"Big Grey Tiger Cat" by Willy Reddick

Image reposted with the permission of the artist. More about Willy Reddick and her work can be found at her website here.

A cat on a mat, asleep on its back. Soft, white paws limply bend while ears casually creep off the makeshift bed. A most comfortable, vulnerable sleep; the exposed belly, muzzle, paws, all blinding white amidst a dizzying sea of red and purple patterns. A white that gives the eye a rest between the busy braids and tiger stripes resembling purple seaweed. A white that takes on a life of its own, as if the naked, dove-shaped soul of the animal will soon take flight, leaving its skin behind. Like a snake shedding its skin, like Bartholomew or Hypatia.