Candy Cane T-Shirt

t-shirts tabby cat t-shirts kitten t-shirts feline t-shirts pet portrait t-shirts animal shelter t-shirts pink t-shirts stripes t-shirts candy cane t-shirts gray cat t-shirts

paintings tabby cat paintings kitten paintings feline paintings pet portrait paintings animal shelter paintings pink paintings stripes paintings candy cane paintings gray cat paintings

This is Mona Lisa, the studio kitten (technically, I suppose she is a cat, but we still call her a kitten), and her 2011 Holiday Portrait. Mona is a shelter kitty, and as such, any painting I make of her benefits the Oakland Pet Adoption Center, where she hailed from. In addition, proceeds from notecards and reproductions also go to the shelter. Thanks so much for your support!! (From the Painting a Dog a Day project and The Gratitude Series)

First and foremost, I am a Mom. This means I have eyes in the back of my head, spot on intuition, the patience of a saint and mountains of compassion. I am also a painter. I am asked at least once a week, “why do you paint?” Despite the frequency of this question, I have yet to come up with a particularly brilliant answer. I simply paint, because like breathing, I must. Painting is my career. It is how I help to support my family. It is how I give back to my community. It is also how I maintain my sanity. I’ve got college degrees in art and art history, an extensive professional background in many different art arenas and some odder life experiences (like writing automobile owners manuals) that add up to who I am today. My work is...