Spirit Cats Deck: Cute Cats, a Sprinkle of Magic and a Lot of Heart

Some people get the magical properties of cats. My artist friend, Nicole Piar, definitely does!!! Among her many talents include loving, playful custom portraits of your favorite feline companion. She captured both Zeus and his sister Angelina's (both now 20 years old) portraits in endearing, and sincerely mystical, ways. 

Nicole has now gathered together many of the feline portraits she has created over the years to form an inspirational oracle deck. On February 1 Nicole has launched her very own Kickstarter campaign "Nicole Piar’s Spirit Cat Inspirational Card Deck". It's a r-r-r-rousing success, which it should be.

Do yourself a favor and check out this beautiful, hand-painted oracle deck. They are available to early-bird buyers at the sweet discounted price of only $15. Each card in the 44-card deck has its own positive and inspirational message that can help to brighten up your day in much the same way as a cuddle from your own beloved feline friends. And if you dig the art and want to immortalize your own cat, then check out the Kickstarter reward for commissioning a painting of your own cat. These cats are just too cute!

Check out the kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ghostkitten/spirit-cats-inspirational-card-deck

In My Travels: A Cat's Curiousity

Going back through my photos and saw this close up of Zeus inspecting my booth set up under our oak tree: Zeus the Magnificat eyeballing two of my oriels -- a French nude and Siddhartha. Note his smiley cat collar.

Bones of a Poet -- Week 3: Eggsactly

The Bones of a Poet online course week 3 assignment brought an amusing exercise to the mix: take an egg or two and try to communicate some sort of feeling. I bought my plain white large grade A eggs on Sunday, and finally took a couple of them out of the fridge today. I went outside with them, my camera, and two humorous egg cups that my sister Mary bought for me in Harrods, London. However, once outside, a rusty tin lumiere seemed to be the perfect "home" for the eggs. Angelina Beautiquina followed me around and of course modeled very nicely for me in a number of the shots. I had the most fun under the oak tree in back: it reminded me of the time I spent in my childhood, playing with my plastic horses in the roots of our maple trees. More photos and thoughts about the photo shoot here.

I'm All Ear

This photo of Angelina is from this week's assignment from the Bones of a Poet online photography course that I am currently taking -- a wonderful opportunity to stimulate your senses with the end result of broadening your photographic eye. This week's assignment was to take ALOT of photos of something and to try and stay out of your head -- just photograph as much of the subject and see what comes out of the session. I wandered out into the yard to photograph something and Angie came wandering up almost on purpose (ya think?). So she became my guinea pig. Then her brother Zeus joined us and he had his time in the limelight. Very fun and I liked all the bits and pieces the camera caught of them, their "essential catness" seemed to come out in the small bits! To see the best of the set -- go to my Bones of a Poet -- Week 2 -- on Flickr

Happy Friday Redux!

Cats always seem to know when you need a little help. Yes, they primarily like to ask you for food -- but I have had cats since I was 6 months old and they always, always have made me very, very happy. They are way up there on the Happy Meter, without a doubt, in my life. Take for instance my white cat Angie, she is my constant companion in the house (or outside in the garden), and today she gave me the gift of happiness. As I lay listlessly on my back on the bedroom floor, feeling the warm breeze come through the window, thinking about crawling into bed for a short nap -- Angelina jumped up into the window and stretched all of her beautiful white and pink-tipped self out along the sill. She listened to the birds, she smelled the air, she'd look over at me. She kept doing this, and all the while she was purring, purring, purring. I thought she looked like a little goddess, a domestic Bastet (the Cat Goddess, who brings Joy), as the sunlight highlighted her white fur. I never had a white cat before, and I've had a lot of cats in my lifetime. I looked over at my bedside table and saw the little ceramic cat that my grandmother and I made together when I was around eight or nine years old. I remember being frustrated that the piece of clay was not looking like a cat should, and my grandmother saying, "Here, just smooth it here, just take a little piece of clay and add it here"...and so on. Before I knew it, we had made a graceful cat together. I told my grandmother I wanted a white cat, and she said that she had been thinking the same thing. "And blue eyes," I said, "like yours". I was so happy. And I am happy now, with my beautiful white cat sitting on on the window sill purring. and my grandmother feels close by. I am happy now.

Sharpening the Claws or, A Downward Cat?

My little missy getting her exercise in the last half of the day...practicing the fine art of claw sharpening, or is that the beginnings of a downward dog...er, cat?

One of the few times Angelina has looked straight on at the camera. Her eyes were beautiful yellow-green. I am so fortunate to live in a beautiful area of Marin County. Our home backs up to Bay wetlands, dry during the summer months. The light is beautiful and was eceptionally so last night. We were able to sit out on our deck with friends and have a dinner filled with laughter, with the warm evening breeze rustling the oak leaves and the golden grasses waving in the fields behind us. Pure pleasure.

