Tuesday 20 March 2018

Her Serene Adjacency, The Lady Tara Fluffy Bum

Hello Friends, 

It seems I have a cat theme going here, but this is the last for a while!

I've been having great fun with Lightroom and Photoshop, working through a couple of online courses to improve my  photo-editing skills. In the process of organising my photo collection in Lightroom I came across the pictures below. 

The first is a collage I made when my dear cat Tara, who was with me for 18 years, died some years ago. She was also known as Her Serene Adjacency, The Lady Tara Fluffy Bum, because she preferred to be nearby but not fussed over or cuddled. Being a Birman she had a rather posh, aloof personality, and was strikingly beautiful, with blue eyes and a long fluffy creamy coat with pale grey markings on her ears, nose, feet and tail. 

Birman by Jesse Rowan 
Below is the pencil sketch I did of Tara from a photo of her. I used a copy in the collage above. The edges were decorated with stamping and embossing using a heatgun. The angel is a photo I took in St Paul's Cathedral, London, years ago. I was mesmerised by its beauty.

Birman by Jesse Rowan


Tara loved exploring every cavity she could fit in, especially drawers!

Birman by Jesse Rowan

This puss was my first 'baby', and she kept me company during my 'single' years. Later, my children enjoyed her as they grew up, though she always kept her distance from them, preferring my lap to anyone else's. Not at all like our little Jasper, who has won all of our hearts and laps! 

I thought I would never get another cat after she died, but after a few years I was ready. There's nothing quite like the contented purr of a cat to soothe the soul...

Birman by Jesse Rowan

Lastly, an image of a beautiful old book with lace...

Vintage book by Jesse Rowan

I'm joining Wen for Simply Neutrals Tuesday #37 at her blog, Apple Apricot here. It's a gathering of artists focussing on the beauty of a neutral palette. 

Hope your week brings joy in your creativity, whatever you do...

Love,
Jesse XX

10 comments:

  1. Gorgeous Jess! Your collage of Tara is striking and I love the array of neutrals here. She is beautiful. I enjoyed seeing your image of lace & book; soo pretty. along with the inspiration of HWL : ) Hugs and wishing you a great day ahead~ karen o

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    1. Hi Karen, Thanks for your kind comments here. Love,
      Jesse XX

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  2. Tara was a beauty and I love your terrific collage of her! Jasper has stolen not just the hearts of your family - he has stolen also the hearts of all the Simple Neutrals Ladies last week including mine!
    A wonderful post Jesse!
    Happy rest of the week!
    oxo Susi

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    1. Thanks, Susi :) I enjoyed your blog post too. You are very talented.
      Much love,
      Jesse XX

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  3. I love your beautiful tribute to your lovely kitty. Miss Fluffy Bum I bet brought years of love and fond memories.

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    1. Thanks, Nancy :) A pet adds a another dimension to family, doesn't it?
      Wishing you a joy-filled week,
      Jesse XX

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  4. Oh Jesse, a beautiful portrait of your lost friend- Tara , so wonderful drawn- and in this lovely collage- in the amazing nature tones-
    So difficult to loose these beautiful little friends, in our life.
    Hugs to you,
    Dorthe,. xoxo

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    1. Hello Dorthe, yes, so hard to lose them. They become part of the family, part of our lives every day.
      Hugs back,
      Jesse XX

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  5. Hello sweetie, such a beautiful collage in honour of your gorgeous and precious furry friend! Your drawing of her is so beautiful too! It's always hard to have to let go and I can see why you didn't feel like inviting a new furry friend at first. I still miss my cat Noortje. She was my buddy during the rough highschool years, and like you said, those sweet creatures really know how to soothe our souls! Big hugs and love xx

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    1. Hello Wen, It's so nice to 'hear' your friendly voice! The 'rough high school years'... mine were rough, too. Pets made a huge difference for me, too. I recently saw a most heart-warming video about kittens and old people - it brought tears to my eyes! It's here:
      https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news/1909/How-Kittens-Are-Giving-Nursing-Home-Residents-A-New-Sense-Of-Purpose

      Have a wonderful week,
      Jesse XX

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Thank you so much for your friendly comments. It makes my day to hear from you about my artworks and topics.