Friday, January 23, 2009

Sketchbook Cat Scratching



Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat, Where have you been?



















I am a lover of Cats....

....but these are the only ones I have right now.......... I guess you could call them my Paper Cats...



.... done with crow quill dip pen and India Ink... sketched on Jan. 22/09

27 comments:

rauf said...

oh these sketches are so alive Gwen ! wish i could sketch like that. i was heart broken when my cat disappeared. then we shifted as my house was demolished for reconstruction. Now i am back at my old (New) place, enough room and for a cat, looking for one.

i don't know much about indian ink Gwen, wonder why i never thought about it. All the holy scriptures are written with indian ink. i mean the gospels. indian scriptures too, the one that i saw was like etching on palm leaves. No ink there. i was not allowed to take pictures. but i have pictures of scriptures written with indian ink on palm leaves.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Well Rauf, You can borrow one of my paper cats till you get a real one.. They are pretty tidy... don't eat much...
when you say shifted do you mean moved? They demolished your house? Is there a new house in its place now?

I would love to see those scriptures written on palm laves...they must be breath taking...

and they have lasted a long time? How old do you think they are?

I'm sorry your cat is gone... We have had several cats disappear in the past.. even a small older dog... That was pretty sad...

Arija said...

Gwen, such fun felines! I love your seure stroke of the quill. They are so...so free...and cat like.

Jacky said...

Wonderful sketches...I can tell you are a cat lover, your "scratchings" with the crow quill are simply beautiful.

Lovethiscottage.blogspot.com said...

Now you've got us all thinking about our lost cats Gwen. We had Friendly for several years, then he disappeared at the time a lynx was spotted in the neighborhood. Four years later he turns up on the doorstep minus one ear and one front leg. I brought him in, he checked out the house and seemed very restless, wouldnt settle, and when I let him out he disappeared!. His name should have been Survivor.

Leanne Pizio said...

Oh! I love these. Such personalities coming off the pages. I can just see the cat energy in the 2nd one. He looks like he is ready to pounce.

VioletSky said...

That is unmistakenly a feline eye!!

pRiyA said...

wonderful sketches, so full of movement. did you do these while looking at real cats? then i have to admire them even more. i like your drawings on your blog a lot.

crowquill reminds me of my days at art college. i haven't used them since then, but looking at these drawings makes me consider buying them again sometime soon.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks Arija, I am getting back into playing with pen and ink again...practicing with line..

Jacky thanks so much for the encouragement..

Kathi, Survivor is right!!! getting along in the depths of winter even with only 3 legs... Quite the independent little soul...

Leanne, They are so fun to do I almost feel guilty...
I used to have a Tonkenese and I never saw anything leap like her.. sitting close to the front of the fridge... she would just look at the top and instantly be there.. blew me away... powerful creatures behind their soft fur and pretty faces...

Sanna glad you could see a resemblance... she's watching you!

Thank you, Priya, I wish I had a real one here, this very minute but alas.. I'm waiting for that day to come again...
I have a thing going on about trying to conquer the crowquill.. trying to keep my ink from drying too fast... maybe more dipping into the water or the ink... or different ink that dries slower.. don't know yet...
if anyone has any suggestions.. I love to hear them!!

Anet said...

These cats are just sweet as can be!
The best part about paper cats is...no cleaning of litter boxes!

sandy said...

Ohhh these are great and such movement in them...I really like ...a lot...

I've never tried a quill dip pen... intriguing.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Cute Anet, I think you're right.. maybe I'll draw them a self-cleaning paper litter box!!

Thanks Sandy, I think you would really have fun with a quill...

Ruth said...

I wish you'd come sketch Bishop. But she would be so happy to see you she would rub against you, and you'd never get anywhere.

They're beautiful, Gwen. Have you ever illustrated a book?

You make me want to practice sketching, so inspiring.

Debbi said...

Wow, Gwen, I LOVE these cats. You have a wonderful style with pen and ink. Just love them. And you know, it's another thing we have in common - loving cats! As you can tell by my photo here, of me with Bernini Grigio. (Marco Polo is off somewhere sulking that I'm not holding him!). When are you going to get a cat or two?

David Berube BerubeArt said...

Love your quick sketches. Try doing them on a piece of linoleum some time and turning them into prints, bet they would be equally beautiful.

flyinamber said...

love your sketches!
and I love cats,too..but don't have any now..my cat Mina was 13 years old when she died two years ago..now I have ferrets and they are very cute and dear,just like cats but most attached to me than cats..cats are pretty independent..
so sorry that your pets disappeared..

p.s.I visited great exibition of Rembrandt's graphics yesterday..you would certainly like it..something wonderful indeed!

Gwen Buchanan said...

These are pretty rough Ruth, but fun to play around with... No I have never illustrated a book, We thought about putting something together a few times but the time consuming rush of life has always got in the way...
with your artistic talent you are prob. amazing at sketching.. Didn't I see a sketch of you on one of your posts a while back.. that was great!!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks Debbi, Bernini looks like a very lovable kitty... big ears too! so there is some rivalry between the two of them for your affection. huh? They each want to be #1? ...
Love the names you choose!
I would love to have cats again but I'm afraid a wild cat or coyote might get them 'cause there is so much forest around here...


Hi David, I really want to do that.. I am actually antsy about it!!! That fear thing is happening again.... Thanks for encouraging... and Nice to hear from you!


Thanks Dada, Ah...so Ferrets are not as independent as cats... I didn't know that. I'm Glad you have them... it always feels like a warmer home when there are pets around.. I don't think I could live without them...

ArtPropelled said...

Brilliant! I love the sketch of cat sitting with his back to us.

Angela Wales Rockett said...

These are great sketches, Gwen! I love drawing my cats - I never get tired of it.

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks Robyn and Angela, everything seems more alive when we examine it closer,,, don't you think?

india flint said...

i can here them purring all the way down under and over here...

Anonymous said...

Perfect for my cat-obsessed daughter. I would love to get her one, but we travel so much. I don't know what to do!

AscenderRisesAbove said...

a paper cat... so much better then a paper cut! I have tried drawing cats in the past and not had much success with them; I just don't understand animals and their bodies. which is pretty interesting as my youngest is in college to be a vet. Only four more years. :-/

Gwen Buchanan said...

Oh India, what I'd give for a bit of the heat that is in your neck of the woods these days!

MamaS... she is quite an artist; she could Draw a different cat everyday... do some neighbors have a cat she can visit once in a while?

AscenderRS.... isn't that interesting.. your daughter is training to be a Vet.. earlier this year my son (15) said that would be a job he would love to work at.. helping animals...
The 4 years will fly by ...too fast...

Anonymous said...

LOVE the pen and ink drawings of the cats! I am always VERY impressed when someone is able to capture the image of a cat accurately... they are so elusive, in my opinion, and yet so beautiful in form. You inspire me to attempt to draw more! Hope all is well!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks Kathy, a girl like you who has so much control over the pen as seen in your calligraphy could draw anything.. you make beautiful lines!!