The Whole Cat and Caboodle

We still haven't caught the kitten's momma.

The folks at Ace of Spays sent me to

the AlleyCat.org website for some help. 

They have a section on socializing feral kittens. They say ideally you should spend about two hours each day holding and playing with them, which I have had no trouble doing. Two hours each, times four equals eight, right?

My friend Nan, lent me her cat condo.

It's a real god send and the precious pussy cats just love it.

They can't jump very high yet,

but have learned very quickly to climb like monkeys

to reach the top perch.

The itty bitty kitties seem very happy,

enjoying their space, my frequent visits and each other's company.

This shy petite Pixie will be leaving us this weekend.

Along with her personable big sister, my sweet little Cutie Pye.

Yes, the calico girls will be meeting their new mom and dad this Saturday!  On Sunday they will depart with them and travel 300 miles to their new home in central, New York. I am really and truly grateful that they are getting such a wonderful home! I have to admit that it is bitter sweet however and I'm afraid I will miss them terribly. Even though they are incredibly awesome kittens, I am amazed at how I have become so attached to all of them in such a short time.

 Their new mom, Robin Larkspur, is starting up a blog called PurrrrSnicKitty that will feature these tiny "Jersey Girls" and their adventures.  So along with everyone else in the blogosphere, I will be able to keep up with them and their new lives. I know they will be treated like royalty.

"In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods;

 they have not forgotten this."  ~ Terry Pratchett 

Thanks for reading everyone.

Your comments are always welcomed and appreciated.

Hugs and Purrs,

Spirit Bears and Kitten Distractions ~ SOLD

Spirit Bear - 5.5 x 7.5" - Watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10" 

This week just evaporated into thin air! I didn't get a whole lot accomplished, but I was able to do some sketching everyday and finished this one Spirit Bear painting from last week's sketchingeveryday drawing.

Friend and fellow artist, Lee Gates, booked a private watercolor session which lasted most of the day on Tuesday. ( Surprise - more bears!) We were both pleased with her end result.

The itty-bitty kitties currently living in my studio have been such a wonderful and fun distraction! It's totally amazing I've gotten any work done at all. I'm finding I need to take kitty breaks every couple of hours just to play with them and laugh. (Their momma is still at large, BTW. We caught two raccoons and one groundhog last night.) 

Today I had a brilliant idea (if I must say so) and I set up a kitty corral in one of the corners of the room, using two 6 foot folding tables. I put the kitties in a small cage and opened it up inside the enclosure.

Bold little Betty Boop was the first one out.

Little brother, Opie quickly followed her lead.

Then he had second thoughts and returned to the safety of the cage

with his sisters, Pye Pye (left) and Pixie (right).

Before long, all four of them were going wild, running in and out and all around the little cage. I sat on the floor right in the middle. They leaped and ran over my legs as we played with their favorite toy, the feather on a string. After about an hour, I fed them and moved their beds into the corner by the cage. They are all totally zonked out as I type. I think this will be a great new temporary home and a way to socialize them, without them hardly even noticing.

Jerry had me take a few shots of our flowers in the back of our house this morning. He wanted to show the guy at the garden center where he bought them. We don't have any in the front. It's very plain. We want them where we can see and enjoy them.

I love this brass planter with lion's heads that Jerry picked up for me at the scrap yard. The plant he later purchased fit into it perfectly. I think it makes a bold statement at the studio entrance. I'm so lucky to have a hubby that's always so supportive and constantly lavishes me with gifts!

I'd love to hear your thoughts about my art, kittens and life in general! Hearing from you is always greatly appreciated. Really!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Wishing you joy and gratitude everyday, even for the little things in life!

Love and Hugs, 

"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back

and realize they were the big things."

~ Robert Brault

Hummingbird Painting and Exhausted Kitties

Hummingbird Four Ways #4

This is number Four of my current challenge - using the same drawing, four different ways. You can see more about the ideas behind this madness here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Exhausted kittens after  first check up and imprinting.

imprinting -  (imprint on) Zoology (of a young animal) come to recognize (another animal, person, or thing) as a parent or other object of habitual trust.

