Tag: cat

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One Cat Eye Looking Directly At You

Have you ever experienced the feeling of having a cat eye looking directly at you?

Being “stared at” by a cat can be both an unsettling and fascinating phenomenon. Cats have a mysterious quality that is hard to explain. Their piercing gaze often draws us in and holds our attention as if they are trying to convey something we don’t understand.

Cat's Eye
Cat’s Eye Staring Directly at YOU

Not surprisingly, this bizarre experience of being scrutinized by a cat has been explored by some of the world’s greatest thinkers, from ancient philosophers to modern psychologists.

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was the first to wonder, “Why do cats have such a penetrating gaze?” In his book On the Soul (De Anima), he wrote, “Why is it that a cat’s eyes appear more intelligent than those of dogs and all other animals? Is it because cats’ eyes are more similar to our own in shape?” Aristotle also noted that dogs and other animals have a “lower soul” than humans, but cats seem more like people. Thus, by the time of the Renaissance, cats had a reputation for being sneaky, malicious creatures. And unlike dogs, they really didn’t have any use for humans—other than using us as food dispensers, that is. Cats would be seen more as a source of entertainment, rather than an actual pet.

cat's eye expressionism
Cat’s Eye Staring Expressly at YOU

The Cat and Religion

Cats are not mentioned in the Bible, but they were known to have been kept as pets during the time of Jesus. In Egypt, cats were considered sacred. Cats believed that they were the protectors of their gods and goddesses. Consequently, the killing of a cat was considered a crime punishable by death. In ancient Egypt, when a cat died, they were mummified and buried in the same way as humans were. The funeral processions were elaborate and included thousands of people. In the Middle Ages, cats were kept as pets and also used for hunting. They are believed to have been instrumental in helping to keep down the rat population. In England, cats were not considered a domestic animal until about 1660.

Flat Earth and Cats?

Hey, cats also help disprove the “Flat Eart Theory.” Sure, they do – if the earth were flat, the cat would push everything off of it, right? (Sorry. Not sorry.)

The Cat’s Eye images above are available on prints, framed, prints, canvas wall art and on a variety of home decor items. Click an image above or a link below to learn more. Click now.

Link to: Cat’s Eye at Bill’s Fine Art America Gallery

Link to: Cat’s Eye Expressionism at Bill’s FineArtAmerica Gallery

Link to: Bill’s Gallery at Fine ArtAmerica/Pixels

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A Cat in a Fishbowl

Now the kitty knows what it’s like to be the goldfish.

Cats are curious creatures, and cats in the wild often enjoy playing with whatever catches their attention. But when it comes to domestic cats, sometimes they take that curiosity a little too far.

Cats have a natural instinct to hunt, and they are often drawn to small moving objects. Some cats may be attracted to fish bowls and aquaria (fishbowl – aquarium) because of the movement of the fish inside.

cat in a fishbowl or a fish bowl
Cat in a Fishbowl with transparent edges – great for T-shirts and home decor items.

In the “cartoon” image above, the cat has evidently changed places with the fish, presumably a goldfish, by being inside the fishbowl. He (she?) should have chosen an actual aquarium – because it might have provided bit more room.

cat in a fishbowl
Cat in a Fishbowl – full rectangular image for wall art and home decor items.

Now the cat knows what it’s like to “be” the goldfish. From predator to prey, curiosity and all that, right?

Perhaps you would like this as a small print for a child’s room or, perhaps, in your home or office as a conversation piece. Click one of the images above or one of the gallery links below for more information or to shop.

Link to: Cat in the Fish Bowl at Fine Art America.
Link to: Cat in the Fish Bowl at Pictorem.
Link to: Bill’s Redbubble store for T-shirts and more with this design.

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My Favorite Cat Artist in the Whole World

Dora Hathazi Mendes has a pure talent for depicting cats in watercolor.

Dora is an artist colleague who lives with her husband and family in Portugal. We have collaborated on various art activities over the last two years. We are colleagues in that we both use Fine Art America as our Print On Demand (POD) art production facility. (FAA is the largest fine art POD in the world. )

If you like cats, as most people do, and find them fun to be around, you might just find that Dora’s art a real joy to see. That’s why I decided to share some of my favorites here on my personal website. I hope you like her paintings as much as I do.

Here is an assortment of snapshots of the above work-in-progress. There are many steps involved in creating such a lifelike likeness of the black kitten – especially in the medium of watercolor on fine art paper.

Of course some cats take a more laid back approach to life. Here is Dora’s watercolor of a ginger Maine Coon cat. The Maine Coon is the largest of domesticated cats and, even though they have active hunting skills, are laid back, fluffy and friendly. Below you can see this artwork on a notebook cover, one of the popular items also produced by Fine Art America from original art. BE sure to click the picture to see the actual piece.

Here are links (click below) to Dora Hathazi Mendes and her art at Fine Art America:

Note, please, that this is not a “sales pitch” – but should you decide to purchase something from Fine Art America, Dora will earn her artist fee and FAA will pay me a (very) small ad fee.

Dora has contributed to the success of my new Artistic Face Masks website where her designer face masks have proven to be popular sellers.

You can see my work at Bill Swartwout Photography.