Cat Gallery

I got Shelley from the Cats' Protection League in the late 1980s.  She was a poor, sickly little thing with not much fur due to a cruel start in life.  She blossomed into a sleek and healthy cat.

This is a greeting card design for a new home.  The cats and I are planning a big move soon from Manchester to Stockport, and they are all looking forward to being Cheshire Cats.

Cheeky Charlie

'Cheeky Charlie', also known as 'Tabby' is one of those cats with multiple households.  I used to share him with a young woman who lived across the road, although he didn't really belong to either of us and we had no idea where he came from.  When she relocated, she decided to leave him with me, feeling that he belongs to the neighbourhood rather than any one particular person.  He is a very independent cat who likes to do his own thing and demands the minimum of attention.  He spends much time sleeping either on my bed or on top of the wardrobe and is something of a fighter.

Jet and Daffodils

A new portrait of Jet painted for my forthcoming book "A Lifetime of Cats".

Samson (1990 - 2008)

Samson was my most dedicated and prolific model and featured in a great many of my paintings, including two best-selling greeting cards.  A supremely handsome and talkative tabby, he won third place in a world's cutest pet photo competition at the age of 15 and then went on to star in two children's picture books.  He was so much of a local celebrity that his death made front page news in the local paper.   He was a great companion and in our late years together, I could pretty much understand every word he said.  His tail was his favourite toy and he began almost every morning by chasing it up and down the stairs.

Simone at the Window

Simone

Simone was the resident cat at a guest-house in Andalucia where I stayed this Spring.  A beautiful Siamese, she made me most welcome throughout my stay.

Henry & Molly (1992 - 2009)

Henry and Molly were given to me as a pair when their original owner was no longer to care for them.  After spending 14 years with me, they went into decline and were put to sleep together.  I was comforted that they were not parted at the end.

Henry (1992 - 2009)

When Henry first came to live with us, he was so hostile and vicious that we was untouchable.  We gradually established a three-stroke rule, and eventually he became quite a lap cat, although always somewhat unpredictable and grumpy.  He enjoyed watching tv, especially gardening programmes.  He and Samson hated each other throughout their whole lives, and whilst Henry wanted to be king of the house, he was very much a coward.

The Balancing Act (Molly)

Bruiser (1985 - 2005)

Bruiser was a gentle giant of a cat and a great teacher.  He taught the entire household how to open doors (alas, he neglected to teach them how to close them again.  Bruiser loved wildlife documentaries and especially programmes about bears.  However, he hate dogs with a passion and was known to start more than one fight.

Molly (1992 - 2009)

Molly was Henry's long suffering other half, but would box his ears from time to time.   A tiny, light-weight cat, she was anything but dainty and could drive me crazy with her contrariness.  A typical teenage girl, she loved handbags, shoes and older men.

Catnapping

Jet and Poppies

Morgan in Springtime

Morgan and Lilies

Jet (1987 - 1992)

Whilst at Art College, I lived in a flat and was unable to keep a cat.  As soon as we moved, I obtained Jet from the cat shelter in Sheffield.  The staff spoke of him as a 'big softie', so I knew he would be right for me.  I was devastated to lose him just 3 years later to Feline AIDS and leukaemia, and this painting is still one of my all time favourites.

Morgan (1989 - 1991)

Morgan was a real clown with a wide repertoire of silly positions and games he liked to play.  He had a fetish for women's underwear and came home on more than one occasion with a pair of women's knickers on his head.  It was a shock, when having always been a robust little cat, we lost him very suddenly to Feline Leukaemia which caused a tumour in his throat.

Arthur (1983 - 2010)

Arthur was originally called Diamond before she moved in with our family after several years of living rough.  She was renamed Arthur after the famous tv cat and my mother's notorious inability to get the sex of our cats right.  Earlier this year, we celebrated her 'official' 25th birthday only to learn a few weeks later that she's actually even older than that.  She lost her battle against skin cancer in August 2010 but was still climbing trees and catching mice until the end. Arthur is to be remembered in a book by one of her 400+ Facebook fans which will be sold to raise funds for an animal charity.  She will also have her own chapter in my art memorial book, "A Lifetime of Cats" which will hopefully be published next year.

Felix amongst the Berries

Felix and Sid

Sid and Felix

These two young tuxedo kittens lived next door but one to us and treated our house as an extension of their own.  They were fascinated by my elderly cat, Bruiser, and would follow him everywhere - he taught them everything he knew.  After a while, the family moved to Shropshire, taking Sid and Felix with them.  Sid went missing soon afterwards but Felix continued to enjoy hunting in the neighbouring fields for some time afterwards.

Bill & Bert

These handsome tabby brothers belonged to friends of ours when we were living in North Manchester.  Bill sadly developed a tumour and had to have a rear leg amputated but continued to model for me.