Angelina on a Summer Evening Stroll

My white cat, Angelina Beautiquina, made an appearence in the garden this evening, sniffing various flowers, chewing a few leaves of grass, walking around the grounds with me. She moves through space like a white, fluffy powder puff, albeit one that waddles. I am often amazed at how these creatures, cats (and dogs), have chosen so willingly to live with us. I mean, why don't squirrels or birds or skunks? Cats and dogs, interact with us, listen to us, even watch TV with us. What a small miracle. Maybe a very big one!

Three Earth Angels -- Pendant Challenge Week 2

I finished a custom oriel for a friend, which she is planning to give to her boss. It features her boss's three beautiful Burmese or Siamese cats. These three earth angels were a picture in themselves -- I really didn't need to do much to bring out their special qualities. My friend had asked for a green background, but I kept feeling that a light color -- sunshiney -- was needed. I kept being drawn to the center cat's gaze -- so openly bold, so wise, so centered. I was flipping through some images and found this photo of the interior of an Asian temple. It sparkled with light and you could see the face of the Buddha hanging on the wall. Somehow it seemed to be a fitting background for these Burmese companions. Were the other cats winking? I usually add sparkles or gems to my pendants, but they just didn't seem right. Instead I found a pewter mandala for the dangle and crafted an alter-style attachment for the necklace to attach to. Because one of the kitties has passed on -- I added a silver swallow to indicate the soul's release. Once completed, I pulled my hands to gether in a prayer shape and bowed to the enshrined meowsers. Purrrfect!

If you would like to learn more about my custom oriel pendants, please visit my Kentucky Girl Etsy Shop!

What a Beautiful Day

My California Backyard (photo by Elliot Atlas)

Today is another tax prep day for me. Uughh. Double Uughh. Yesterday I helped a client with her tax issues. Today it's "Hello -- again -- how much longer can I put you off?" tax prep.

In the in between hours (and I create alot of them), I took a walk on Deer Island (early AM), had a wonderful chat with an new/old friend, took my cat Zeus out into the backyard for a meander, attended a live chat shop critique on Etsy Virtual Labs. I would say the highlight was when I was holding Zeus in my arms, and a Red-Tail Hawk cruised by overhead. My heart soared with the bird, and Zeus butted his head up against mine. There we were in the California sunshine, nature saying hello, me with my lover cat in my arms, and all the other pleasantries I had experienced this morning were alive in that moment. How great was that?

Now back to those **** taxes!

What would it be like to not feel I "have" to do something? To just feel my mane blowing in the wind?

My Beautiful Boy

Zeus Winking and Zeus Posing Photographs by Shara Switala

I have had cats all of my life. I find them comforting, mysterious, playfully manipulative, loving, and wise. I have never had to go looking for a cat -- they find me and work themselves into my life and my heart permanently, at least until it's time for them to say goodbye.

Last Friday, while we were still in Mexico, my best friend and pet sitter, Shara, took our male cat Zeus into the animal hospital. He was not eating and had a extremely high fever. I spent 2 worrisome days in Mexico and 1 flying home wondering if Zeus was going to live. I went straight from the airport to the hospital. They took me back to Zeus' cage and it was immediately obvious that he was a very, very sick animal. Yet my kitten and I were overjoyed to see one another. He struggled to stand up and started purring and pressed his head hard against my forehead. I was sobbing and he was purring. The feeling that poured out of me and back from my kitty was undeniable love. Oh my, it shook me to my bone marrow.

This past week has been a long road for Zeus and me, and my husband (who loves, if possible, Zeus even more than me). They finally identified some of illnesses and after 2 blood transfusions, massive amounts of antibiotics, thousands of dollars, he may at last be coming home this weekend.

Because animals cannot speak, there has always been a level of helplessness in my body as to deciphering their needs. It has forced me time and time again to look to some place in myself that knows the truth, knows that feeling and love and peace exist in a place that does not have much to do with pain, misery, and unhappiness. The latter does not exist in the same space as the former. But, where do you put your focus? You can't ignore the world around you. But neither can you ignore, beauty and love. Where do you put your focus without leaving something behind?

What would it be like to not feel helplessness? To just feel my mane blowing in the wind?

A Small, Furry Inspiration

As I anxiously look at the colorful chaos of my art studio, I notice my white cat Angelina curled up on the floor next to the radiant heater. Nothing is disturbing her. She is resolutely basking in the warmth and perhaps creativeness of the moment. Napping a creative process? Perhaps, especially if one dreams. Kitty dreams of soft warm places; dark, leafy cubbyholes; tasty little mice and snakes....

What would it be like to not feel stuck? To just feel my mane blowing in the wind?

I think that I'll get started now....