Heroine Exhibition – Frida Kahlo Cat – Inverarity Gallery
Exciting news! Way back in October I was invited by the Inverarity Gallery, up in Scotland, to take part in their March 2021 exhibition: Heroines from past, present or fiction. Naturally the answer was yes. Well, it’s now March 2021 and I can finally reveal my painting, a Frida Kahlo cat!
Frida Kahlo Cat Painting
The painting for this exhibition is a first for me. I’ve never painted a person in feline form before. It’s certainly been a challenge. To be honest, I had absolutely no idea who to paint for this. It wasn’t until I mentioned the exhibition in conversation one day, and Frida was suggested, that something clicked.
Frida’s passion for art, the physical and emotional pain she suffered, and her bold vibrant colours made her the perfect choice. How did I miss this? A celebration of the cat, Mexico, bold colours, art and Frida herself in one painting. A daunting task but I hope you all like the finished artwork.
A little bit about the process of Frida Kahlo Cat
While searching for reference material I came across an image of Frida which was used on the cover of Vogue magazine. The way she sits on the bench and the cropping of the photo reminded me of a cat sat on a floor cushion for some reason. So I took this idea and sketched a corner of an artist studio filled with plants, flowers, an artist’s palette. Somewhere I could imagine feline Frida to sit upon her floor cushion.
Frida Kahlo Cat Painting
To really convey the idea that this is Frida, or her cat, I gave kitty a floral headdress. But, I also needed to somehow incorporate Frida’s most distinguishing feature, her mono brow. How do you give a cat a mono brow? After much experimenting I decided to use the cat’s facial markings. Extending the white blaze up and over the eyes so that a hint of a ‘brow’ peeks out from beneath the flowers.
For a first attempt at something of this nature, I’m very pleased with how Frida cat has turned out. Fingers crossed someone loves her enough to take her home!
Purchase details
The Heroine exhibition runs from March 6th at the Inverarity Gallery in Alvah, Scotland. Due to the current pandemic it is an online show only.
Frida measures 25 x 20 centimetres and has been painted using acrylic paints on a cradled wood panel. The sides are painted black and there are 2 sawtooth hangers on the reverse. More information about this painting and the exhibition can be found on their website.
If you’re interested in purchasing this painting you can purchase it at the following link.
Frida Kahlo Cat Painting at the Inverarity Gallery
