On March 17, which is the Feast of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, the customer saint of cats, I came across this lovely painting on Facebook. The painting had gone viral, as well as I wished to discover more about the artist, Carolee Clark. I’m delighted that she agreed to response a few concerns as well as share a few of her lovely feline paintings with us.
Carolee Clark is a full time artist with a house studio in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, which she shares with her cats as well as sometimes models, Merlin as well as Guinevere, as well as their Australian Shepherd brother, Cosmo. Carolee’s work can be discovered online, as well as at the annual Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween show in Marshall, Michigan.
How did you get into painting cats?
I paint what I love, as well as I absolutely adore cats, so have been painting them for as long as I can remember. They’re one of my preferred subjects, as well as a never-ending source of beauty as well as inspiration.
How did you establish your style of painting?
Like most artists, I believe my style has evolved over time. With a background in both drawing as well as decorative painting, as well as a like for bright, vibrant colors, as well as people art, everything just seems to find together. I likewise tend to obsess over detail, which means most of my work takes much longer than originally planned, however with great deals of fascinating bit details, or at least I hope so.
What is the innovative process like for you?
It’s like oxygen. I might no more not produce than I might not breathe. It’s a part of whatever I do, as well as a constant throughout every day. I keep notebooks everywhere – the house, my purse, the car, so when an concept strikes, I can make a note of it, or do a quick sketch. Art is my happiness, my refuge, as well as my hope for the future. It makes me smile every day, as well as when whatever comes together perfectly, as well as I’m excited about a work in progress, it’s the closest thing to sacred I’ve ever felt.
Where does your motivation come from?
An easier concern would be where doesn’t it come from? It comes from everywhere…folk as well as fairy tales, youth memories, the natural world as well as lovely creatures all around us. sometimes it’s something as simple as a combination of colors that strikes me as beautiful, or the limbs as well as branches of a specific tree, or the method the clouds float by at a provided moment. motivation is just about paying attention.
Tell us about your cats.
Ah, the two staying Camelot Cats. I have a black feline named Merlin, who is an absolute sweetheart, however totally refuses to grace guests with his presence. If he hears a strange voice in the house, he hides under the bedcovers (which he always handles to do without making so much as a wrinkle). His sibling Guinevere is a long haired tortoiseshell, as well as like many torties, she’s just a bit bit of a kitty, perhaps 6 or 7 pounds at most. however what she lacks in size, she makes up for in attitude, chasing Merlin when she’s in a mood, as well as being extremely vocal if I’m so much as five minutes late with her supper.
There was a third Camelot kitty too, Arthur, who crossed over the bridge a couple of years ago. He was a extremely big (almost 20 lbs) orange tabby, who is now immortalized as the Emperor card in The Mystical Cats Tarot deck by Lunaea Weatherstone as well as Mickie Mueller (another feline artist whose work I love).
Your Facebook page is titled King of Mice Studios. exactly how did that name come about?
It was my late husband’s idea. The King of Mice was a character in John Irving’s book The hotel new Hampshire, who declared “Life is serious, art is fun”, so it’s a combination of that, as well as my child Courtney’s youth like for The Nutcracker ballet, as well as in specific the character of the mouse King.
What does a purrfect day look like for you?
Oh gosh, most likely waking without an alarm, having tea as well as breakfast with the furkids, then either settling in at the studio table with some excellent music on, or taking a day trip somewhere with my sketchbook. later on, dinner with friends, as well as a bit of knitting to surface the evening. Not what most people would think about the most interesting day, however if it includes my animal companions, my art as well as my friends, I’d phone call it quite much purrfect.
You can discover Carolee Clark’s paintings in her Etsy shop (affiliate link*) You can likewise discover Carolee on Instagram, Facebook, as well as her blog.
*FTC Disclosure: The mindful feline is a participant in Etsy’s affiliate program. This means that if you choose to purchase with any type of of our links, we get a little commission. We only spread the word about products as well as services we’ve either utilized or would utilize ourselves.
Ingrid King
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How did you get into painting cats?
How did you establish your stynull