March: Estate Sale Treasures and Ragdoll Cat Illustrations

Estate Sale Treasures

Here’s a conglomeration of my finds from an epic-ly large estate sale I visited recently. It’s amazing the nonpareils that people collect over their lifetimes, and I always love imagining the quirky life stories of the homeowners.

My mom and her mom used to hunt estate sales together, and now she has passed on the knack to her three daughters. When we were little, I remember my dread when we’d drive by an unexpected estate sale sign – thus delaying whatever plans we might’ve had. But now, after a few decades of practice, I’m the one waking up early and standing in line to enter sales and flea markets. 🙃

I’m so grateful for my mom for teaching me the skills needed to shop sales like these – and I say “skills” deliberately because I think it takes a lot of practice, education, and experience to learn to discern quality as well as develop one’s taste. I’m growing more confident in my ability to pick out the treasures from heaps of disorganized old things, but it’s always more fun (and fruitful) when my mom’s here with me to be my mentor!

Prince Louie the Ragdoll Kitty Cat!

I used Lisa Bardot’s pet portrait tutorial as a guide for this flat, screen-printed illustration style. No need to reference stock pet photos when I’m lucky to have such a pretty kitty subject!