Center of the Universe

"Center of the Universe," in two color versions

Do you have a cat in your life that you consider to be the "center of the universe?"  I bet you do.  

And I do too.  My eldest cat, Tiger.  Tiger is the inspiration behind this particular print.  He is the center of MY universe.  Adopted him 13 year ago, and he has changed my life for the better in so many ways.  Cats can do that.

"Center of the Universe," black ink on white paper

I have been drawn to the symbol of the mandala for many years.  As a symbol, the mandala represents the universe.  "Mandala is a Sanskrit word, that loosely translates to mean 'circle' or 'center.'  Mandalas are circular designs symbolizing the notion that life is never ending. The imagery depicts the universe and the symbols represent one’s spiritual journey, the cycles of birth-life-death, and the interconnectedness of all living things."  I like that.

"Center of the Universe," gold metallic ink on black paper

So this print, "Center of the Universe," is all about the special connection we have with our four legged furry friends.


(Information about Mandalas from:
http://spiritualawakening.weebly.com/mandalas-what-are-they.html)

Best Day of My Life

Today is my cat Tiger's gotcha day.   You know, the day of his adoption.  That was 13 years ago today.  My husband and I were walking past a neighborhood pet store, and Friends for Life, a small local shelter, has having an adoption event.  I tried my best not to look at the kittens.  I knew I wanted to adopt a kitten, but I was planning on waiting a few months before doing that.  But I have a HUGE soft spot for ginger cats.  I looked.  There he was.  I was in love. The rest is history.

 

In the 13 years we have shared our lives, I have been through some ups and downs.  Jobs and career changes, losing another beloved cat and dog, starting new jobs, adopting new furry friends.  Through it all, I have had my buddy by my side.  I am grateful.

He wasn't always the easiest cat to live with.  Tiger has always needed to be the dominant animal in the house.  Even over the humans.  Tiger lives with two other cats, and a dog, and Tiger rules.  And they know it.   I have also had aggression problems with him.  So much so, I'm not sure if another person would have kept him.  He used to attack me when he was young.  But for me, once I adopt, it's for life.  So I did all I could to work with him and his aggression.  It was tough.  We have made it to the other side.

Tiger, my buddy.

 Tiger is the first pet I have ever adopted.  So he will always have a special place in my heart.  I have learned soooo much from him.  About unconditional love, for him, and from him.   About patience.  About animals in general.   And of course, he has been an inspiration in my artwork. 

"Magic Carpet," print inspired by a photo of Tiger.

"Wise One," print inspired by a photo of Tiger.

Adopting Tiger really was one of the best days of my life.  And yes, we will be celebrating Tiger today with all his furry brothers, and some of his most FAVORITE food, tuna fish.

Black Cat Awareness Month

Did you know that October is International Black Cat Awareness Month?  Being that I just completed a series of artwork with a black cat theme, I thought I would shed a little light on the plight of black cats.

Black Cat Handmade Prints @MaryAnnTestagrossaArt

"The creation of International Black Cat Awareness Month came about after it’s creator, Layla Morgan Wilde, noticed that while there are two days dedicated to black cats in the world (One in the UK, one in the US) there wasn’t anything dedicated to them on a national level. Such an observation is desperately needed, as superstitions surrounding black cats had gotten so out of control that shelters won’t even adopt them out during October any longer. Too often the cats were being adopted as part of the Halloween holiday mystique, and would be abandoned or worse after the holiday passed.  Throughout the rest of the year, it’s typically more difficult to get them adopted.  How much more difficult? Black cats have the longest wait in shelters and are adopted at a rate 50% lower than any other color of cat, which we can’t understand at all."  Shelters across the country call this "black cat syndrome."  Black cats are overlooked again and again by adopters because they associate them with bad luck, black magic, and other negative superstitions.

Black Cat Handmade Prints @MaryAnnTestagrossaArt

This issue doesn’t apply to only solid black cats. Tuxedo cats, cats with a white chest and sometimes paws, are equally hard to place.  I can tell you personally, we have a tuxedo cat and he is the best.  We adopted him from a local shelter, and he is funny, playful and so loving.  One of our best adoptions yet.

What can you do to help black cats:

1.  Adopt a black or tuxedo cat, or two, from a local shelter. 
2.  Keep your black cat indoors, especially at Halloween time.
3.  Donate to black cat organizations.
4.  Donate to cat shelters.
5.  If you are a black cat guardian, talk to people about how great your black cat is.  Educate people.  

(Above quote shared from:  https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/international-black-cat-awareness-month/)

On Inspiration - Ellen Von Wiegand

Before I started making linocut prints, I did a lot of looking at other artist's work.  The internet is such a great resource for inspiration.  My favorite social media platform is Instagram because it is soooo visual.  I think many artists feel the same way.

Ellen in her studio, pulling a new print.

One artist who really inspired the style of my cat prints was and is, Ellen Von Wiegand from the UK.

"With a Sigh"

Ellen uses herself as a model for her nudes.  Here is some of what she has to say about her work...  

"My images reverberate with this search for self assurance and serenity, and my own nude body is featured in each piece. I originally began using myself as a model because it gave me a lot of control over my compositions, and I didn’t have the ability to pay someone else. However using my body has caused my work to develop into something highly personal. When we are nude we are at our most vulnerable, and I have come to see my work as a way to reconcile with the shy, insecure and fearful pieces of myself. There is also something I love about showing myself naked when in fact I am severely uncomfortable being undressed in front of others. It is a practice in being more open and allowing people into my world when in my real life I struggle to do so."

