Thomas O'Malley the alley cat - a sumptuous sea food banquet set before him. He is only interested in the little gold fish swimming around in chardonnay. What can we read into that? This image was a joy to create. All of the seafood was from a local dealer, as was the fruit and wine...the dishes are all odds and ends from mum's pantry, including my grandparents wedding platter and tablecloth. O’Malley the star pussy cat is my brother’s pride and joy.
In Dutch still life, a decadent seafood banquet was a symbol of high living. The dragonfly is a symbol of death (he's ready to devour the smaller insects) as of course is the skull. Cats and oysters can both be viewed as objects of lust and sexuality.