Where does the time go

Where o’ where does the time go, for it seems only a few years ago that MIss Kitty was a little kitten, but now she is eighteen years of age, or is she. It appears there is a difference of opinions in this family and I am good at religion but poor in math; German proverb. So how old is Miss Kitty then?

According to my daughter, who is nineteen and not twenty, but in her second year at UCSC, coming home every two weeks or so for groceries, some gas and pocket money, a little studying and then catching up with friends; in other words, life in the fast lane; corrected me in saying that she was three when we adopted Miss Kitty.

Now that would make Miss Kitty sixteen, not the eighteen I have been boosting, yet since her birthday comes first before my daughter, that would make her seventeen, which is still an achievement and making MIss Kitty the madam matriarch of the family in human years. So I apologize for my mathematical error to you and Ms K, hoping she will forgive me.

Ms K by the dinning room window

As for her birthday, which we did celebrated with her, Ms K was camera shy and even if I could have possible obtained a picture, the lighting would have been poor since we were in another storm, just like the one we have been having for more than twenty-four hours with no end in sight until a break this coming Sunday.

As for gifts, well, she has about everything a feline her age could want, besides she would rather have the person attention from me, especially in the morning when we cuddle close and I give her body messages and belly rubs that are followed by a facial rub, all of which she takes in with great pleasure.

from Kerstin and her felines Finchen and Ayla

On the day of Ms K’s birthday, a beautiful card made by Kerstin arrived from Germany. It certainly was a surprise for her as well as for dad. We wish that we were not separated by and ocean and a continent, for we would love to visit them or have them visit us. We both thank you for your thoughtfulness and heartfelt words that accompanied your art work and which have touched us very deeply.

Finchen and Alya in the forground (photo Kerstin)

Please have a visit to Kerstin’s blog ‘Finchens Katzenblog,’ which has the current post Fincehen out in the garden, checking out and smelling the various colored crocus flowers and inspecting the pots with seedlings to see if anything was happening. When you drop in to have a look, don’t be afraid because the blog is in German, since all you have to is click on Google translate.

Birthday Card from Lutzia

In the mail came another birthday card for MS K. This one from Lutzi, who also resides in Germany. Though she does not have a cat personally, Lutzia is very fond of all living creatures, as this is reflected in her paintings and photography, which can be viewed on her blog, “Lutzias-Art.” 

The bird that is pictured in her card is one that regularly comes to her feeders and though Ms K no longer chases birds, she does loves to watch them. She especially likes the colourations of this feathered creature. 

Now I should add that it was very easy to miss, but you know dad is a real hawk, examining everything very carefully when he noticed that the stamps were carefully selected to send another message. For the stamp on the right contains a message, “Sending good wishes,” that alone brought an even greater smile, to an already big one. Thank you my dear for your gift of friendship.

First attempt in oil

Now I could end here but a few months ago, Lutzia asked if I could make available some photographs of Ms K as a source and reference to paint her portrait. We made available in Picasa a folder with numerous images for her. The months passed by quickly but then in an email came a surprise that knocked dad’s socks off. The first two portraits of Ms. K.

Second version, also in oil

We could not believe how very well Lutzia captured Ms K’s expression and especially her colourations in the second version. Lutzia said she might try again and in a few weeks she surprised us once more.

Acrylic version

This time she decided to work in Acrylic since it afforded her certain options that resulted in stunning replication of Ms K’s fur. I mean it is so realistic looking, that one can almost feel its soft and silky texture. You are certainly a superb artist Lutzia!

Digital manipulation

With the acrylic image came also one in which she did a photo manipulation, expressing her visual creativity in another form and manner.

Thank you dear friend for sharing your creativity, art and friendship with us. You too have touched our hearts with your love and kindness.

As we bring this post to a close, we did wish to add we have received some wonderful photographs from those who have entered our photo contest and that the winners will be posted shortly. Finally, dad has been under the weather for almost three weeks and just yesterday we learned that the nausea, dizziness, faintness and just feeling down right awful has been do to the changes in the medications, which are being partly stopped so they can leave his system.

(^..^)

♥

A painting, an award—life is good

It seems we have disappeared once again and it is not al his fault. With the weather being so cold and because we have had also a lot of rain, I have been hibernating like some bear in a cave up in the high Sierra’s, only my cave is a fur house. It has not only been keeping warm, it has me sleeping in their at time for more than ten hours at a time, only coming out for some nibbles of food and you know, sandbox business. 

