I've Returned to Trouble!

Have you missed a little Trouble lately? Yeah, me, too... I've been feeling guilty about the amount of time since I last saw Trouble. It's been over two weeks, I think. Damn snow... kept me away from Trouble and then other days I'd think, " Man, I've got to make sure I see some Trouble today!" And the next thing you know, I'd get to painting in the studio and totally forget about Trouble. But, not today! I decided I would get my fill of Trouble in the morning BEFORE I started in the studio. And I did...


It had been a while and I was a little "rusty". I captured her hind feet first. Her profile, that leads this post, was done second. I like the way she tucks her head into her chest.

A couple minutes after I arrived, Trouble stopped her usual twirling and butting my hand and looked toward the back door. I looked outside and saw that another friend, John, had arrived. Oh, man! Trouble was going to be in heaven! TWO cat petters! Hot diggitty dang! Trouble was happy as a cat in a patch of catnip! She paced between the two of us as we chatted and I sketched. If one person stopped petting her, she walked over to the other one - purr-r-r-r-r-r-r-r... one happy kitty :)


I realized as I was sketching I hadn't brought a sharpener and my 3B pencil was dull and my 4B was MIA. Hm-m-m... digging around in my pencil bag, I came across my water soluable graphite pencils! And a traveling watercolor brush AND even better - a wet sponge in a small bottle! Cool! I've only used them one other time. Now I can "play" with them again. I used them for more "Purring Toes". She was facing me this time, but it was hard to catch her form because she would alternate feet so quickly! What I found amusing is that on the paw, on the left, that's raised, one of the toes looks like a thumb, like she's giving a "thumb's up'!



One thing I did notice with the water soluable pencils is that I can get a little shadow in here and there. In this last sketch, she had her head down, lower than her shoulders, which I show as the lighter graphite wash.

John had left by now and I spent a little more time with Trouble until I figured I'd better wipe down my coat and hands and head on over to the allergist and get my weekly shot. Ha, ha!

Don't worry, Trouble... I won't stay away so long next time. Promise.