Her name is Opal. We got her nearly five years ago at a local shelter. My husband and I fell in love with her inquisitive nature and her blue-green eyes - hence her name. Gray all over, she gets a rusty "tan" all over her back starting in the spring when she endlessly hunts for the sunniest napping spots. If I'm painting or sketching, rest assured she will always appear. There is the curious inspection of my all my tools and the tentative sniffing of my sketchbooks before she settles down for a nap. Luckily, I either use a waterbrush or keep vigilant so that she doesn't end up lapping at my wash water. So far, so good.

It's nice having her around. Before her, I never imagined myself to be a cat lover. She's been such an amusing addition to our lives. So often she ends up being my model. Too bad it's always napping poses.