This began as pure abstract, but after a while it morphed into a remembered scene: in Havana, you can take a ferry ride to an area that is some kind of huge Spanish fortress. When you look back, it's something like this.
You can see little Rumi here with his wonky left eye. I've been looking very closely at his eyes lately, and I feel like there's more to it than just eye herpes or eye chlamydia (very common in cats). I actually feel like his eyes are not quite aligned, that his face (bridge of his nose, cheekbones, eye sockets) is not quite symmetrical. I've also noticed you can always see the tear-duct corner of his left eye (the one which gives him more trouble and which is often squinty), but you never can on the right. Of course, it could all be just my overactive imagination. In any case, his eyes are still often watery (in this photo, they're remarkably clear).
I'm taking him to the vet this afternoon, so I'm looking forward to hearing her opinions on him.
UPDATE: Just got back from the vet. Apparently his face looks asymmetrical because his right eyeball is swollen. Both eyes are watery and the left one is squinty. She thinks he does in fact have eye herpes, and we're going to try more eyedrops and try to get a lot more lysine into him. On the plus side, she thinks he has "ninja vision" and is unusually precocious, agile and intelligent for his age. That's my baby.
%2Bof%2B01-Sugar%2BMaple.jpg)
10 comments:
First, this painting is gorgeous. Let's hear it for another surprise pastel! Someone blogged about working best either en plein air or from memory; your memory of Havana proves the point.
Swollen eyeball?--OW! Pray tell, what is "ninja vision"? I think I had it once, but then I stopped taking that drug. Did the vet happen to mention the ninja's over-active sense of humor?
Lovely pastel, it looks like reflections on the water. Sometimes those remembered scenes are the best. Great photo of Rumi, eye problems or not. Hope you can help him retain his "ninja vision" -- isn't that what artists want?
Jala - I love the colors you have used in this painting. It is somehow calming to consider it for a while... both it and Rumi are truly beautiful. I hope the drops work!
xxx
Hi hope kitty gets well soon! I love your exciting art...I neveer know what will be here and I love the kitty stories!! :)
Amazing pastel! I love the graphic quality and colors. Beautifully done. and my best wishes for ninja vision to improve. your kitty posts are such fun. best wishes for a speedy recovery and a joyous weekend.
Love Havana Harbour. You give me confidence Jala.
I think that's pretty cool how this piece evolved.
You are taking such good care of Rumi. He is a cute little ninja.
Yummy pastel... I like the 'remembered landscape' idea. And about the kitty's eyes - sometime look at petfinder.com and see how so many homeless kitties have one eye larger than the other - I always thought it was just genetics gone bad - but a SWOLLEN eyeball? Do we know what causes that?
Hi everyone and thanks so much for your comments and wishes for Rumi to get healthy!
Kelley, the swollen eyeball is also from the eye herpes. Many, many cats have herpes without symptoms (perhaps 80% or more of cats have it). The symptoms usually flare up from stress. Hence, shelter kitties will often show symptoms even when a happy housecat may not. We hope Rumi's symptoms will at least abate somewhat once he's all settled in. It's incurable, though, just like human herpes virus.
Love your sweet kitty. Your pastels are wonderful too, Jala, but the cats are stealing the show!!
Post a Comment