A calico butterfly (orange, black and white) and a calico cat! We foster Monarch butterflies and also have a calico cat (although she is a bit more full-figured than the girl in this painting).  Sometimes our cat, Miss Cali, gets jealous because the caterpillars are allowed to eat all day and get fresh food any time they want while she has to wait for mealtimes....

This portrait is a synthesis of my love for both.  I used found paper -- sheet music, maps, newspaper articles, old textbooks, shopping lists -- and bought paper: special Japanese Mulberry paper -- which I then painted, printed, and stenciled until I got a rich tapestry of textures and colors.  I created a basic acrylic painting on a wooden panel that became my roadmap as it were for where to place ripped up pieces of painted paper.  The process is both intellectually stimulating and relaxing... kind of like doing a puzzle where I made the design and all of the pieces. 

I hope this painting inspires a sense of wonder for both winged and furry calico creatures.