On June 3rd, a wee, approximately seven weeks old black and white Tuxedo kitten wandered onto our lawn. What was so odd about this kitten’s appearance is that there was neither a Mama cat, nor sibling kittens to be found anywhere else around! So tiny at first, the kitten could practically fit in the palm of our hands. It was strange because the kitten arrived shortly after we lost Toby, not to mention it had the same coloring and similar markings.
Initially, we thought it was a little girl, but within another week of growth, there was no denying that this kitten was a full blood male. We then decided to name him Felix which is a Latin derivative for “happy” and “lucky”. And, that he certainly was!
I had written to numerous inmate artist friends about our new furry family addition, and one talented man wrote back the following:
“This has to be God’s way of bringing you some joy and love through life after the tragic loss of Toby. When I was first reading about Felix in your email (i.e., Jpay messaging), it reminded me of a painting I had seen of Felix the Cat. And, I wanted to do something similar to welcome him to the family. This was my first time using newspaper as part of my mixed media. Take care of yourselves and enjoy your new furry bundle of joy!” – Amir Shahideh
Enclosed in the artist’s package was a bold and colorful 11” x 14” painting on canvas board of who else, but Felix The Wonderful Cat!
Thank you, Amir for your kindness and generous gift of art!
Enjoy!
Leslie, Director
Art Credit: Amir Shahideh