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 (30)
NoelCan
Very impressive scene, very good posing and light..
ragouc
Well done.
jascorpio
lovely scene.
blankfrancine
Beautiful setting and character,Cathy.
magnus073
Cathy you did such a splendid job of breathing life into the old classic poem, wonderful work
lucindawind
fantastic work . .very beautiful :)
magichild2
This is a beautiful piece of work...excellently done.
Cimaira
Beautiful work, wonderful posing and composition.
tofi
Absolutely over-the-top, my Friend! The details and the setting are heavenly, and so much to take in and admire! Lovely hair and characters! They seem to express a bond in their very expressions! Wonderful image and creativity!
e-brink
Excellent scene and I like the lighting on the bridge - a nice dappled effect. I also like the flowers everywhere, particularly the foxgloves. The horse looks a bit surprised... or is that delighted.
tulipe
What a beautiful composition! The bridge looks really good.
JSGraphics
Outstanding! Well Done!
mgtcs
Wonderful representation of Lady Godiva my friend, excellent work!
Miska7
Very nice scene. Great character, models and lighting! Really well done.
zil2008
Very nice. Love the horse.
giovanino
Gorgeous work and lovely light and effects!
SIGMAWORLD
Very nice work!
stevey3d
Wonderful image Cathy! Superb detail and composition!
amota99517
Powerful scene work!
Jollyself
great comp and I love that hair
popeslattz
That's the girl with the chocolate, right? Beatifully set up and rendered.
psyoshida
Absolutely fantastic scene. I love everything about it. The horse looks rather dubious about the situation. Beautiful job on the hair and the landscaping is luscious and wonderful.
three_grrr
I love the almost belligerent look on Lady Godiva's face, and the wide eyes of the horse! So fitting to the story! Beautifully done, the setting is awesome, and posing is particularily well done, it can't be easy to get Godiva to sit so comfortable side-saddle on the horse!
anahata.c
lol, Rita, if that were 'me' on the horse, you wouldn't have to worry about me being "comfortable": I'd be on the ground cursing the freakin' horse! (Maybe that explains the horse's expression--ala e-brink: Maybe the horse is thinking: "Lady, have you ever ridden one of these before???" I love her frontal pose here, she's absolutely fearless.) Well, from what I know of Lady Godiva's legend, she rode through town naked to convince her husband to lower tariffs & taxes on the people. A noble soul. Her nakedness, I assume, was a protest against riches; and here she seems almost determined to not look rich: Her opulence is in her lack of anything but her own heart & soul. In fact, her hair (which you've rendered beautifully) is her only gown, and it's riches enough for her. The rest of the image is a rich fairy-tale scene, it opens up from right to left, she & the horse are placed right in the center, and the house is behind her, stately & buttoned up; and the sky, in the direction she's riding, is more ominous than the sky where she came from. Nice touch, Cathy. Past & future in one image. I don't remember Tennyson's poem, but I do know that he painted her as a powerful soul who leaves nature bowing in her wake. And I like the gold of the reigns, and the dappled light, and your wholly beautiful treatment of the scene itself. Beautifully composed & rendered. Another of your fine designs & portraits of a soul with great courage & conviction; and she's embarking on a great journey...
adrie
Very beautiful and lovely scene my friend, everything is just so perfect....excellent work love it.
Zazou
Wonderful scene !
faroutsider
LOL This is great! She looks formidable (and really annoyed), and the horse... well, the horse doesn't look too pleased either! Not sure what exactly you had to get out of your system, but this is certainly cathartic! Good'un girl - go get 'em!
tennesseecowgirl
Impressive work, dreaming feeling. And I love the bridge with the flowers lined around it nice touches.. Have a nice day!
beatoangelico
fantastic work....very beautiful scene..!!!
Osper
Hmmm! Not quite what the song portrays!!! ;) Love the horse's expression "Now what?" Neatly done!!!!