Beverley J. Hanna - Original Acrylic "Catessence #3"

The Catessence series is a group of four paintings I did to express the many faces of cats - contemplative, amused, savage and proud. Because they are larger than life-sized, they tend to dominate a room.

There is a 50% possibility that this cat is deaf. If she had blue eyes, the percentage would go up to 95% or higher. However, many cats who are deaf can have perfectly normal lives, particularly if kept indoors where they are less likely to encounter unexpected dangers like stray dogs.

This was an early experiment in high-key painting - white on white.
What I hadn't expected was the power of the dark and coloured areas in contrast with the white fur. Coupled with the savagery of her expression, this is not a creature I'd want to cross.