Brothers

Our friends all know that Sarah-Hope and I are certified Crazy Cat Ladies. We have had many feline companions in our lives, and they all have special places in our hearts.

One such place is reserved for Woody, full name Woodrow Mycroft Keeper. He and his brother, Sparky –Spartacus Gladstone Keeper– came to Sarah-Hope from her veterinarian, who had adopted them from a man giving away kittens on a roadway median. Sparky and Woody were full of vim and vigor, running and tumbling and playing the game “Sparky must die! Woody must die!”, biting and kicking and being fierce little kitties, until they collapsed exhausted into a heap, sleeping curled up in each others arms. We were convinced that they thought they were a single entity, capable of living in two places at once.

Sparky and Woody grew into handsome young toms. Woody in particular was the king of the neighborhood, strutting up and down the sidewalk, lord of all he surveyed. Unfortunately, he had a bit of the wanderlust, and was often reported seen several blocks away. This led to his tragic end, hit by a car on a busy nearby street, just about the time of his first birthday.

It so happened that I had taken pictures of the two boys napping together that very afternoon.

This past Christmas, I surprised Sarah-Hope with a first proof of a print made from this photo. I finally finished the carving, and printed the full edition this week. Here it is:

Brothers
Linoleum block print
Edition of 23