Brick ranch with two cats at the door

This painting was a gift, with one specific request: the front door open, the glass storm door closed, and two cats sitting behind it. Anyone who has a pet knows that feeling of having them waiting for you at the door, so this resonated with me instantly.

I’d only painted a dog and a cat in one other house portrait, and that painting was much bigger. This one is just 5×7. I wasn’t sure I could make the cats recognizable at such a small scale, so I did a bunch of little test studies before putting them into the painting.

It turned out to be simpler than I expected. All I needed were two shapes. No faces, no tails, no feet. Just enough to recognize two cats sitting at the door, waiting for someone.

That’s part of why I’m enjoying these 5×7 paintings. It feels less intimidating to take a risk or try something unfamiliar when I know I can easily start over. In this case, a few little studies helped me see how little detail I needed to capture something familiar.