I’m Nova, and my name means new beginning, which is true for me and my human mom, Amanda. Ever since she rescued me in May 2020 and brought me to live with her in her home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, I’ve been her studio assistant — and even enjoy helping her draw with charcoal. I especially like to blend it with my tongue. Yummy! Sometimes, I lick the table where her oil paint palette sits and that’s not so tasty.
Every morning, I greet Amanda and rub her legs as she gets coffee, and then she brings me my pot of grass to chew while she sits on the deck with her coffee. I’m jealous she gets to be so close to the birds, so I sit at the deck door and watch to make sure they don’t bother her.
I can often be found reorganizing the base of her easel next to the sofa in the living room, or stealing pencils to play with.
Fetch is one of my favorites. I also adore helping her package up paintings for art shows and for collectors. The wire is so fun to play with and so many boxes! I’m in heaven here.
Once mom settles in to paint her flowers and landscapes, she zones out and doesn’t even know I’m there, so I usually go nap under the bed or on my window perch, or with my human dad, until I decide she’s had enough work and needs to play with me or sit on the sofa and let me cuddle up against her chin (one of my favorite spots!).
Recently, mom won a national PleinAir Salon award for her painting, Dogwood Reverie. This means she’ll be entered in another big contest and will have her work featured in PleinAir Magazine. I am proud of her but am already telling her to get back to work!
I hear her talking a lot lately about a “new studio,” “more space” and “the house,” so I think we’re moving soon. I’m also curious about this other word she keeps mentioning: “puppy.” Either way, as long as I can keep assisting her art practice, helping her get exercise by playing fetch with me and giving her snuggle breaks, I’ll be a happy feline!
