Water Cat

What the painting shows

The painting shows a grey cat drawn in a simple cartoon line, sitting on the surface of a calm sea as if the water were a solid floor. The cat is in the classic grooming pose: one hind leg is stretched high into the air, showing pink toe beans, the other lies to the side, and its long tail curls across the water.

The cat has huge round eyes with tiny pupils, a pink nose and a pink tongue sticking out, giving it a look of comic surprise, as if it has just been caught mid-wash. A small pink asterisk-shaped mark sits on its bottom, which is what the cheeky caption "The rear end of a water cat" is about.

The background is a wide, navy-blue sea stretching to the horizon, painted with small dabs that suggest waves, and a pale blue sky with white clouds. The clouds have a raised, silvery texture.

Technique and style

A horizontal oil painting on canvas that combines two styles: a realistic, painterly seascape and a flat cat figure in the style of a cartoon or meme, with a black outline and solid fill. The contrast makes the cat look like a sticker placed onto a classic marine painting. The clouds have an impasto texture with added silver paint.

At a glance

• Medium: oil paint
• Surface: canvas
• Orientation: landscape (horizontal)
• Dominant colours: light blue, navy, white, grey, pink
• Subjects: cat, sea, clouds, grooming, humour, cartoon

Fun fact

A cat's tongue is covered in hundreds of hard, hook-shaped papillae that are hollow inside, like tiny straws. A Georgia Tech team showed in 2018 that these papillae soak up saliva and deliver it deep into the fur, right down to the skin. The discovery inspired a grooming brush modelled on a cat's tongue.

Want a similar painting?

The Fart studio paints commissioned artwork: portraits of people and pets, landscapes and absurd scenes like this one. You can order a similar piece featuring cat, sea, clouds, starring your own pet, a loved one or your favourite place. Just describe your idea in the contact form and attach a photo.