A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Cat by Nia Gould

Author:Nia Gould [Gould, Nia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Published: 2020-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

Portrait of the Artist, 1878

MARY CASSATT

The Child’s Bath, 1893

MARY CASSATT

MEOWLMA THOMAS

1891–1978

Meowlma Thomas’s career path was not typical compared to many independent cat artists: She devoted over thirty of her cat years to teaching art in schools. It wasn’t until much later in her life that she decided to purrsue her own craft.

Born in Georgia and raised in Washington, DC, Thomas’s work was fairly representational after her art training in techni-cat school and for many of her teaching years (Paw Cézanne and Henri Catisse were influences).

Much later, Thomas’s work became more experimental, as she moved into Abstract Expressionism and was a key feline figure among the Washington Color School painters. Much of her inspiration came from nature, and she created simple still lifes with flowers and sunsets or iconography like hearts and stars, rendered in unique, abstract mosaics driven by studies in color theory.

Like many cats, Thomas was often seen sitting at her window, watching the play of light in nature. These views inspired some of her most famous pieces.

Although no longer a young cat when she earned her greatest recognition, Thomas neither slowed down nor became a scaredy-cat or sourpuss. She retired from teaching at seventy and started making art full-time. In the ensuing decade, she had a number of solo shows.

Many of her most famous works feature concentric circles, tail-chasings that use vivid greens, pale blues, deep reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows. Her inspirations included cherry blossoms, azaleas, and the florid world around her in general. Her signature fusions of color and pattern are joyful and bold and have become an important legacy to the hisstory of art.

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