On Entering Mittens for a Competition!

A painting of my cat Mittens, Watercolour, 210 x 297mm

This year I’ve decided to try and enter more art competitions just for fun. I find January and February really gloomy and so I decided to give myself a project to cheer me up! It’s always been a dream of mine to exhibit at the RA Summer Show because some of my most favourite painters have exhibited their past and present. I almost got exhibited at 24yrs old for a sculpture and apparently I was 200 places away from being in the exhibition!

Anyway, I’m trying my luck this year with one of my watercolours. I’m nervous about it because I’m showing the RA a new series of work. However, I believe this year’s theme, ‘Connection’, would tie in well with my work. I see the above painting as a homage to the animals in my life that have helped me through hardships, because of the special connections we made that helped me to overcome anxiety and depression. I believe that animals have an amazing healing power and I have found this during my horse riding lessons even.

I decided to paint Mittens because I believe we have a close bond and she often likes to sit in my presence when I’m at my parent’s house. Mittens usually can’t sit still for more than a few seconds, and so it’s a shock when she sits calmly next to me! I think she’s sussed out who the cat spoiler is!

My portraits often portray the spiritual aspect of a pet and not just the physical. This is because of my belief that each pet has a unique character/soul. I’ve noticed that Mittens likes to stare into my eyes with affection when she is happy and kneading. Cats usually see staring as an aggressive sign and yet when there is a bond between owner and cat, it’s also a shared sign of affection. I really hope I caught the fondness in her eyes!