as nice as a nun's hen

british library (PD)

"As nice as a nun's hen." Now there's a proverb I haven't heard before.  I found it in Select Proverbs of All Nations: Illustrated With Notes And Comments, a book compiled by John Wade in 1825.  I also found such gems as the following:

• As wise as Waltham's calf, that ran nine miles to suck a bull.
• Child's pig but father's bacon. (Refers to the promises that parents make and often fail to keep.)
• The more you stroke pussy's back, the higher she raises her tail. (Gaelic, but no explanation given.)
• Trust not a horse's heel nor a dog's tooth.
• Two cats and a mouse, two wives in one house, two dogs and a bone, never agree in one.
• I'm no every man's dog that whistles on me. (Scotch)
• Biting and scratching got the cat with kitten.

basil cat by florandfawn

image copyright and by kindest permission of the artists

Here's Basil the cat, surrounded by orange poppies.  You might think they're reflecting onto his fur, but no - he's a grey tortie, and he comes by those orange whispers in his fur naturally.  (There are so very many ways to be a tortoiseshell.  Ever seen this extremely well-detailed page at messybeast.com?) This delicate watercolor is by Karen Eland and Katie Daisy of Bend, Oregon, who offer their creations at Flor & Fawn.  Their bright, pretty work shows all kinds of creatures framed in stylized flowers and greenery.  It feels to me a bit like a modern take on Art Deco flowers. I liked Basil specially because of the roots stretching out under his grassy seat.  Even our house friends are connected to the greater natural world, and we are, too.

a little black kitten by agnes bodor

image copyright and by kindest permission of the artist

"I just like cats and drawing them," Seattle artist Agnes Bodor writes.  It shows, particularly in her watercolors of black cats.  With well-handled balance between controlling the paint and letting it do what it wants, Bodor models and shapes even the most sable feline.  You can easily see the way light hits shiny fur, and the way legs bunch up when a cat assumes the loaf position or turns to investigate something.  The watchful kitty above is one of my favorite items in her Etsy shop. Here's another one you should see, but ah, you must also see and appreciate this white cat.

vintage wordless wednesday redux

from the museum's collection

dog portrait by joanne jarry

image copyright and by kindest permission of the artist

Asleep or thinking dog thoughts?  I like how this deft watercolor by Canadian artist Joanne Jarry leaves it open for interpretation with this interesting vantage point.  Look at the crisp bluish shadow, and the way the brown fur is washed down to white to give modeling and highlight to the dog's form.  Beautifully executed.  Jarry does pet portrait commissions, and at her Etsy shop you can see a wide variety of them. 

vintage wordless wednesday redux

yes it's a duck. from the museum collection

a sinuous doggy line

thanks discardingimages.tumblr.com (PD)

From a Book of Hours owned by Joanna I of Castile (1479-1555), this sinuous fellow accompanies some birds and flowers on the pages of folio 62v.  Want to see the book online?  Here you are.

happy 2018!

found on pinterest, assumed PD, let me know if not

Celebrate safely!

Celebrate heartily!

Looking forward to a wonderful 2018 for us all, furred feathered and finned included!