Last November, a client commissioned a series of three paintings as a heartfelt gift for close friends. This is the second piece in that series, called "5 cats." I created it for a couple who adore greenery. A perfect match, since I’m a huge fan of foliage myself! In fact, I used some of my own plants as inspiration for this painting.
I had so much fun composing this piece, but it came with its challenges. The canvas was tiny, making it tricky to work with my usual technique—acrylic underpainting topped with oil. On top of that, this piece leans toward a more contemporary style rather than strict realism, which gave the kitties a charming 2D quality.
Beyond the technical hurdles, working on this painting was emotionally difficult. This past winter was incredibly tough—I lost my cousin unexpectedly. He was a Marine, and we grew up wrestling, playing pretend as witches and wizards, and watching Naruto together. His passing made it hard to focus on art, but I pushed myself to make steady progress each week. In the same season, my fiancé’s childhood town, Pacific Palisades, was devastated by wildfires, reducing his mom’s home to ashes.
There’s a superstition that cats absorb negative energy and neutralize it. While I don’t have cats (yet!), I believe in that idea. In a way, the cats in this painting helped me through a very heavy time. Still, I poured love and care into every brushstroke, and I’m incredibly proud of the final piece.
After some holiday shipping delays, the painting finally reached its destination—and the couple was overjoyed! It’s always fulfilling to create something deeply personal and meaningful for others, and I’m honored to have been part of this gift.
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
Also... you might have noticed the change in the url from trishaaguinaldo.com to trishageisler.com. You can probably guess what happened. 💍