I am pretty far down the road with my painting. I like the reflective nature of the title and wanted to do some research on different cultures archetype for the cat. There is an abundance of history on the significance humans place on the cat going back to cave paintings. What resonated with me is the cat as an archetype or model for freedom or independence. When I was young I associated the falcon with wild independence and painted a rather stark self portrait of myself as a falcon in a cage. I have mellowed somewhat and decided to use the cat as a stand in for a self portrait of myself in my new and softer cage. Freedom is a relative concept; the cat will be the focal point of the story in my new painting. The need for freedom is a universal theme with which humans can relate.
