Animal Inspirations

PIttaPat’s animal mugs are created using Fresco, a digital art tool, on an iPad. After having resisted digital art forever, I’ve fallen in love with it. It lets me create wherever I am, wherever I go. No muss. No fuss.

I like working in a series because it forces me to think more deeply about the subject, and to try different approaches and techniques. I picked animals for this effort because Mother Nature is a master designer, offering endless inspiration. And animals always seem to reflect a bit of personality that I want to capture. These images show what the paintings look like before they go on a mug.

To create these designs, at the end of my day, I pick an animal so that I can avoid morning decision-making. No waiting for the Muse. She likes to come sit next to me when I’m working. So, getting to work quickly is key to a productive and satisfying day. Once I pick the animal, I do a little research about their habitat, habits, and personalities. I check to see why my animal card have to say about their spiritual qualities. I try to inhabit them a bit. Sometimes I look to see what others say about them, poems and quotes and passages from books. Then I go to sleep. With luck, they’ll show up in my dreams.

In the morning, after I’ve taken care of all the usual morning things, I head to a cozy spot, pull out my iPad and create. It’s a great way to get warmed up, and to set myself in the proper frame of mind to go about the rest of my workday.

I hope you enjoy these designs as much I did creating them. To see the all of the animal designs, click here. If you take one home with you, I hope you cozy up to it before you start and end your day.

All of the images shown on these pages are under (c) Pat Collins 2022