"Moon Splashed"

Ellen continues... "That said I don’t see my prints as self-portraits, but rather physical representations of emotional states of being. Male or female, my hope is that you see a piece of yourself reflected back to you in each image."

"Acceptance"

Though her work is VERY personal, what drew me to her style was that she prints her nudes in shades of blue and deep reds, which give her images a less personal, and more universal appeal, like this could be any woman, not just her specifically.  I also like the simplicity of the line work, not a lot of details in the nude image, but just enough to convey a feeling.  

Austin Kleon, in his book "Steal Like an Artist," talks about finding your own voice by copying your heroes.  He says, "By copying your heroes, you find your voice because you can not perfectly copy anyone's work.  You are influenced by other ideas that mix with the work,  and that becomes your work, your voice.  You transform or transcend what you started with, and it becomes your style." 

Now when you look at my work, I think you can clearly see her influence.  Here are just two examples...

"Mandala"

"Wise One"

When I start a new cat print, I start with a photo of one of my cats.  My cats are ginger and a black and white tuxedo.  In my artwork, I have chosen to use black as the color for all the cat images.  My black cat prints are usually seen as artwork about black cats, and that is OK.  I like black cats too.  But I am using the black cat as a universal symbol for all cats.  

My hope in doing this post is to give you a little more insight into my artwork.  And to share one of my inspirational heroes with you.  Hope you enjoy her work as much as I do.

To learn more about Ellen Von Wiegand, check out:

-Ellen's blog

And to see more of her beautiful work, check out:

-Ellen's blog

-Ellen's Facebook page

-Ellen's Instagram page

(All images of Ellen Von Wiegand's work used with her permission.) 

Meaning Behind the Cat Artwork

I've been thinking about, how to put into words, the significance of this body of cat artwork that I have created.  It is all about love.  The love I feel, and felt, for my cat Motor, who passed away two years ago.  He is the inspiration behind most of the pieces in this body of work.

Motor, just brought home.

Motor was the second pet I ever adopted.  I loved him DEARLY.  He was sweet and shy and in the nine years he lived, maybe only a handful of people ever saw him.  Whenever someone would come over, Motor would run under the bed, or into the closet. He even hid from my husband.

Motor was named Motor because he was a constant purrer.  And he loved to talk.  He and I would have discussions back and forth.  He was a very happy boy, walking around with his tail up in the air most times. And he was photogenic!  I took some of my best cat photos of Motor.  He was a natural.

I haven't dealt with a lot of loss in my life as of yet, and Motor's illness and death was devastating for me.  I was so in love with him.  Unconditionally.  I used to tell my husband that Motor was my heart on the outside.  And that I wasn't sure how I would cope if he ever passed.

Motor was never sick in the eight years we had him, until he got cancer.  When he started not being interested in eating, and then throwing up, I knew something was wrong.  I won't go into the details here, but I think he lived about 3-4 weeks after his diagnosis, and they were painful for him, and for me.  It's hard to witness someone you love in pain.  My heart ached.

I told Motor in the end that I would never forget him.  I didn't know this body of artwork would be part of my remembrance.  I really couldn't do much creatively for a year after.

When I started doing linocut prints, starting with cat imagery was a no brainer for me.  I love animals.  They are my heart, my family.  I think I connect better to them than to people at times.  We have three cats right now, and a dog, Willie our schnoodle.

All the cats in the prints are from my photos of my cats.  Most of the images are of Motor.

My cats are not black cats.  My idea for using a black cat, is as a universal image or symbol for all cats.  Yes, people who have black cats may relate better to my imagery because they see the cat literally as a black cat.  But I am using the image for all breeds of cats.

So these prints are all about love for our feline friends.  And what an impact they make on our lives.  And some are about what happens to them after they pass.  Enlightened, Blessed, Wings. These are all about being on the other side of this life, as we know it.

One of the last photos I took of Motor.

To Motor,
My dear boy, I miss you everyday.  I haven't forgotten you.  I never will.
Love,
Mom

Test Printing my Block "Wings"

I like to take videos while I work of different stages of the printing process.  Here, I am inking up my block "Wings," for the fist time, all in black, and doing a test print. 

You can do a test print in any color you choose.  I think the details show up best in black and white, or in this case black and pink, pink being the color of the block I am using.   And you always do a test print first to see if you need to do any further carving of your design before you start printing on your good paper. 

Next step will be to carve up the block into what will be the different colored areas.  When all is said and done, this will be a four color print.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's 5 Rules for Success

Very inspiring.

I have never been a big Arnold Schwarzenegger fan. But I saw this video on Facebook from the site Good News Network, and I felt there was some really good advice here on being successful, no matter what you want to be successful at.  

 

I would recommend watching the video, because his talk is inspiring.  But here are his five tips to excel in whatever you do:

1. Find your vision or goal.  Find your purpose.  Find your passion.  Follow it, or you will not feel happy in life.   

I agree.  Otherwise you will be floundering.  Having a dream, a goal, a sense of purpose, gives one a reason to get up in the morning.  Gives your life direction.  Gives you grounding.

2.  Never think small.  Think big.  

I say, why not?

3.  Ignore the nay sayers.  This is a big one.  For all of us.  Do not listen to them.  Move forward towards your goal.  

We have all dealt with nay sayers.  As an artist, since I was a child, I was told, get a "real" job, do art on the side, as a hobby.   By my parents, art was not looked at as a viable career choice.  And by a lot of society, art is looked at the same. 

4.  Work your ass off.

5.  Don't just take, give something back.  Help others.  Help create a better world.  

"If not us, who?  If not now, when?" 

Love those two lines.