Happy Birthday to me

The drawing above is sort of a "collaboration" between my dad and I. This was his birthday present for me a year ago, for my birthday. After my mom found my old drawings, he gathered them into one painting.

In continuation to my post below, I bring to you my collection of cat drawings.

When I was 13 years old I spent an entire year drawing cats. Miniature drawings of cats. All the drawings you see above are on small pieces of paper ranging from two square inches to four by two inches. I'd go outside in the neighbourhood and observe cats, as I tried to catch them in a drawing before they moved.

My art teacher challenged me to draw them in different styles. I was obssessed with drawing cats for that entire year, and my teacher encouraged me. He'd enter the class and tell everyone, "Today we are going to draw this bottle I brought from home..." then he'd turn to me and say, "And YOU can draw what you want!" Everyone hated me for this special treatment. I loved this teacher. He was old and close to retirement, and he was one of two teachers that I absolutely adored because of the strength they gave to my self-esteem.

I've been fortunate enough to have visited my art teacher last year and admire his latest works of art as he was turning blind. I'll post them some other day. My parents actually own two of his paintings.

Cats are the easiest animal to draw. They sit still for hours. I miss that year. I miss the imagination I had as a young child.

I don't want to grow up!