CAT GRAPHITE DRAWING by OLGA WAGNER

Here we have Calvin...My sister's orange tabby boy... I did this drawing a long time ago then put it away and totally forgot about it until today...I came across it while cleaning out my storage closet...I used to really enjoy drawing...Maybe I should go back to it on occasion....

Calvin

8x10 Graphite on Paper

SAVE THE DATE: April 6th 6-9pm

Opening Reception

Local Color Gallery
22 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh NC

BLOG: www.catclawsstudio.blogspot.com

WEBSITE: www.olgawagner.com
FACEBOOK PAGE: Olga-Wagner-Studio

Contact: olga.t.wagner@gmail.com

PALETTE KNIFE CAT WITH WHEEL

This painting was created as a donation to benefit Safe Haven for Cats. This boy will be raffled of at the HEPCAT race in Raleigh NC this coming weekend. This event is all about Bicycles, Music and Cats.

WHEEL MAN
11 x 14 Oil on Canvas
Donation

TABBY CAT ON RED and Update on Pugsley

I love the way that the color scheme makes this painting sing. The original photo was pretty bad, but perfect as inspiration.

Update on my sweet little Pugsley. He was a very good boy during his acupuncture treatment and seemed to be feeling much better following it. He even met me at the door when I got home this evening, which he has not done since he got so ill. I attached some photos of Pugsley sporting Porcupine Look.

THE LOOK

11 x 14 Oil on Stretched Canvas
Available www.olgawagner.com

Original photo of Nacho. Even though this photo was taken with my blackberry in bad lighting, it still managed to capture that little evil/smug face.

SLUMEBER SERIES: LION NAPPING

Not exactly a sweet little kitty cat, but this giant of a cat still looks pretty angelic taking an afternoon nap.

LION NAP
6x6 Oil on Panel
Slumber Series #8
Available $100

TUXEDO CAT IN THE SUN

This boy if one of the young feral cats that live in the woods behind my home. He is next on the list of the being trapped to get neutered and vaccinated.

Here is a nice shot of him enjoying a catnip toy on my deck!

POWER of CATNIP

6x12 Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel

Available

Here is the model!

KITTEN ON A HUNT

PROWLER - 6x8 Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel Available

Framing Example...

HANDSOME RED TABBY CAT

I am a sucker for red tabbies and this one is a total cutie. This boy is currently in a tough fight for his life, as he was recently diagnosed with Lymphoma... My heart and prayers go out to his parents.

HORTON - 6x12 Oil on Stretched Canvas

NFS - Commissioned

Framing example...

2011 TUXEDO CAT BALL Donation - Cat in Bushes

WANTING to BELONG

30 x 40 Oil on Stretched Canvas

Donation to Safe Haven for Cats

Will be up for Auction at the 2011 Tuxedo Cat Ball on April 29th

FACES of RESCUE 100 CATS - TAZ 56/100

TAZ - 8x8 Oil on Panel

Taz

The owner writes:

"Taz is a Momma's girl who came to us on Mother's Day morning 14 years ago. We heard a cat crying, opened our front door and Taz ran UP my pant's leg. She was only about 3 weeks old and just about starved to death. We have no idea where she came from, but my Mom insists that kitty angels directed her to our house! She was our first Torti and has taught us a lot about "Tortitudes." She is our sweetest and most loving kitty who sleeps with us every single night curled up in my arms like a baby! "

FACES of RESCUE 100 CATS - MAURICE 54/100

MAURICE - 8x8 Oil on Panel

Maurice

His owner writes:

"Last July on the hottest day of the year, we attended a gallery opening for a friend of ours in Durham. We came out to our car and saw this gorgeous Ragdoll mix big kitty under the car next to us. His fur looked horrible, and he was VERY hungry. I gave him a can of food which he inhaled and then another one. This gallery was in a not so nice part of Durham with rundown homes all around. We decided that we could not leave this beautiful boy there to starve to death. I agreed to call some pet sitting clients of mine and find him a forever home. Long story short, after two days at our house, we knew Maurice had found his forever home with us. He is a great playmate for Kelso and a loving brother to his older sisters. He is a huge love bunny who cannot get enough hugs and kisses from us. "

FACES of RESCUE 100 CATS - EARL GREY 49/100

Here is another lucky kitty with a GREAT forever home!

