How Stan got framed

I was working on my artwork library and realized that I had all three versions of "Stan in a Frame".
I thought it was fun to see where it started and how it changed so I thought I'd post them all together so you could see the progression as well. 

I actually began this painting based on a story about my friend's 3 year old son having asked her to get a cat for him.  Specifically a grey cat which he wanted to name Stanley.  I knew she wasn't getting him a cat so I thought I would paint one for him instead.  But as you can see it turned into something else.

I thought the first version lacked something and was too hallmark greeting card and the second version was just sort of a mess. So I decided to work on the foliage and frame Stan's face because at the time I was working on it,  it was the part of the painting I really loved.

Stan got a new home a few days after I put him in that frame.   

 

"Stan in a Frame" backstory

This is "Stan in a Frame. My friend's 3 year old son told her he wanted a gray cat which he would name Stanley, but they're not "cat people" so he wasn't gonna be getting a cat.   I thought maybe I would paint one for him.   At first it was a cat standing amongst flowers and grass.  That looked a little too cheesy to me.  Then it was a cat in the bushes which just looked weird.  So then I just put a frame around the cat and added more bushes.  And he was white not gray.  But I did name him Stan. 

"Stan in a Frame"

Stan in a Frame (detail)