"Orwell's Cat"

"Orwell's Cat" 
Woodcut
5.5" x 8" (paper) 4" x 4" (image) 
Artist's Proof 

Someone on Etsy who liked my Cats A-Z prints asked if I'd do a print inspired by a photograph of George Orwell circulating around the Internet with his cat peeking out from behind him (see below). 

The request added: 

"I like the idea that he had a cat who wrote stuff only not as good,obviously." 





I'm all about the anthropomorphism of animals. So I came up with this. I tried to be subtle and put a pencil behind the cat's ear, but that's difficult since cats don't have ears like humans. I like the black and white, but I also did a hand-colored one and I think I like it better.