"Self Portrait for Good luck and Protection"

Egg tempera and oil glazes on panel

30" x 24", 2023

I grew up hearing from my mother that she didn`t like cats, especially black cats, many people around me back then believe in superstitions about black cats: they are bad luck, you cannot trust a cat because they are traitors and can cut your vein in the middle of the night if you didn`t feed them…Well, my cats would certainly do something to let me know that I forgot to feed them like jumping on my chest while sleeping or leaving a stinking poop out of the cat litter, they are such a smart creatures and its interesting the many superstitions surrounding black cats. In my subconscious mind, it kept influencing me since I had preference for white or orange cats. Until I got Mulder, he was a tuxedo cat and I loved that cat as I had never loved another pet. Then I got Mabel, a feral cat from the street and she is complete black and I also love her very much. Now I think I tend to prefer black cats.
This work is inspired in Mabel, my girl. I prefer to think like the ancient Egyptians that cats bring good luck in many ways, so I named this work: “Self-portrait for good luck and protection”.
Cats are protectors of the house and the energy on it. The necklace in the painting is a black obsidian talisman that also protect the energy and I wanted everything to be black, except the armchair. I could not resist to show the cat anus which is a way for a cat to show affection... so when you have a cat, there is always a possibility to wake up with a cat butt on your face…It hasn`t happened to me yet but I know of other people.

Detail:

+

 Copyright © by Miguel Tió