My Gypsy Love

I'm writing this post with one hand, as the other one is twirling a mouse on a wire to keep my model for this painting happy. The model is my rambunctious and playful kitty Gypsy, who thinks she is a dog.

This painting represents new beginnings for me as my love stumbled into my life a few summers ago, during a very rough week. I had to put my beautiful sweetheart, Miss Emily, down to rest after 18 wonderful years. She was a wonderful companion, world traveler, and elegant lady. My heart was broken.

That same week my brother called and told me that his new puppy had found a sickly kitten in the bushes in front of his house. He was trying to nurse her back to health and fatten her skin and bones up.  I went for a visit, skeptical of getting another cat so soon despite the hard sell everyone was giving me that had met this crazy cat. She loved people, and loved my brother's new pup so much that she would follow them on walks. She seemed to be house trained, and was gaining strength. The first night she stayed in my room with me, as soon as the lights went out she was on my neck purring like a freight train. Since then she has worked her charms on anyone that has crossed her path.

This painting is also representative of new beginnings as it is my first larger piece in acrylics. This was the one painting that I wanted to take away from the Kimberly Kelly Santini workshop that I attended this summer through the Traverse City Art Center. It was also a new beginning as I felt rejuvenated about my journey after meeting and sharing with the other amazing artists that are coauthors of this blog.

I started the painting at the workshop, and just recently started it again. Acrylics are new to me, and I love the flexibility and spontaneity that they offer. This was the first mixed media piece that I have been able to do that didn't have to be planned out   ahead of time, like I would have to do with oils. This morning I put the background together with scrap printed paper, and used stencils to create some texture in the background.

This is one of those piece that I could keep working on forever, but I'm following my intuition here, and letting it rest in an interesting place.

- Jelena Todorovich

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