Bobbie came over today and helped me out with the kittens.  She is a very experienced cat person and I always rely on her for cat help and information. Together, one by one, we removed a sweet, little, furry, wild thing from the cage. We inspected each one for fleas, ear mites, gender, dirt and goobers. Surprisingly, they had no fleas and are amazingly clean for feral cats, so nobody was in need of a bath. Yay! A couple of them did have ear mites though. We treated each baby with a small dose of Revolution. I put a little in a small lid and painted it on with a brush while Bobbie held on to them. It's quite an amazing product and takes care of ear mites, fleas, ticks and worms and it is safe to use on kittens over 6 weeks of age. I've been using it for years.

Only momentarily disturbed by the flash, then back at it.

 Have you had a cuteness attack yet or what?

~~~ And I've Got Some Great news! ~~~

All the kittens are spoken for!! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We have a Have a Heart Trap set tonight for their momma, Ja Ja.

WE would like to get her spayed before she goes into heat again.

Keep your fingers crossed. 

It really helped last time, THANKS! ♥

I'd love to hear your thoughts about my Hummingbird Spirit - 4 - Ways challenge, or any of my previous ones for that matter. Which pieces or techniques did you like or dislike and why? I've got a couple of ideas for new challenges in the works, but I'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions.

Thanks for reading my blog, friends! Commenting is not mandatory, but as always, it is most appreciated.

 Until next time, wishing you happy days and cool nights! 

Hummingbirds and Itty Bitty Kitties

Hummingbird - 4 Ways - #3

5.5 x 7.5" -Watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10" 

Last month's personal challenge doing the sunflowers and hydrangeas four different ways was fun and inspiring, so I thought I'd do the same thing with my hummingbird spirit sketch. This is number three. You can see the first two here on www.sketchingeveryday.com.

5.5 x 7.5" - Watercolor on Yupo paper, matted to 8 x 10"

Another hummingbird painting done this week.

7.5 x 10" - Coloring Page -Pencil on Yupo paper - Free Print Out

Please feel free to print this out for your personal, your friend's, children's or grandchildren's pleasure. It fits nicely on a standard 8.5 x 11" sheet. You can see two more of my free coloring pages here. 

Taken through the screen - The wild turkey mother who started out with eleven chicks this spring is down to three. They are a pretty good size now and can fly well, so their chances of survival is good.

If you remember my "Cat Man Do" post,  we caught feral cat, Ja Ja only to discover that she just had kittens. We brought her back un-spayed so she would continue to produce milk for them. She finally brought them out in public about ten days ago. 

Jerry started putting out Have -A- Heart traps this past week. My step son, Jimmy, caught the ginger tabby on Wednesday and Jerry caught the little orange and white later that afternoon.

They are already settling in and adjusting quite nicely. Cats are so clean and smart. After taking away the towels, they have already started using the litter box for their business instead of for a bed.

Jerry left a trap on the deck last night without food in it. To his surprise, kitten #3 was inside this morning!

We've got the cage on a dolly so we can wheel it where we want it.

Tigger is not at all happy with the situation, as expected. He already  took over Princess's bed in the studio and really liked the idea of being an "only child".

I have set up my studio lights and started shooting again.

The healing of my ankle continues and a vast collection of medical equipment is on the way out of the studio!

I'd love to hear your comments about my Hummingbird Spirit - 4 - Ways challenge.

Which pieces do you like or dislike and why? What do you think about me offering free printable coloring pages?  How do you like the kitties? Any ideas for names? 

Thanks for reading my blog! Commenting is not mandatory, but as always, it is most appreciated.

Until next time, wishing you great days!

Meet Baby Hope

"Baby Hope, as she came to be called, was put in a cardboard box that someone sealed with duct tape and left on a Philadelphia curb for trash. She was all alone, sealed in a box with no food or water for at least two days before being discovered by a Good Samaritan who noticed a slight movement to the box. 

Baby Hope was lucky because when she was bought to PSPCA, a volunteer from Burlington County Animal Alliance (BCAA), a local rescue group from my county with a long history of helping homeless pets in the Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey area, came to her rescue."

