Category: Drawing a Day

Nevertheless, she PURRsisted – “So Many Stories to Tell” Art Challenge

This auction has concluded.

cat drawing nevertheless she persisted by Artist BZTAT

For an artistic challenge, I am making a series of drawings throughout the month of January, each telling a story, or capturing a moment that has been part of my story. I am calling this my “So Many Stories to Tell” Art Challenge.

Today’s drawing adds a feline vibe to a very important part of my story – feminism. I think it is relevant to connect the derisive “Crazy Cat Lady” stereotype to feminism, because the stereotype reflects a very common, negative assumption about women’s role in society.

The “Crazy Cat Lady” trope implies that a woman who has not made sexual relationships with men the main priority of her life has something wrong with her. According to the myth, the “Crazy Cat Lady” settles for the company of felines and devolves into a social reject because she “can’t get a man”. 

Never mind that many women who seek the company of cats also have satisfying relationships with men. And never mind that women who do not seek male companionship have much to offer society besides their sexual availability to men.

Despite major advances for women in society, the general assumption is still that women are here for men’s purposes, and if they seek to satisfy their own purposes, there is something wrong with them.

My cat Ellie, AKA Little Schtuffs, and I would like to bury that notion in her litter box.

In this drawing, Ellie draws upon that classic moment of a man attempting to put a woman in her place, when Senate Leader Mitch McConnell tried to silence Senator Elizabeth Warren with the words, “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted,” and gave her an official senate warning.

McConnell may have succeeded in silencing her in that moment, but his words gave rise to a battle cry for women across the United States, and indeed, across the world. Stay tuned to see how that ultimately works out for him.

Each of my “So Many Stories to Tell” Art Challenge drawings will be placed for auction here on my blog.  You can follow each day’s drawing by by subscribing to my my blog or by following my posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Minimum bids will be low – you just might get a great artwork for a bargain!

Thanks for following along all month and for bidding on the drawings!

By the way, let me know what you would like to see me draw the rest of the month in the comments below. I am open to suggestions!

Here is the info about today’s drawing if you’d like to make a bid:

5″ x 7″ Prismacolor Pencil Drawing by artist BZTAT 

Comes with a matt ready for a 8X10″ frame.

Leave bids in increments of $5 below in the comments section.

Minimum Bid $25 USD

Shipping: $5 USA $15 International

BUY NOW OPTION: You can buy this piece now for $35 as long as no bids have been made in the comments below. Simply write BUY NOW in the comments and I will send you an invoice via Paypal which can be paid with a credit card or with PayPal.

Highest bid at 10:00 pm EST on Friday, 1/10/2020 wins the piece.

Winning bidder: I will send an invoice via Paypal to the winning bidder which can be paid with a credit card or with PayPal.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for USA shipping.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

 

Mia Meow and the Koala Bear– “So Many Stories to Tell” Art Challenge

Mia Meow and the Koala Bear drawing by Artist BZTATThis auction has ended due to activation of the BUY NOW option.

For an artistic challenge, I am making a series of drawings throughout the month of January, each telling a story, or capturing a moment that has been part of my story. I am calling this my “So Many Stories to Tell” Art Challenge.

Today I share a story of hope, resilience, care, and protection.

Today’s drawing features Mia Meow and her koala bear friend. She hopes for rain to douse the flames from the wildfires that ravage her friend’s home, but she also offers an umbrella for protection as he regains strength.

I, too, hope for relief for my Aussie friends, both human and beast. As an artist, and as an advocate for change, I focus my energies on moving our society towards responsible care of our world. We must acknowledge that human behavior is harming our world, and we must change our ways.

I was a mental health counselor for twenty years. During that time, I talked with a lot of people about horrible things that were happening in their lives. I always framed those conversations in the context of hope, focusing on my clients’ strengths and resilience as they moved towards more positive outcomes. Focusing on the awfulness of things kept them stagnant and in pain, and it wasn’t very helpful.

I feel the same way about all the awful images I have been seeing of koala bears and kangaroos and other wildlife affected by the brush fires in Australia. I know that we need to contend with the reality of the fires and appreciate the damage caused by climate change. But too much misery makes me want to turn away.

So my drawing today is one to encourage us towards the positive, as we grapple with the reality of our actions. We can change, and we must.

A friend of mine who works with wildlife rescue in Australia recommends Wildcare Australia if you would like to donate to the rescue and recovery of Australia’s wildlife.

Each of my “So Many Stories to Tell” Art Challenge drawings will be placed for auction here on my blog.  You can follow each day’s drawing by by subscribing to my my blog or by following my posts on FacebookInstagram and Twitter. Minimum bids will be low – you just might get a great artwork for a bargain!

Thanks for following along all month and for bidding on the drawings!

By the way, let me know what you would like to see me draw the rest of the month in the comments below. I am open to suggestions!

