Cat Face Drawing By Mark Edward Westerfield Cushion

Cat Face. Drawing by Peoria, Illinois, artist Mark Edward Westerfield. I drew this at about my age 15 ... As I write this now in 2023, that would be 56 years ago! It won 1st Place in our Student Art Show. This was for our art class scratchboard project where we had to use a sharp tool to scratch away the top layer of black India Ink to reveal the white paper-board underneath. It is a rather unforgiving process. We were allowed to use a reference source from a stack of old books and magazines that the teacher had on the window ledge by his desk. In an old book he had I found a photograph of a cat which I chose for my reference source. I was a nervous wreck as I drew this never knowing if my next scratch would ruin it. I think the best feature would be those eyes. I often would tell people that had anyone showed this to me and offered me a million dollars to do it I would tell them I could not do such a thing. But here it is. I am left-handed, so I did this with my left hand. I took some art classes later in 1970 - 1973 but never did anything in way of art over a 30 year period (my age 21 1/2 - 51 1/2) as I worked at an offset lithographic print shop helping to print liquor labels! When that plant closed in 2003-2004, I decided to try taking fine art and computer art at our local college 2004 2005 where I succeeded in graduating top of my class 2005 with highest math placement and rare high geometry score! But, after all that, I got a real job in a warehouse counting construction tractor replacement parts we received from around the world, auditing them, repacking them, and sending them out to world wide dealers. So, this had nothing to do with art, to the anguish of my teachers. Mark Edward Westerfield 2023.