Puffy, the calm study

Such a gorgeous cat to work with! Puffy is my first officially commissioned pet portrait. Her family, Fran and Dave, rescued her as a kitten through the Stratford Cat Project.

Puffy wasn't initially as outgoing as some of their other cats, but she had a sweet presence (along with her fabulously voluminous coat) that drew your eye to her. When I met her, her pale yellow eyes shone with a quiet intelligence and alert calm - I wanted to bring that out in the painting. She studies you with a calm eye. She is not a timid cat, just as she is not a supplicating one. She is coolly gorgeous, and knows it. To best catch the overall demeanor of Puffy, I wanted to highlight her muted tortie coloring, the rich, soft thickness of her fur, while allowing the sheen on the edges to come through.