Are you aware that I am turning eighteen this month and as we get older, we are no longer into playing games or much of any other activities, so I cannot blame dad, even though he too contributed to our absence.

Some of you may know that dad is an artist and because last year most of his time was spent in cardiovascular rehabilitation, he has not painted, that is for almost two years. For him art is his life, it is what he lives for and though things are still a daily struggle, he had a surge of creativity that just needed to be harnessed.

Canvas size: 36x48” inches

So here you see dad is painting in the kitchen that is his make-shift studio. He is applying a gesso ground to the surface of the canvas, so that it can receive various white and buff colored acrylic paint, which was then followed with oil paints. 

White on White

You may be wondering what it is to represent or what the materials are. Dad has been working on a photographic series since 2005, in which he photographed telephone poles in the city of Berkeley, California. Poles that were covered with thick layers of fliers and staples, which had been torn off before new ones were being added, a process that has taken years. Dad’s last two posts at his other blog, The Artist Within Us, shows images from the series he has named “Typography Graveyard.” 

As for the materials, well to recreate on a large scale these torn little pieces of paper, dad used grocery paper shopping bags. Their stronger construction made it an ideal choice and once several layers of medium gel had been applied to both sides and then painted, the forms took on a more solid state of form. Dad’s been happy with the results, especially with the soft variations of whites.

Recently we were the recipients of an award from Mumsy, Chancy and Co. and earlier this evening we wrote our apologies to Mumsy for having taken so long to acknowledge their gracious gift. We hope you can forgive us.

Now Mumsy, Chancy and Co. became followers of our blog this year and though one might say we are new friends, a visit to their blog will have you feeling very quickly like old comfortable friends one has known for years. So won’t you drop in on them if and make a new friend.

Now the award comes with two request, to share seven things you may not know about me, Miss Kitty that is and to pass the award along to fifteen others. Now by now you know that dad restricts new recipients to three, so that there is some elevation of pride with the award. So here is our list to whom we wish to bestow the ward to:

• Katnip Lounge and their baker dozen of felines in their cabana. Many of you already know Tricia and her many adoring feline companies who live a life of luxury. Her photographs are just wonderful and earlier this year, one of her cats graced our calendar bookmarks.

• Clooney’s Num-Num Fund is another sight that one just cannot get enough of. Her writings are hilarious and the accompanying pictures a riot. You have got to stop on by.

• Gwundergarten, Alexandra’s bilingual blog, so you have no excuse not to visit. Her cat Noah makes several appearance but also shares the site for other very interesting things and right now Alexandra is showing some beautiful photographs of flowers while Noah (who also appeared on out bookmark calendars) is supervising her.

Seven things you may not know about me. Let see now, what can I share that is not embarrassing or a sworn secrete.

• I have my birthday is coming up this month, even though we do not know the exact date, we all settled on the 15th
• I am patient but persistent, especially when I am hungry and it is not dinner time
• When big sister is away at USC, I really miss her and cannot wait for her return
• Getting use to strangers, especially when they are friends of big brother and sister
• When it comes to food, I am very picky
• In the morning, while I lay on the bed and dad gives me belly rubs, I am in heaven
• Watching television while being on dad’s lap is being the center of attention

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It is that time of year again

As we bring this post to a close, a quick reminder that there is still some time left to enter our calendar bookmark photo competition and if you can help spread the word among your friends that would be great—just keep in mind the guidelines & requirements. We greatly appreciate the assistance.

Second Quarter Photo Competition

It is that time of year again in which Miss Kitty will select the next set of winners for  the second quarter calendar bookmarks. So you have thirty days to get your images to us, so you will have plenty of time to get that image which becomes totally irresistible.

The winners for the first quarter

The previous photo competition went very well and now we are back to fill the slots for month April, May and June. Since I would like everyone to participate, especially the shy ones, please read my suggestions in order to improve your changes. I have also reposted the finalists of the first quarter to serve as a guide in what was selected from those that I felt made the cut. Above all, keep in mind the format that the winning images are being inserted to.

