In between art classes, I sometimes find my cat, Indica, posing conspicuously nearby in the studio. She has been on more than one occasion, my muse. She will pose on a sheep skin in the rocker, or on the set-up table under the warm lights, as if to say, “paint me you silly woman!” She never fails to inspire me. Naturally built into her markings are beautiful shapes of light middle and dark tones, in addition to the shapes of the light and shadow moving across the patterns of her calico coat. She is patient and relaxed, hardly ever needs a break, and never has opinions about my results. Her quiet serene beauty draws me in, inviting me to see “deeply” into her form.