Here is the info about today’s drawing if you’d like to make a bid:

5″ x 7″ Prismacolor Pencil Drawing by artist BZTAT 

Comes with a matt ready for a 8X10″ frame.

Leave bids in increments of $5 below in the comments section.

Minimum Bid $20 USD

Shipping: $5 USA $15 International

BUY NOW OPTION: You can buy this piece now for $35 as long as no bids have been made in the comments below. Simply write BUY NOW in the comments and I will send you an invoice via Paypal which can be paid with a credit card or with PayPal.

Highest bid at 10:00 pm EST on Thursday, 1/9/2020 wins the piece.

Winning bidder: I will send an invoice via Paypal to the winning bidder which can be paid with a credit card or with PayPal.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for USA shipping.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT

Homage to Brewskie Butt – “So Many Stories to Tell” Art Challenge

Drawing of Ginger cat Brewskie Butt by Artist BZTAT

This auction is now closed.

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” – Maya Angelou

A storyteller must tell her stories. Keeping them inside not only wears on your psyche, it also keeps them from enlightening others who might enjoy them.

But telling them can be hard, sometimes, and the process of sharing stories can be interrupted by life events.

I have often told my story as an animal loving artist through the eyes of my cats. Brewskie Butt was my greatest storyteller. An affable character with a humorous personality, he gallantly cruised across the interwebs in the early days of social media, making friends around the world, and sharing his enthusiasm about my artwork. He shared his adventures stirring up trouble with my other cats, and he told the story of the emerging Canton Arts District from his window perch above my art studio.

The Brew left for the Rainbow Bridge in 2017, and I was heartbroken. The storytelling from his perspective stopped, because…well, it just hurt too much.

Over the past few months, 3 of his feline comrades (Noah, Okey and Who) have also joined Brewskie at the Rainbow Bridge, and the pain of loss has become unbearable for me. All of their stories coming to a close around the same time has left me emotionally raw. I miss each and everyone of them, and my heart aches with knowing that we won’t be making any new stories together.

But, there are still stories to tell, and as Maya Angelou said, they have to be told.

I know a lot of writers who have elevated their pets’ personas in social media, and they too have struggled with how to move forward when those pets have passed on. I also have known of artists who have continued the legacy of their pets through iconic imagery. (George Rodrique’s Blue Dog, James Dean’s “Pete the Cat”). Others have moved into other realms of story telling beyond the stories related to their pets.

As I struggle through the real life grief process for my most recent losses, I am challenging myself to re-energize my story telling through my art and my words. I honestly don’t know how this will go, and it may fall flat, but I have to try. The stories may relate to current or past pets, and they may go into other directions. I am just going to play it by ear.

I am not one for wearing my heart on my sleeve, and I am not really comfortable with sharing my pain openly. But story telling through images – that is something I can do. And I need to get to a place where I can do that again. So here goes.

For an artistic challenge, I am making a series of drawings throughout the month of January, each telling a story, or capturing a moment that has been part of my story. Some of the stories may be actual stories from the past that I am reflecting back upon. Some may be current tales, seen either through the eyes of my current feline family or through my own perspective. And some may be fanciful and imagined stories of grand adventures.

I am calling this my “So Many Stories to Tell” Art Challenge.

Each drawing will be placed for auction on here on my blog.  You can follow each day’s drawing by by subscribing to my my blog or by following my posts on FacebookInstagram and Twitter. Minimum bids will be low – you just might get a great artwork for a bargain!

Thanks for following along all month and for bidding on the drawings!

By the way, let me know what you would like to see me draw the rest of the month in the comments below. I am open to suggestions!

Today’s story is a simple drawing of the irrepressible Brewskie Butt. You may have followed him down many silly adventures on Twitter and on his blog in his glory days. At one time, he went on an international tour and cavorted with kangaroos, toucans and panda bears. What you probably saw less of was the sweet, loving character who kept me company for many years as I developed my career as an artist. So today, I wanted to share that story, which has not fully been told. 

Here’s the info about the drawing if you’d like to make a bid:

5″ x 7″ Prismacolor Pencil Drawing by artist BZTAT 

Comes with a matt ready for a 8X10″ frame.

Leave bids in increments of $5 below in the comments section.

Minimum Bid $20 USD

Shipping: $5 USA $15 International

BUY NOW OPTION: You can buy this piece now for $35 as long as no bids have been made in the comments below. Simply write BUY NOW in the comments and I will send you an invoice via Paypal which can be paid with a credit card or with PayPal.

Highest bid at 10:00 pm EST on Wednesday, 1/8/2020 wins the piece.

Winning bidder: I will send an invoice via Paypal to the winning bidder which can be paid with a credit card or with PayPal.

Please allow 2-3 weeks for USA shipping.

Life is an Adventure!

BZTAT