Sasha and Minque

Combining two different poses together into one portrait was the challenge with "Sasha and Minque". We loved the pose of Minque with her paws crossed, but Sasha wasn't in that photo, so I combined two photos of Sasha - as a kitten looking right at the camera, and a more recent pose that had her eyes cast downward, looking out of the frame. My goal was to mature Sasha's facial features in keeping with how she looked in maturity, paying special attention to her eyes. The depth of color from kittenhood to 'grand dame' was striking, giving her the older cat's sage and wisdom she had achieved. There is a defined difference through the eyes as they mature that involves not only the color of the iris, but a wisdom from years of mousing, apparently.

Although I didn't get a chance to meet these two gorgeous cats (as the portrait was to be a surprise gift for Christmas), the provided photos allowed me to get a sense of the bond Sasha and Minque shared, as well as reference for their glorious beauty.