Winnie

Winnie is the first cat code painting I ever made, the prototype. Winnie is a gracious, gentle, shy but clever-and-playful, female greyish-orange tabby cat who was a longtime sojourner at the shelter. This is the pattern of her forehead markings. I took photos of the forehead marks of all the cats who were there at the time I left for five weeks at RADA in summer of 2024, so I could sketch them every day, and wrote their names down so I could pray for them while I was away. Winnie's markings are very dramatic, as you can see!

There is a pentimento in this painting, the galactic whorls that I had made as a model/basis for a 'starry night' pet portrait class I'd been assigned to lead at Project Human X. All of the class participants opted for more personalized backgrounds to paint their animals in, so I was left with a lovely aquamarine canvas I didn't know what to do with. Until I realized its cosmic attitude was perfect for Winnie and that she would be my first cat code painting. So I covered the whorls up with orange. 

The painting ended up being a pet portrait after all, just of a different variety! The painting now hangs in the front office area of the Herrin animal shelter, Winnie's silvery energy shining out over us.

If you would like to commission a codes portrait of a cat you know, do reach out, for I'd love to create one for you.