Kitties for Kiddies Donation

Honestly, this is the most time I've ever spent with a cat in my life. 

Thank goodness it didn't have real fur or claws, that would not have been fun for me ;)

This little buddy is a ceramic cat that I painted as a donation for "Kitties for Kiddies", an auction fundraiser for the Islesboro preschool on the island of Islesboro, Maine. The event is taking place tomorrow, July 25th, so I'll hopefully be able to share how much they were able to raise after the event! I hope my cat fetches a pretty penny for those kids, along with the several other area artists' cats!

Here it is when I first received my blank cat-canvas:

I started with a base coat of a tan color, since I was going to paint him orange and white. You can see that a little bit on the other side. Then I painted him orange with some white stripes, and started adding my details. I was going for a little storyline––I titled the piece "Catch of the Day"

...it'll make sense in the end, it's not animal cruelty!

I wanted to have him wrapped up in rope and fishing net gear, caught by some determined little fishermen (Islesboro is a fishing community, I thought they might appreciate the theme!)...

And here's the finished cat and some details! The rope and fur go all the way around the legs, torso and tail. It was new for me to work three dimensionally, but it was fun and for a good cause!

Can you see why he's so worried now?! He's the Catch of the Day! 

Happy bidding! I hope lots of funds are raised for the wonderful preschool!

Generosity

A few posts back, I had talked about working on the mural for the children's trauma room at the Community Counseling Center. It's a sprawling place with lots of blank walls, which they were going to decorate on a budget.  I contacting a bunch of artist and illustrator friends, and they blew my mind with their generous donations! We gathered: 18 children's books, 3 poster sized prints, 2 large beautiful, matted photographs, and 30 prints and original pieces (some fully framed, others matted, all signed)!! I know the folks at the Community Counseling Center, patients and the wonderful people who work there, will enjoy this art so much and I'm so grateful for my wonderful friends and colleagues for helping out!

For full list of artists who are shown here, visit my Facebook page!

Donate to a Great Cause, Local Business

To my fellow artists and illustrators-

I'm working on a mural in the children's trauma area of the Community Counseling Center in Portland with a few other artists, and was hoping as an extra help, to gather some artwork and children's books to donate as well. They recently moved into this brand new location and have many bare walls. They need art for both the adult and children's areas. If you have any prints you'd be willing to donate (unmatted, unframed, older work, is all fine!) or children's books you've written or illustrated (signed would be extra special!) please contact me directly at nicolefazio@yahoo.com.

There's an open house for the new facility on June 16th. We'll have the mural completed by this time and I was hoping to gather the art before then, too.

Any size, 2D works only, and please choose art that reflects the manner of the facility (wellness, positivity, peace...no dark and gloomy images!)

Thanks so much! Hope you can help this great place!  :)

Nicki