EARL GREY - 8x8 Oil on Panel

Earl Grey

His owner writes:

"Earl Grey was love at first sight when I came across his photo on the SCRC website. He was found on the streets of Knoxville, TN before making it into the Rescue program. Thankfully Siamese Rescue has the Meezer Express program to help get cats from foster home to their forever homes as I live in Connecticut. But, for this guy I would have gone all the way to TN to get him. When we first adopted him he was somewhat aloof and he would bite if he got too excited during playtime. I'm happy to say that 2 1/2 years later, the biting habit is gone and he's turned into a little love bug. He's really blossomed once he knew we were going to love him for the rest of his life."

FACES of RESCUE 100 CATS - MONK 48/100

MONK - 8x8 Oil on Panel

Monk

Monk was the 2nd adoptee from Siamese Rescue Center. He was given up by his owner who had moved into housing that did not allow cats. He's definitely a mans cat and is best buds with the man of the house giving him frequent tongue baths. Although he came from a single cat home, he's become a great playmate for Earl Grey (his painting will be posted tomorrow) and the 2 can often be found playing chase all around the house.

FACES of RESCUE 100 CATS - FOX 46/100

FOX - 8x8 Oil on Panel

Sold

His owner writes:

"This is Fox. He got his name from the TV show "X Files" and I'm not sure why. Fox was picked up crossing a highway in Rockingham, hungry, malnourished, and he wasn't much more than a ball of fur held together by fleas. Ruth and her sister found him in a ditch, fed him and gave him a bath. It was a pleasant day and I was enjoying a lounge chair, a cold beer and some Bob Marley Reggae music in the back yard of Ruth's mother's home in Rockingham. I dozed off, and when I woke up, there was this tiny kitten asleep on my chest!

We searched for signs of Fox's family for a few days, but came up empty. When it was time to go, he came with us, and here he has remained for more than a dozen years. Being a small town cat moving to a big city might explain why he has always had a quizzical look and demeanor, we're not sure, but we are sure that he is one big, beautiful feline and a special treasure.

Unfortunately, Fox didn't stay small and we didn't know how to not spoil him! He was our first cat in many years, and he seemed to like living in a home with food and all the amenities. Trouble was, he had no one to play with, so he decided to become an attack cat. If you ignored him, he would simply attach himself to your foot or jump you when you passed him in a doorway. This persistence netted him several playmates in a short time. He was also the reason Ruth became a volunteer at SafeHaven "

Fox is one lucky cat!!!

CALICO PERSIAN - BAD HAIR DAY

I called this one Bad Hair Day - Maybe it should have been "A REALLY BAD HAIR DAY"? Persians are extremely high maintenance cats - Their coat needs brushing on a daily basis, maybe even couple of times a day, in order to prevent matting.

BAD HAIR DAY - 6x8 Oil on Raymar Panel

Available on my Etsy

I love these frames!!

Buff Cat in Bushes

This beautiful boy used to belong to my parents - He passed away couple of years ago after a battle with cancer. I am contemplating on doing a larger painting for my parents, something 24x36 +/-, but I am still not sold on the large amount of green in the painting. I don't want it to turn into a "Hulk -like" monster. Must think about it a bit more...

"Stealth Mode" - 9x12 Oil on Canvas Panel

FACES OF RESCUE 100 CATS: Sasha 37/100

"Sasha" - 8x8 Oil on Panel

Available

Captain Jack Sparrow and Sasha are, believe it or not, littermate brother and sister. They were living the cushy life in Newport Beach CA when their humans decided to have a baby. Not long after the baby was born, it was determined that the baby was allergic to the cats, and Jack and Sasha were banished to live in the basement. A pretty big basement but still a bit of a shock to two cats that had previously had the run of the house. They weren't played with - they had to entertain themselves, and just basically became second tier citizens in their house.

