Octotabby, 2021

I have been playing around sketching an octopus cat for years. I think I first came up with the idea while I was painting Underwater Cat back in 2013. In Underwater Cat, I painted an octopus and a puffer type looking fish along with a snorkeling orange cat who wears flippers.

At any rate, I painted Octotabby with nine legs opposed to eight, because cats are synonymous with nine lives. Additionally, I had an exhibition at the Scarab Club entitled, Nine Lives: The Art of Michael Crane in 2016.   

The painting measures 11 x 14” and it is on panel. I have been wanting to frame for some time but have not yet. The creature’s eyes (crescent shaped) and sharp teeth make it appear menacing, which adds another dynamic to the painting, unlike my early sketches. When the opportunity presents itself, I would like to exhibition this painting.

An orange pop art graphic cat face, with green eyes and pink inside its ears with nine legs resembling an octopus.

Dancing Kuhli Loaches

Dancing Kuhli Loaches was painted in 2016 during a period when I was revisiting tropical fish as a subject.  Michelle and I had several Dojo Loaches when we lived in San Francisco.  The Dojos are essentially the larger pink version to their striped cousins.  I had Kuhli Loaches as a kid as did my childhood friend John Whall.  Loaches are very active, so capturing them in such a balanced composition in nature would be highly unlikely, but that is the magic of art. 

This painting is currently hanging in our A-frame cottage in Michigan.