Hello June!

This month’s calendar painting is In The Roses, featuring the unforgettable Pee Wee.

Pee Wee was a very unusual black cat with a passion for roses. When he was a kitten, his owner would sometimes search all over the house looking for him, only to eventually find him curled up in the roses, perfectly cosy and looking as though this was the most natural thing in the world.

I love everything about that. It’s funny, sweet, and exactly the sort of little story that makes an animal impossible to forget.

There’s something so lovely about a black cat among soft pink roses too. The contrast is gorgeous, but even better is the personality behind it. This isn’t just a cat in flowers, it’s Pee Wee, doing things his own way and choosing the prettiest napping spot in the garden.

He must have been such a character, and I think that’s what gives this painting its charm. It makes you smile straight away.