Catching The Morning News

Our cats, Athena and Neko, are so happy when my wife, Tammie, and I get up in the morning. It's not for our affection or company. It's not even for breakfast. They've been waiting patiently until I open the front door so they can watch the outdoor activity including the birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and people walking their dogs. Sure, they can view all this by sitting on top of the front room couch against the window, but they much prefer lounging in the doorway bathed in morning sunlight.

One recent morning, I took a photo of Neko looking out through our glass storm door. I loved all the color on our front porch as a result of the beautiful potted flowers my wife set on it along with her summer decor of flags. I took my time painting this over the long Labor Day weekend. On the morning of the third painting day, I saw Athena laying by herself at the door and I knew I had to add her to the painting.

I loved how this turned out. Even though it's a calm moment, I think that all the dappled light and the colorful flowers add activity to the scene. To most people, it might be a mundane moment, but to our girls, it's full of exciting things to watch. I was tempted to add some of things they saw, but decided to leave them out. I'll let the viewer decide what's catching the eyes of these curious cats.