Shadowing a Cabin -Fevered Cat

Drawing inanimate objects has its pleasures (including the intense joy of controlling so many elements!), but sometimes I feel like throwing away control and caution and using a fat brush and doing gesture drawings.  Today, after so many days spent mostly indoors, Jesse was showing signs of great unhappiness and even anxiety; he wanted to be near me every minute, but he kept asking to go outside too.  I grabbed a brush and a blob of raw umber watercolor and started  shadowing him.  On the left above he was sitting in a position with his front paws ready to spring, but nowhere to spring to.  He then straightened up his front legs and did a little grooming,  untucked his tail, but held it stiffly up.  On the right he has slumped over into furious grooming.

On the left he stands at the front window in a stretch, leaning forward studying the bleakly white front yard where a few robins are enjoying a Jesse-free time.  He then wanders over to his small treats bowl.

After eating it is time for more grooming, and then he asks to go outside.  On the right he's scratching the back porch rug, which is draped over a wicker chest to keep it off the snowy floor.  Jesse loves this rug ever since I draped it:  he scratches it, stretches into a good down dog against it, crawls under it where it forms a little tunnel.

Then he hops up on the picnic bench on the porch and sits staring out into the backyard.  After a few minutes his paws must be getting cold because he asks to come in.  He goes straight to his treats bowl, but acts like he's pouncing on a vole as he approaches it.

Here he has spotted me drawing him and is in pounce position as he goes crazy at the sight of a paintbrush in motion.  Next to him is my paint water bowl full of pigmented water.  He has just been trying to drink from it even though he can't fit his face into the opening, and he can never quite reach the water level, which I keep low on purpose to keep him from drinking pigment!