Leo found me from the other side of the world. A true Siamese, full of personality and confidence, and by all accounts a great talker - his family requested his portrait from the UK for a mum missing her best friend. Distance was no obstacle.
Capturing a cats character
Cats are the hardest animals to paint, and Siamese were new for me. The striking eyes, the third eyelid, the sleek points, the slightly imperious expression - get any of it a little wrong and it stops being Leo.
Leo had passed, so I was working with low quality images - fighting to bring his character out in paint: the confidence, the chattiness, the look his family knew so well. His family describe Leo as a little person in a cat body - I was determined to capture this in his portrait.
Using a handful of different images of Leo and lots of consultation with his family, I opened his eyes and painted him as the regal, self-assured cat they described. Siamese eyes are the whole game - that deep blue, the almond shape, the direct stare and unique third eyelid - so I took my time there. As I've learned; when painting Siamese, the eyes are where the likeness is won or lost.
“A true Siamese, full of personality and confidence, who loved to chat.”
Leo is proof that a portrait can cross oceans. I paint from your photos, send progress updates as I go, and ship worldwide with tracked, insured delivery, so it does not matter whether you are down the road or on the other side of the planet.
Lost a cat you would like to keep close? I would love to paint them, wherever you are.