Fortunately the humans realized that this was not fair to the cats (either that or they tired of constantly having them shaved due to their long hair) and contacted Helping Persian Cats in Southern CA. Normally this group places their rescues in foster homes until they are adopted but their owners were determined to have Jack and Sasha adopted together and kept them in their home (basement) while HPC looked for a new owner.

They were adopted by a great person, whose elder cat had passed away few months earlier and who was really missing the companionship of a cat.

Sasha

Jack Sparrow and Sasha

FACES OF RESCUE 100 CATS: Joy 14/100

"Joy" - 8x8 Oil on Panel

Sold

Next two girls, Joy and Tica, were both adopted from Safe Haven for Cats in Raleigh NC. Here is their story:

A woman had called the shelter to see if there was room for two kittens. She was told to try to keep them for a few weeks until there was space for them. When Safe Haven called to let her know they had space she brought them in right away. She hadn’t bothered to tell anyone at the shelter that one of the kitties didn’t have eyes and the other one’s eyes were in bad shape. So off to Dr. English (Eye Specialist) they went for exams and Tika had to have some of her eyelashes lasered off because they were growing into her eyes and causing her pain and irritating her almost sightless eyes. The disease that causes the blindness comes from inbreeding in feral cat colonies and unfortunately most of these kittens die shortly after they are born. But Joy and Tika were rescued and were lucky enough to end up at Safe Haven. Once Tika’s eyes healed as much as possible (thanks to the care and attention of the Safe Haven staff) they were available for adoption.

Their current owner was volunteering at the shelter during the time they were there and talked it over with her husband about bringing two blind cats home. Before making the decision, her husband, wanted to meet them both and wanted to talk talk to another volunteer who had also adopted blind cats. Well, as soon as he saw them he fell in love. Adoption papers were filled out and both girls had a new home.

They are truly amazing kitties. It took them less than a week to “memorize” the whole house. They run and play just like sited kitties – they actually will chase the other cats! They love each other dearly and snuggle every night at the foot of the bed.

"I hate to think what bad ends they would have come to if that lady hadn’t rescued them. They are wonderful companions and all of our friends are amazed at how well they get along. We are thankful to have them in our lives – they make us happy."

"Joy"

FACES OF RESCUE 100 CATS: Beta 10/100

"Beta" - 8x8 Oil on Panel

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Here is Beta...A cute tabby girl that was rescued together with Pandora after their original owner passed away...I one year she has transformed from a shy, hiding-under-the-bed-or-in-the-closet kitty to a talkative, occasional lap cat.

"Beta"

BUFF CAT ON BLUE BACKGROUND

How's this for a cute little cat pose... Model for this painting was a handsome dude, Jasper, who is anxiously awaiting his forever home through Alley Cats and Angels rescue in Raleigh NC.

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"Corner Cat" - 8x8 Oil on Canvas

Available

50% of purchase price will be donated to Alley Cats and Angels

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For purchase information please visit my website or email me at olga.t.wagner@gmail.com

Jasper

Available for adoption through Alley Cats and Angels

CALLING ALL RESCUED CATS - PROJECT in the MAKING

Following into the footsteps of other artists who have challenged themselves by painting 100 pieces in 100 days, I too, will commit myself to this rather large undertaking. My project “Faces of Rescue: 100 CATS in 100 DAYS” will feature fun and colorful portraits (and stories) of 100 lucky kitties.

Starting March 15th, I will paint a portrait of 1 CAT per DAY for 100 DAYS. Each painting will be done in oils on a 8x8 canvas or panel and will be available for purchase with a large percentage of the proceeds donated to selected cat rescue organizations.

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This project is open to any rescued cat.If you are a proud owner of such a feline, or know of someone who is, please email me a photo and a short story of your cat's past. It would be great if we could make this an international project!!

By sending me a photo, you will be giving me permission to paint the portrait and publish the image along with the cats story on my blog, website and ultimately in a book.

Note about Photographs: Photos should be taken in natural light as the flash tends to distort the features and colors of the cat – especially the eyes. A close-up of the face would be ideal. If your photos were taken professionally, please ask the photographer for copyright permission.

Contact Information:

Olga Wagner 919-225-8700

olga.t.wagner@gmail.com
http://www.catclawsstudio.com/