Yes folks, Baby Hope's story does have a happy ending! She's one of the LUCKY ONES.

See Baby Hope's full story and more about her on the Art For The Animals post for today.

Lean On Me Lover Boy

This sweetheart is waiting for a home at the Burlington County Animal Shelter. I call #C25359, Lover Boy. When I met him last week, he just wanted to be held. Lover Boy has been "in Prison" for several months now and needs to find a forever home real soon!! This 8" x 10" oil painting was painted as a 100% donation for the shelter as part of the "Art For Shelter Animals" project.

"I'll lean on you and you lean on me and we'll be okay." ~ Dave Matthews Band

Molly The Mastiff Mix

A few posts back, I featured Molly, the Mastiff Mix ID # D-23899 at the Burlington County Animal Shelter. At that time, I did a sketch of what I thought her three quarter profile might look like. From the photos on petfinder.com, I thought she may be part Labrador Retriever, a popular designer dog called a Mastador. She may be, but boy was my drawing way off! When I visited last Tuesday, I took pictures of this impressive, powerful guard dog mix. Today I finished an oil painting of Molly. She was sweet as can be, but I must admit a bit intimidating. And in this day and age, with crime on the rise, that's certainly not a bad thing! Mastiffs were bred as far back as 3000 BC and have proved themselves through the ages as fearless defenders of personal safety and property. She would be a perfect match for someone strong and physically fit. She's a big dog with a lot of heart in a beautiful, sleek, powerful package. Go to Art For Shelter Animals to see my portrait of Molly.

Katie The KindHeart

When I went to the Burlington County Animal Shelter on Tuesday, I met all kinds of cats and dogs. None of them stood out like Katie, #d-26335. She is a nine year old Golden Retriever. Although her situation is grim, Katie "looks on the bright side of life". :-D She was a perfect model and lady. When I took her picture she wagged her tail and smiled with cooperation. She was clean and fluffy as she had just been groomed by the kids at a nearby school. What a wonderful spirit and ambassador for homeless pets! I thought to myself; "Now, here is the perfect NO HASSLE pet! What a sweetheart!" I can imagine Katie in her new home with little children pouring their affections over her. If I was a dog, I'd like to be a Golden Retriever, at least that's what the quiz I took said I'd be. What breed would you be? Go to "Art For Shelter Animals" and see my first post as a team member and the pencil portrait I just did of Katie.

I'm Officially on the AFSA Team!

I am proud to announce that Carrie and Sheila have added me to their blog, "Art For Shelter Animals" as a team member. I am honored ladies! Thank you so much. See more about this on today's Spirit Art Blog.

Saleena Got Adopted!

I visited my County Animal Shelter today. What a wonderful facility, amazingly lovable pets and great folks. I just know I'm going to enjoy working with them on the "Art For Shelter Animals" project! GREAT NEWS...Ms. Saleena got adopted yesterday! HORRAY!! I took over a hundred photos of some of the beautiful fur babies, so I'll be posting more portraits soon! Here's a photo of Lisa, the shelter manager, with Pretty Boy. What sweethearts they both are! Pretty Boy's ID#25332. A PURR-FECT lap kitty for sure! See Lisa's most recent comment about the project here.

Designer Dogs

I asked Lisa form the Burlington County Animal Shelter, to pick out a couple of animals that she would like to see me paint. One of the photos she sent me is this striking female Mastiff -Mix, ID #D-23899. Hybrid dogs, or designer dogs as some call them, like this sleek animal are becoming quite popular. I have a feeling from seeing the photo, that she is part Lab. They even have a name for this hybrid called a Mastador. Look at the beautiful golden eyes on this young sweetie. What a wonderful companion she would make! I will take better photos of her when I visit so I can do a portrait of her that does her justice for the Art For Shelter Animals project. Here is a sketch I did, trying to guess at what her three- quarter profile looks like.

Art For Shelter Animals Update

Today, here's an update on the "Art For Shelter Animals" project. I spoke to Lisa Cliver, the shelter director today and she had some wonderful news. My portrait #4 , ID#D-26033, named Sasha, has been reclaimed from The Burlington County Animal Shelter. The third portrait I did of baby brothers, Joey #1 , Joey #2 and Boo have been adopted! The first portrait of the American Bulldog, Bulldog ID# D-25923, has been reclaimed. The only one left is the orange tabby #C-25195. Won't you help a pet in need today if you can? I bet all the animals on www.petfinder.com will make PURR-FECT PETS!

