear that your roof problem is taken care of! (I hope it's fixed now?)
hardened poster colours wahh?? you mean they're old poster colours that have hardened? wuh?
YEAH i was watching the news about the pandas..so cute > < i didn't know there were so few of them left :( and now they're building a new addition, a river attraction? to the zoo....and i haven't even been to see the night safari yet LOL! not that it matters, i have slight night blindness probably won't be able to see anything anyway XD
do you know there's a Japanese Doll exhibit going on at the Singapore Philatelic Museum? it's on till this Mon, you can go to spm.org.sg for more details. so many minis there XD
Hahaha, Helene, your cousin will love plastic animals then. I have another packet of dogs and yea weird colours too.
It's always good to see you here. Doesn't matter how late you are. I also know you have a super bz week. Me too. Will tell you more :).
By the way, they say cat lovers are generally more independent, like their cats. ;)
O Cindy, I just went to their website and checked, the last day is TOday an they close at 12 noon :)! Time now, 11.59am! haha. But I really appreciate you telling me. I will always go to a mini exhibition if I have a chance. By the way, go watch Coraline, if you haven't. The dolls look like Yotsuba! You will like it, I think.
ehhh i miscalculated the dates again? LMAO omg i keep screwing up the days in the week > <
ya, i've already watched Coraline at least 3 times :P soo cute! i love claymation ;P i've also watched wallace and gromit like...4 times? heh!
pity you couldn't make it i think you would of liked it as much as i did....i too didn't know about it till bf told me...
Hello I like Sans your works, but what mas I like is since(as,like) they transmit, if it looks like a bazaar indeed!! A lot of congratulations
Thank you so much Carmen. Your work inspires me a lot and I am always getting good ideas when I visit your blog. Your distressing technique of your furniture is wonderfully realistic!
Now this is one of the most successful make-overs I have ever seen! Definitely the most successful Cat-make-over. Love cats... but not in green!
Thank you, darling! Wait till you see the packet of dogs I bought with these cats.
Really beautiful paintings and designs are so awesome. Thanks for sharing these beautiful paintings.
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