Hiboux: One of my four rescued friends
"If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other.
If you do not talk to them you will not know them, and what you do not know you will fear.  What one fears one destroys."
--Chief Dan George (1899 - 1981)
The avatar I use is a photo of a kitten who adopted me last fall. She came to my door one night, hungry and cold and in need of shelter. I had already adopted a rescued dog and 2 fostered cats (I have a friend who works in animal rescue), but another friend told me that being chosen by a cat was a special thing, so, here she is in her new home. I called her Hiboux (French for owl for those who don't already know), since she reminded me of a snowy owl tapping on my door.
Sorry I need a new digital camera. The one used for this photo was one of the first ones ever made that utilizes a floppy disc. I am attached to it, but thought it was more important to show off my kitty here since this is merely my "home" page and not a display of my digital art. I'll update it as soon as I can.
I live in the US Midwest, have a degree in landscape design, compete nationally (only in the US so far) in dancesport, and choreographed contemporary dance for over a decade. I've been writing since childhood--mainly for my own amusement. A few of my poems have been published in obscure places and I used to write many interviews which were published online for years. None of my novels have met the public eye yet and that's OK because for me "the joy is in the journey." ÂÂ
I'm hooked on creating digital art. I stumbled upon it when I worked online for 11 years as a content editor and became intrigued watching the medium grow. 3D art feels like a good niche for me combining movement, landscape, my love of nature, history, art, technology, myth and storytelling . . .  I love to experiment with software and hope to continue to grow as an artist. I'm in awe of many of the beautiful works shared on this site. I've also begun a blog here called "A Novelist's Adventures in Digital Art" where I list useful sites and tools I find along the way:
My Blog
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I consider myself a beginner at digital art. We all have to start somewhere. I try to encourage other creatives on all skill levels as often as I have time. I learn a lot from the artists I favorite here and even from private emails with tips if you feel so inclined. I dont allow ratings in my gallery anymore, because I don't believe in "grading" art--it doesn't fit into my personal philosophy. That said, I do often admire many of the talented professional artists and am happy when they are showcased on the art charts here and feel the rating system--though it has flaws--is important to honor excellence.  I do appreciate any comments and appreciate constructive criticism and suggestions.
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"Every artist was first an amateur."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
 Thank you for visiting my gallery!
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Comments (25)
magnus073
Cathy I think this is a splendid image and I could never tire of your beautiful Gypsy images. Your lighting here is really nice and serves to setup the scene so well
popeslattz
Enchanting. Love the way you've carried the reds of the dress into the foliage at the top of the image. A very thoughtful piece.
mgtcs
Splendid mood, lovely outfits, really great! Love her expression!
pops
Whaat a wonderful scene
Juliette.Gribnau
lovely design
Cimaira
Beautiful work.
tulipe
Beautiful image! There is a feel of secret and danger coming out of it.
e-brink
I like the way you have posed the hand holding the bar of the gate - very nice touch. I also like the way you haver used the plants to increase the entanglement of something forgotten, and yet still potentially able to bloom - overpowering the symbolism of the grave... it's never to late for ball Cinderella.
Miska7
Very nice scene. Great character, pose and outfit! Really well done.
tofi
Cathy, such a graceful and most beautiful image! They are so perfectly balanced, with the most provacative and superb backgrounds....... She's such a gorgeous young lady; I could never get sick of any of these posts.... in fact, it's a most appreciated, and pleasurable treat!
JSGraphics
Wonderful work! Really Well Done!
Darkwish
Beautiful work
three_grrr
The background is stunning, as usual, I love the gates, the whole scene is marvelous, with a fantastic mood. That sort of melancholy mood seems to fit this time of year.
kftate
Very lovely scene! Great character and mood. Very well done!!
drifterlee
Beautiful scene!!!!!
amota99517
Such wonderful work! Your scene has such a wonderful natural look.
NoelCan
Very nice render.. Sorry about commenting by cut and paste. It is going to take some time to catch up. A short stay in hospital and ongoing issues with Poser 8 don't help.. I am spending more time in the forum than render time.. Silly Me..
Zazou
Love the mood and composition here ! You do miracles each time ! Bravo !
SIGMAWORLD
Wonderful image!
Jollyself
the comp is excellent in this...well done
A_Joker_B
Top work!
faroutsider
Beautifully composed, with a high emotional quotient.
groegnitram
this is a beautiful image living quite a lot by its wonderfully mood, that door together with her waiting pose gives so many reasons to wonder and to ponder, wonderful attention to the details!
anahata.c
I thought I'd commented on this, but I hadn't: Here you have your lush design sense swirling in & out of the door, the lush greenery, the wrought metal itself (making curves & curls in and around itself), and what looks like a celtic symbol either by itself or carved into the stone. The gipsy is in passionate reds, and her dress & head scarf have elaborate flora as well, complementing the growth around the gate. Images like this (from you) have a lush overgrown feeling, and your people move through it naturally, whether in joy or longing or loss or peace. They seem at one with the surroundings. And you have what looks like a lightning filled sky back there, adding sudden flashes to the muted tones of the foreground. And above it all, those red leaves to balance out the greens & silver grays. It's an intense vision, and lush. And while we don't know what's forgotten, she seems to be thinking of something or someone beyond the boundaries of the piece. Another finely designed image, with intelligence and also lushness, and a sense of something beyond which is only a door away...It would be wonderful with gipsy music, like some of the music you brought us to in other of your images...
vapo
Beautiful scene!