Sushi Cats

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS • 11″ x 16″ each (x2)
original art commissioned by Lulu M.
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My friend Lulu has two cats that I’d had on deck to paint, but I didn’t have reference photos yet. While waiting I was digging through my stash of art supplies and found these wall-hanging canvases I’d bought a little while ago. I didn’t have any particular project in mind for them but bought a 3-pack because I liked the format. Lulu is a fan of cute characters like Pusheen and Hello Kitty, and after playing a game of Sushi Go! it occurred to me I could do something more cartoony and colorful with their portraits.

This is also something I could do that wouldn’t need detailed photo references which were proving to be a challenge as one of the cats is very active. I was able to use photos from Facebook and my memory to get their look right.

I used my Sushi Go! game for color inspiration. I started with a soft colorful gradient that would work in either order. I picked the styles of sushi based on their colors, to best match the cats and the backgrounds: Buddy (gray and white) with the orange-color salmon, and Charlie (black) with the reddish tuna. While I wanted them moving in the same direction, I reversed which front leg each had extended so it looked more dynamic. A simple repeating shape background and they’re done!