I will be meeting Lisa in person next week. I will drop off the paintings I've done, tour the shelter and discuss ways we can help the animals with my work. These images I've posted today are from my animal portrait archives. I've done hundreds over the years. The cat is in honor of Joey#1, Joey#2 and Boo. Wishing them happy homes with loving folks! The Rotweiler portrait is for Lisa, in honor of one of her very own rescued fur babies.

Contact me about doing a commissioned pet portrait of your own fur baby today. Sizes and prices are available upon request. Your support will help me buy art supplies and materials to continue to donate my paintings for the "Art For Shelter Animals" project. Thanks from me and the animals.

Oh Wow, Another Award!

OMG! I just got another award from Sheila and Carrie of "Art For Shelter Animals"! That's the second one from them. Boy do I feel special... Thank you so much girls! :-D

Sheila writes, "You are our first recipient of a blog medal from the Art for Shelter Animals site. This is a small token of our great appreciation for the enthusiasm, energy, talent and a little tenacity in dealing with the shelter administration. I wish we could give you a cash prize like the Pulitzer does but maybe in the future. Sandy, your contribution means so much to Carrie and I because we know the time and effort WILL make a difference in the lives of pets begging to find a home. From the bottom of our hearts and the dogs and cats locked up in their cages....

THANK YOU SO MUCH,

Sheila, Carrie and critters who have a brighter future because of you!"

Shabam!! I hope they realize just how much I appreciate their appreciation!

Palin Escaltes Aireal Wolf Killing

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's administration increased its aerial wolf killing program this past weekend, which the group Defenders of Wildlife says violates current state regulations.

"While the media obsesses over Governor Palin's private family life, she is getting away with illegally slaughtering large numbers of wolves from the air," said Defenders Action Fund president Rodger Schlickeisen. "The governor is even encouraging the killing of wolves that reside and den mostly on federal land, which belongs to all of us, not just Alaskans. There is no biological emergency in Alaska that warrants such measures."

Read more of the dealings of Alaska's Governor Palin here.

My First MVP Medal From AFSA!

I just recieved my very first online (or offline) award / medal! It's a (Most Valuable Player / Thank you Award) from the gals running the "Art For Shelter Animals" project, Sheila and Carrie! Wow! I am honored and humbled. Thanks so much. I am proud to be working on such a worthy cause and with such great and kind hearted animal lovers!

Sweet Sasha The Shepherd

This is my forth painting for the "Art For Shelter Animals" project. I decided to do an additional three watercolors, as the oils I did are still not dry. This beautiful girl, ID#D-26033, is named Sasha. The Burlington County Animal Shelter's website says; "What a pretty white German Shepherd Sasha is! She is good with kids, but a bit shy with strangers at the shelter. Her former owner said she is very loyal and is used to being around women and would probably need time to adjust to a home with men. Sasha is very intelligent and likes to play with squeak toys. Can you give this young girl a loving forever home?" I have drafted an email letter to send to the shelter management team and I am waiting for feedback on it from Sheila and Carrie before I send it out. I hope the folks at the shelter are as enthusiastic about this project as I am!

Black Is Beautiful!

The Burlington County Animal Shelter has a great selection of black kitties that need good homes. They've got baby brothers, Joey #1 , Joey #2 and Boo. There are long hairs, short hairs, males, females, youngsters and adults. All are neutered, tested and up to date on shots. One thing's for certain, black is beautiful! (And you won't have to worry about cat hairs showing up on your dark clothes! :-D) Check out all the breathtaking black beauties online today. I bet they'd all make PURR-FECT PETS! View your local shelter pets that are looking for forever homes by going to: www.petfinder.com.

This 5" x 7" oil painting is the third portrait in my "Art For Shelter Animals" series. See more about this on my Spirit Art Blog post for today.