Our cat Roupie was hit by a car last Sunday and it left me a bit broken and empty. I won’t get into the specifics of why he was so important to us, but his sudden death, amidst all of what we’ve gone through these past years has taken a toll, and it makes the grieving process that much harder.
I think I needed to draw him, as a kind of catharsis. I don’t want to shy away from the many photos we have taken of him in the 8 years he’s been with us. I want to be able to look at these images and remember him fondly.
I find it utterly difficult to draw felines, there is something elusive about them, but Roupie is worth the extra effort. I attempted to draw his essence, his attitude and energy. He was a laid back, social and adventurous cat.
I used a textured watercolor paper (except for two drawings), which is not the best for pencil, but I’m considering adding color.
Roupie enjoying a ray of sunlight… He had the hugest mittens of them all and the silkiest fur.
Roupie in one of his classic sleeping poses. This cat might’ve had some hare DNA.
In the next two images (two different drawings), I drew Roupie from a picture taken at the crematorium, moments before his incineration. I know it may sound gruesome, but it takes away the power these images have on me. I don’t think I could’ve done it if he looked tortured, but he kind of looked asleep.
And probably because life is all about balance, Belu decided to pose besides his brother’s drawing. This one is very much alive and purring…
There are three more drawings of him that I don’t show here. I just couldn’t get the right expression on his face.
Farewell Gredin Soyeux, you will be missed…
