When my kids were little, I used to tell them stories after I tucked them in. Not wanting to keep them up with a light, I’d sit in the semi-dark of the night light and make up stories. One I told them over and over (“Tell us the cat story, Mommy!”) was one called The Big Mean Cat.  When they were older, they were talking about how much they liked the story and seemed truly shocked when I told them that I made it up. They encouraged me to write it down. I finally did, and now I’ve decided to illustrate it.

I have a background in dabbling in art. I really got into the rock painting craze, back when it was about painting flowers and ladybugs and curled up fawns on rocks. I used acrylic craft paint and rocks I either found or bought at landscaping supply places. I bought two of Lin Wellford’s books on rock painting, painted rock after rock, and eventually sold some of my creations at a local farmer/crafter’s market, through a local dog and cat boarding kennel, and online.

One of my best rocks was a cat rock. I used the whole rock to create a 3-D version of a cat. Here’s a pic below:

That was over ten years ago. Now that I’m attempting to illustrate my story, I’m finding it incredibly difficult to create the protagonist cat. First of all, I’m not using my old medium of acrylic paint. Because it’s illustration for a book, I’ve been using pastel pencils. Secondly, I want the drawings to be simple and appropriate for a children’s story.

I started with a preliminary sketch of a kid-friendly looking cat. The results were, well…see below. This first version is too simplistic and not Big Mean at all.

The second version I went too far into Scary Cat territory. And I have no idea what I was thinking about the lion-esque hairdo.

I then ping-ponged back the other way, and came up with one I affectionately dubbed Goofy.

The next one, well, he looks shocked. Appalled, maybe. But I took more time with the technique and that part came out better, anyway.

After taking a break for several months, I came back to this task several days ago, determined to break through and finally create a cat that will work for my story. I mean, I did paint that cat rock, right? The guy below was the first of my newest series for my Odd Looking Cats portfolio.

With the above cat, I’d switched from oil to chalk pastels and chalk pencils, and felt more comfortable with that medium. However, I think he’s mournful looking instead of mean, and  instead of making a fat cat I appear to have given him the body of a bulldog.

Still, I kept trying. I Googled things like “fat cats”, “sad cats”, “sitting cats”, etc., trying to find inspiration that would come out the other end of my pastels and pencils. I found a picture of a black and white cat that I liked, and thought that maybe a color change would help. So here is the latest version of the Big Mean Cat below:

I feel that I’m getting there. This, finally, might be it–my Big Mean Cat. He’s not Simple, Scary, Goofy, Appalled, or Mournful Cat anyway.

I think I’ll try this new one in a couple of different poses, and start putting a background around him.

I’m hoping he doesn’t become another candidate for my Odd Looking Cats portfolio.