art, Cats

Reverse Painting of Cat Lizzie

This is not the painting….just a picture of Lizzie. The painting may be found at Oakley Hall Antiques & Art in Warrenton (NC)

Emily Eve Weinstein     https://emilyeveweinstein.com/home

Back when my new, used and rare book shop was in full swing in Bordentown (NJ) many authors and artists came to introduce their books and work. Emily Eve Weinstein, on her way from Durham (NC) where she taught, to visit her parents in NYC would stop and spend the night at Exit 7 on the NJ Turnpike.  She ventured into town and drew many fans from the area excited to see her newest book. Emily always gave some kind of art presentation. The year of the Cat Book, she showed how to do a ‘reverse painting’ by painting on glass then placing art paper on the wet painting and voila`. An original painting resulted. This painting that she did of my cat Lizzie (named for Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice) was the result of her visit that year. She captured Lizzie’s expression perfectly! I purchased prints of each picture in the book for resale, but she gifted the one of Lizzie and I kept it these 20+ years for my own pleasure.

​​​​C​at Book started out simply enough. Emily Weinstein set out to create a series of monoprints of cats she knew personally. As she explored her subjects, she saw that each cat had a story. So she wrote the stories down, and began hearing of fascinating cats farther afield. The trail led from North Carolina up the East Coast to New York City, where she was able to paint the much-heralded Brooklyn heroine cat, Scarlett, who rescued her five kittens from a ravaging fire. Other cats depicted include Snappy, who has sailed around the world; Wild Boy, feral in the High Sierras; the talking feline Regis, and Max, who has learned to box. It’s all great fun….and wonderful art!

From her website: Emily Eve Weinstein is a muralist, portraitist, and teaching artist, While creating murals in various towns over the years, Emily realized that many of the youth were drifting about and getting into trouble. In response to this, Emily would hand them a brush and send them up the scaffolding to help. Recognizing their value to the community, Emily taught the youth important skills which enhanced their self-esteem.  As a result of encompassing the youth into her work, Emily’s murals soon began to foster a new and intrinsic community value.

Her murals may be seen in Durham and Carrboro (NC) and Long Island (NY)

Arlene S. Bice

0 thoughts on “Reverse Painting of Cat Lizzie”

  1. For some reason reading this and thinking about you downsizing and moving I thought of my mother in law, Dorothe. The last couple of years of her life she gave away things, sold things and designated things like pictures to family and friends. I thought it was wonderful. These things were hers even if they were given to her years earlier as gifts. I helped her. I would load a laundry basket at a time with papers. She killed three small shredders as she sat, read & remembered the bits and pieces of her life with her deceased husband and their 6 children. I admired her for wanting to go through everything so as not to leave it for anyone else to have to go through when she was gone. She was so happy to give her Christmas China to one of my daughters because she entertained and it now only sat in Mom’s closet as an example. The end of this story, when God called her home, was everyone happy she did what she did? No. If we can’t please everyone when we are alive I guess we have no chance of making everyone happy after we go home to God. So, if it makes you happy just do it anyway.❤️????

    1. Dawn. Thank you for your thoughts. Children often forget that Mom (and Dad) are people not just parents and have a right to do what they think best with their own possessions.

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