The previous finalists

When you judge your own photographs prior to submission, I would like to to look at them with a critical eye, checking for good lighting, that there are no highlights that are not without detail and that the feline pictured is engaging with the photographer. Of greatest importance is lighting and inmost cases I prefer indirect daylight since shadows are softer. A lamp creates a harsh shadow, an area with virtually no detail. Apart from lighting, consider also the composition of the photo, as it can be the difference of making it into the finals or not.

Requirements to qualify

1: you can submit up to 5 digital images

2: Image orientation: vertical preferred 

    (if our photo is horizontal we need to be able to crop it vertical

3: Formats accepted: JPG (extra fine setting-highest resolution), TIFF or RAW

4: PLease do not crop your picture

5: Image size: 2000 x 3000 pixels (5 MB plus) preferred

6: Last day to submit: Midnight on March 22, 2011

7: Be a follower of this blog

Do not forget to include

1: Your name and the name of your feline

2: A link to your blog

3: Please place Photo Competition in the subject line of the email

Now let us not forget the legal matters

By submitting your images, you allow the winning entries to used by a Cats Golden Years 'one time only' for the sole purpose they were intended, the Miss Kitty 2011 Calendar Bookmarks, otherwise the photographer retains all other rights.

You also allow us crop the image and to use any Photoshop enhancements tools as we see fit.

Availability of the calendar bookmarks

The final design with the winning images will be made available in the last week of March for download from our Picasa album via a link so that it can be printed out on your colour printer in full resolution onto 8 .5 x 11 inches card stock.

For submissions or any questions, please click here

Wishing you all good luck!

Huggs and kisses

Wishing all my furry friends and their humans

a wonderful Happy Valentine Day

Huggs and kisses

Ms K

(^..^)

♥

An Egyptian bronze cat

Some of you may know that I have a number of other blogs dealing with art and almost on a daily bases spending time researching the various news sources for interesting articles to share on Twitter. Since Miss K has her own Twitter account (MsKittyvanDyck), I have started recently researching ‘cats in the news,’ when I came across the following story about an Egyptian bronze cat that I would like to share with you. 

The article appeared in ARTdaily and is copied in full without changes:

This charming hollow cast bronze cat is shown alert, sitting upright with the tail curled to the right side. Estimate: £15,000 to £20,000. Photo: Bonhams.

LONDON.- Bonhams sale of Antiquities on April 13 includes a beautiful but inscrutable Egyptian cat cast in bronze, with gold earrings, that dates from circa 664-32BC estimated to sell for £15,000 to £20,000. 

This charming hollow cast bronze cat is shown alert, sitting upright with the tail curled to the right side, the body with stippled surface, wearing a Bes-headed pectoral suspended on a cord and original gold earrings. It has beautiful well-defined features with recessed eyes and incised whiskers. The feline comes from a private Swiss collection. Bought in New York in 1958. With copies of accompanying collection notes. 

Photo: Bonhams.

Such cats are images of the cat goddess Bastet and were often placed on the top of bronze boxes containing mummified cats. 

Madeleine Perridge, Head of Antiquities at Bonhams comments: “This is a wonderfully striking cat with beautifully defined features, particularly the finely incised detail of the fur and the delightful original gold earrings. Considering that it is more than 2,000 years old, it is in excellent condition. In fact you could say that this cat for all its great age, has still not outlived its nine lives.” 

Praised for controlling vermin which could be a threat to the harvest, Egyptian nobles of the New Kingdom period would also take cats on bird-hunting expeditions. By the Graeco-Roman period, cats as the personification of the goddess Bastet, were deemed to be sacred animals and it was forbidden to remove them from Egypt. 

The cat goddess Bastet eventually replaced the cult of Mafdet, a lion-headed goddess. Bastet's image softened over time and she became the deity representing protection, fertility and motherhood. 

As a revered animal important to Egyptian society and religion, cats like humans, were also mummified. Mummified cats were given as an offering to Bastet. In 1888, an Egyptian farmer uncovered a large tomb with mummified cats and kittens. This discovery outside the town of Beni Hasan had eighty-thousand cat mummies, dating to 1000-2000 BCE. 

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If you have enjoyed this or the one on our previous post, then please check out tweets on the sidebar as we regularly post to Tweeter with any interesting news about felines on a variety of subject matter. If you have a Tweeter account, you may also wish to follow Miss Kitty. 

Enjoy your Sunday and don’t forget

the calendar photo contest is coming up