Sawyer, my best friend's cat, passed away in July of this year (2021). He was a beloved cat and a true icon to those who knew and loved him. He holds a very special place in all of our hearts. I'd like to share a couple brief memories that I have with Sawyer that demonstrate his lovingness and iconicness.

When I would stay the night at my friend's house, there were many of us and so I often slept alone on the floor. On several occasions Sawyer repeatedly woke me up throughout the night (probably because I was the easiest to access) to stick his nose in my ear and purr like a motorboat, or to lick me, or to walk across me. To be honest he grossed me out and I often pushed him away until he left, but I knew that he just wanted some love, and I knew I could always count on Sawyer to be there for me when I was alone. He was almost like a weighted blanket. He was there to comfort me when I needed it.

At other times I would pet Sawyer. He was a big boy and couldn't reach very far when cleaning himself. So when I would pet him his reflex was to reach as close as he could to my hand and lick. It was hard to watch sometimes and, again, he was a disgusting boy, but he was our disgusting boy who we loved dearly. 

If you met Sawyer, you certainly couldn't help but love him.

The story behind this painting started when Sawyer's humans dressed him in a blue striped polo which his fur bulged out of. We were sitting in the driveway and decided to do a little photo shoot to capture the iconic look. A year or so later I decided to paint one of the photos to gift to my friend. Although Sawyer is not serving sexy looks like he used to, he will always be in our hearts and we will certainly never forget our amazing friend Soyboy. Rest in peace, big boy.