Serenade for an Orange Cat

"You know, I do so much work that has so much symbolism that, occasionally, I'll do a relatively simple painting just to relax. This is one of those paintings. 'Serenade for an Orange Cat' really hasn't got a great deal of message behind it.

"The lute is not based on any specific musical instrument from history or fantasy; the musician's outfit doesn't represent anything, really and the cat isn't based on any specific model. Maybe he is representative of all our cats and the cats I've known but it is not a portrait of a particular feline.

"Actually, I think the cat is enjoying the music, despite his somewhat ambiguous expression. But you know cats. Sometimes they won't let on that they're enjoying anything."