This portrait is very special to me....for it is a portrait of the payment for my very first commission as an artist.  Yes. My first payment as an artist was a kitten. And Theo was a very special kitten. I named him for one of my favorite artists...Theophile Steinlen who like me was a great cat lover.  Theo was wonderful....calm, lovely demeanor....died very young but I still consider him to be my spiritual studio companion, angel on my shoulder,  and muse.....and why I enter him into the EBSQ Familiar show....as I think of him as my "familiar". 

To me, when I hear the term familiar...I think of the wiccan term....familiars are benevolent spirits who help their witches/guardians...and that is how I thought of Theo..he will always be my spiritual guardian and muse....we had a special bond and that will never be severed....he is the cat on my shoulder and the muse to me always....