It was my last day in Calabria, my cousin Peppino was showing me a part of the neighborhood of the little town of Sersale, the neighborhood where he grew up. We came upon a little courtyard that belonged to the Talarico family, distant cousins of mine and of his. It was filled with morning light and there were a bunch of feral cats there sunning themselves. In the moments before they fled, I was able to catch this scene with my digital camera – I knew right then that I was going to paint it. And I have, I’ve painted it 3 times already. The first time I painted this scene, the painting was auctioned off for the “Itty Bitty Kitty society” and earned them over $300 for their cat rescue operation.
These little cats cling tenaciously to life because of the kindness of humans nearby. They eat leftover pasta mostly, I really don’t know how they survive, they must catch rodents too! There are many people in Italy who cherish their little wild cats, but there are also those who think they are pests and who treat them cruelly. This is why they are so fearful. They don’t trust strangers, but they hope that you too, will be a friend to them. It is most obvious in their hopeful little faces. Each time I go to Italy I want to come home with a box full of kitties..

This painting measures 10″ x 14″ and is painted on Arches fine watercolor paper. It is for sale, $250.00