In honor of National Cat Day, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see some behind the scenes photos from when I painted Mr. Kitty Cat.

You got to start somewhere and if you follow me here on the blog you know a painting never gets done in one layer! Here’s the first layer of Mr. Kitty Cat after sketching him out.

I’ve painted a total of three pet portraits for this darling client from Indiana, two cats and one dog. We chose a very bold aqua/turquoise for the first portrait of her other cat, so to match the paintings, we continued the bold pattern. I had free artistic range and felt Mr. Kitty Cat called out for this aqua/green color. The client loved it!

Working on the details and making sure the outline is sharp and furry.

And here’s the finished painting. Such great catitidue, don’t you think!? He reminds me of a mafia boss. Check out more photos here.

Some bonds never really leave us.
They simply find new ways to stay close.

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About Erica Eriksdotter

Erica Eriksdotter is a third-generation painter known for her emotionally resonant heirloom pet portraits. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and collected by pet lovers across the world.