AFTA Tail-End Reception and Arts and Elegance Gala

14th Annual Art For the Animals Auction

Meet "Captain Nemo" - my newest painting - measuring 5"x7", and painted in acrylics on a canvas panel. 

This piece has been beautifully framed by the staff of Howards' Arts & Frames in Hagerstown, MD... and is available through their annual charity art auction, "Art For the Animals", which is now in its 14th year.  I have been participating since 2011 ~ Whew, time flies!     

The "Tail-End Reception" is TONIGHT, beginning at 6:30PM.  Bidding ends at 7:30PM sharp.  If you are in the area, consider stopping by Howards' after their normal business hours to place last-minute bids on artwork.  All proceeds from this auction will be donated to For Otis' Sake, INC.  a dog rescue/foster organization based in Maugansville, MD.  

If you are unable to make it to the AFTA reception tonight, you will be able to purr-chase prints and gifts featuring Captain Nemo from my shop here at LiteraryCatArt.com .... or you might consider donating directly to For Otis' Sake. INC., to help them in their mission to rescue at-risk dogs from overcrowded shelters, and provide them with veterinary care, food, and training until they are adopted into their furr-ever homes. 

New Artwork ~ Art & Elegance Gala

This is a sneak-peek at a painting that will be debuting at the Art & Elegance Gala in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, on November 9th, 6:00PM, at the Country Inn. 

I am one of the Featured Artists this year.  I was invited to donate a special piece for their auction, which will raise funds for the Morgan Arts Council's ongoing efforts to bring art to the community of Berkeley Springs.   The theme this year is "Magic", and the event will feature a special performance by regional premier illusionist, Michael Cantori, who has performed for rock-stars and royalty alike. 

As a former Berkeley Springs resident myself, this is a cause dear to my heart.  When my family moved to the small rural town in 1994, the Arts Council was still a "gypsy organization, 'getting art out there' wherever there was space..." (according to the MAC website).  As a young teen obsessed with art and theater, and accustomed to the prevalence of both in the D.C. suburb where I grew up - the West Virginia mountains felt like a creative wasteland, even as the scenery inspired my artist's soul. 

I can say proudly that the Morgan Arts Council has come a long way in the past 20 years, after procuring and transforming the Ice House into the hub of arts culture ~ which is alive and thriving in Berkeley Springs today! 

​Tickets for this one-night exclusive event are available on their website.

2020 Calendars.... and other news

I've received over a dozen e-mails and Facebook messages from folks wondering if there will be a 2020 Literary Cats Calendar coming out this year.  

The short answer is, yes.  I do plan to publish a small batch of 2020 calendars sometime in November, and they will be available up on my website: LiteraryCatArt.com    Watch my Facebook page for announcements, but I will post a blog update when the calendars are ready to order.

I wasn't feeling well enough to commit to doing a stressful and time-consuming Kickstarter this year, nor did I complete enough NEW artwork to warrant one.  However, this is my 10th anniversary of selling cat portraits online ~ 2009-2019 ~  so I will celebrate in a small way by creating a 2020 calendar that features a compilation of my favorite portraits over the past decade, along with a couple of new 2019 paintings.  

This year, we experienced several emotional and financial set-backs, and one very sad loss:  my 17-year-old kitty, Dominic, passed away from kidney failure in May.  He was the original model for Mr. Darcy Cat, the redcoat soldier, the Phantom of the Opera, and several other tuxedo cat portraits.  He literally is THE REASON my art career exists today: well... him, and my loyal collectors who loved him nearly as much as we did. <3

He was 7-years-old in this photo, taken in August 2009, when I purchased my beastly Epson printer.  He was waiting for me to open the box so he could climb into it! :D

I appreciate everyone for your continued encouragement and support, and promise that I will be back in the saddle soon and more productive in the upcoming year!  I hope 2020 treats you kindly as well. <3