'Of the Night' 3

"Nocturne-Lucy (Cat)2"
oil on panel, 2010
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
private collection

The nocturne... it's origin, mid 19th century French from Latin, nocturnus, meaning 'of the night'.

A perfect subject for the nocturne, the cat. Surreptitiously slipping through the hushed night without a sound. Low to the ground, quick light steps with a purpose. It's shadow the only thing to keep pace.

My sister's cat Lucy. I spent what seemed like forever trying to capture the night shot, no tripod, handheld, just clicking away... far more challenging than the daylight, especially a moving subject. I would get the shot but not the action, the action so familiar to us... fleeting, almost unseen.

She finally had enough running around then just sat there watching me, with her curiosity, tilting her head and staring.106

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