Saturday, January 22, 2011

In Remembrance of Indy, our Big Old Boy


Last summer we lost our big old cat Indy, who had been with us for 14 years.  He was our first fur baby as a couple, adopted from the shelter when he was a wee kitten.  John was very attached to Indy boy. They had a special bond, in part because he was the only other male in a household of  females (one human, two dogs and another cat).  We both missed Indy very much, but it was really hard on John.

I happened upon a blog shortly before Christmas; 'Penelope, The Cat From Hell'.  Written by Penelope herself, who is proud to be the cat from Hell, this blog is always witty and entertaining. I confess I am now a Penelope groupie. Through her wonderful blog posts I learned that Penelope's mom is a very talented artist living in Canada. Her name is Barb Kowalik and you can see her work on her web page and her ArtFire shop .  She does amazing "totem" paintings but also does animal portraits.  I was so impressed with her work that I commissioned a painting of Indy to give to John for Christmas.  I sent her the picture of Indy that I wanted done, and also sent a face shot so she could get a better idea of his eye color.  I was thrilled when I received my Indy portrait. Not only did she do the original pose that I requested, but since it ended up being too large for the mats she had, she did a second portrait of Indy's face in a lovely double mat.  Both paintings are beautiful, as you can see here!



When John opened his gift on Christmas morning he was completely surprised and at a loss for words, and if you know John, you know that never happens. He loves these portraits as much as I do!

If you would like to know more about Barb and her work I encourage you to visit her web pages or become a friend on her Facebook page.  Penelope, the cat from Hell, has a Facebook page as well. 


8 comments:

SassySashadoxie said...

This artist is so neat. What a great feature and a special gift for your hubby.

Anonymous said...

Lovely post! I love that blog!

Ellesbelle said...

That is so sweet, what a talented artist! As a mom to a long deceased 'cat from hell' I am definitely going to check out her blog! I loved my Sugar kitty, even if she was 'the cat from hell' which everyone called her too.

Barb said...

Dear Donna
What a fantastic surprise! I so appreciate you writing about my paintings. It's always nice to be recognized when you put in a little extra work. I appreciate your making that happen.
I enjoy creating paintings that make others happy and look forward to more fun ahead!
Barb

Unknown said...

Dear Donna
Thank yous for saying such nce things about me and my blog. Oh yes, about Mommy's paintings too!
Me always likes talking to you!
>^..^<
Nellie

Anonymous said...

Very NICE painting. Here is another neat option www.k9collage.com check it out.

She Who Loves Book and Dogs said...

Thanks for stopping by today during the blog hop! I returned the favor and am now following you too. Have a great day and I can't wait tp come back and explore your blog more!

WarmWeenies Dachshund Dog Sweaters said...

I just saw your picture of Hannah waiting for food to drop. She is lovely and patient. Frodo waits too and uses his googly eyes to get a bit here and there.