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Wednesday, October 07, 2015

RIP Polly 2000 - 2015

Time for a pause in blogging - for reflection on the life of Polly, my much loved Abyssinian cat.

"Pause"
Polly sunbathing in the doorway heard me behind her
and an ear twitched round - worked up from a 15 second sketch and my memory!
14" x 11" coloured pencil on black Stonehenge paper
She died this afternoon after becoming very sick with heart failure 10 days ago.

Losing Polly would be bad enough on its own but coming on top of the loss of Cosmo to cancer four months ago (see RIP Cosmo 2000 - 2015) - it's really knocked me for six.

Cosmo and Polly as kittens
Guess who was boss?
They came to me at three months old in 2000 and started out as cute and continued as cute!

Polly contributed cute kittens for drawing and took the matriarch role, while Cosmo did cuddles, played nursemaid to the kittens - and knew his place in the Polly pecking order.

Polly says "A girl can never have enough feeds"
Cosmo says "I want a feed too!"

Guess who's bottom looks big in this?
Polly in particular was a very pretty cat for fifteen years. Latterly people were amazed at how old she was. Here she is in 2013

Polly demonstrating the advantages of backlighting
She was however VERY difficult to draw - maybe because she was so petite, precise and neat! She was always much easier to do from behind than from head on!

Polly - Study#1
pen and sepia ink, 10" x 6.5"
Polly had a certain way of staring at you when she wanted her next meal
"Polly" in 2008
pen and ink and coloured pencils
I ended up drawing her kittens more than I drew her - until the last few days.

Meet the Kittens (her second litter)
This made it on to the front cover of the Annual Exhibition of the Society of Feline Artists
and into my book Sketching 365 (page 90)
Coloured Pencil on Paper, 11.5 x 7.5 ins 290 x 190 mm
Polly - true to form - looked cute and gorgeous right up to the end. This was her yesterday afternoon.

Polly on 6th October - she died 7th October 2015
Having sat with her and next to her for the last three days, watching over her as she went downhill very fast, I now need to take some time out. Blogging will be back next week.
on

21 comments:

  1. Kimberly Kelly SantiniWednesday, October 07, 2015

    Kathryn I am so sorry to hear about Polly. You are still raw from Cosmo, too, I know. Sending you lots of love and warm thoughts. I know how much you loved them both.

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  2. shevaunWednesday, October 07, 2015

    I'm so sorry, Katherine. Your paintings of her are very special

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  3. Melissa B. TubbsWednesday, October 07, 2015

    I know just how hard it is to loose a pet (not to mention two). She was a beauty and you created some wonderful drawings of her and her kittens. I know in the future you'll smile every time you look at them. So sorry for your loss.

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  4. Mary PycheWednesday, October 07, 2015

    So sorry for your loss. :(

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  5. PatriciaWednesday, October 07, 2015

    So very sorry for your loss, Katherine.

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  6. Kate (Cathy Johnson)Wednesday, October 07, 2015

    I'm so sorry, Katherine...she was very beautiful, and left your life too young.

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  7. PennyWednesday, October 07, 2015

    So sad, so sorry.

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  8. Kathryn HansenWednesday, October 07, 2015

    I am SO sorry for your loss. I just lost both my beloved cat in July and beloved dog in August, so I know how sad and horrible it is. I still cry over their loss. My thoughts are with you. And I think your drawings of her are beautiful and special.

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  9. Patricia WaferWednesday, October 07, 2015

    What an angel-cat. I know how this feels. Years ago I lost an adorable Burmese named Emma after 4 weeks of sudden cardio myopathy and heart failure at age 3 and 1/2 yrs. It's heartbreaking but as you say esp coming so close after Cosmo. Our feline companions just never live long enough. My condolences. Pat Wafer, Madison, Wisconsin

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  10. LindaThursday, October 08, 2015

    I'm so sorry! They were both beautiful!

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  11. Marion Boddy-EvansThursday, October 08, 2015

    Condolences on the loss of Polly. Your drawings are beautiful. She and Cosmo make me think of an elderly married couple who couldn't live with one another. What a rough year; hang in there!

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  12. jimserrettstudioThursday, October 08, 2015

    So sorry for your loss, they are special little creatures.

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  13. AnonymousThursday, October 08, 2015

    You might like to listen to the BBC Radio 4 programme `We British`, presented by Andrew Marr, which was on this morning...part of Poetry Day. About 15.30 mins, in there is a reading of a poem called Pangur Bán, written in the 9th century, by a monk about his cat. He must have watched Pangur, probably his only constant companion in a lonely place and recorded what he saw in verse, as you did your two cats , in your drawings, in the bustle of the city.

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  14. theartistsdayThursday, October 08, 2015

    Oh Katherine, it seems so silly to mourn a cat, but somehow they wheedle their way into our hearts. Thinking of you.

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  15. Cindy SchnackelThursday, October 08, 2015

    I am so sorry for your loss!

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  16. northwoods trekkerThursday, October 08, 2015

    my condolences on the loss of a beloved family member
    she was a great model for your studies

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  17. I need orangeThursday, October 08, 2015

    I'm very sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is when they must go on without us.

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  18. Billie CrainFriday, October 09, 2015

    I'm so sorry you lost your Polly, Katherine. Picture her back with Cozmo, both keeping an eye on you.

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  19. PappersdrakenFriday, October 09, 2015

    I am so very sorry for the loss of your beloved and truly beautiful cat. They are as eear to us as a family member and deserve to be mourned and grieved for as such and also to be remembered with joy and love for the love they gave.

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  20. AnonymousFriday, October 09, 2015

    "Sorry" doesn't quite cover it, but there are no other words. Those were long years of sharing your life with Cosmos and Polly. The hurt will last for a long time but it will become less until the tears stop.
    My daughter has 3 cats, the oldest will be 18 yrs this year. We all dread the day when Jennifer goes. I hope I can help my daughter get through it.
    Molly

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  21. AngelineMonday, October 12, 2015

    We also have a darling Abyssinian cat named Simon. He is amazing...as I know Polly was.

    Polly was gorgeous!

    I'm sorry your friend walked across the rainbow bridge.

    ReplyDelete

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