The portrait of this Himalayan cat painting started with a reference photo that showed an interior. The cat was sitting in a box as can be seen below, surrounded by many things that did not lend themselves to be shown in a painted portrait.
So the first thing I needed to do was to figure out a backdrop that would make sense and look pretty. I decided to paint a garden scene and added some grass and flowers. Since the colors were toned down, the focus still remains on the pet. The original has sold, but prints are available.
