The latest entry in Merlin's bestiary. This ain't your friendly neighbourhood bongo cat! I introduce to you the cat sidhe! (pronounced "cat sidhe")
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| The fairy kitty - pencil on paper |
I've actually started writing a short story about Merlin and his relationship with the fey creature. So, I decided that doing a more detailed study for his bestiary was in order.
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| An early sketch |
The cat sidhe is a Celtic creature that stalks the Scottish highlands and is believed to be either a type of fairy creature or a witch that could transform herself into a cat. Either way, it's not a creature you want to mess with. When Merlin encounters one, this cat means business.
Merlin describes the cat as, "black as pitch with the exception of
the shock of white fur that burst from beneath its chin. Yet, its coat shimmered
and moved, showing off its unusual stripes, the deepest, most empty blackness
like the voids of the night sky. It had large blue-green eyes that shone like
two moons and fixed me in a chilling stare. However, the thing that showed its
true sidhe nature were its miraculous ears that twitched and flapped like bat
wings... As it moved, its form billowed like so many swirls of
campfire smoke, it’s midnight figure a flickering shadowy flame."
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| Sketch of Scottish wildcat |
My cat sidhe is actually a combination of a Scottish wildcat and the
Kellas cat (which is actually a hybrid of wilcat and domestic cat). However, what sets the cat sidhe apart are its over-sized fairy wing ears and large saucer shaped eyes I also thought that Celtic swirl stripes would add to its other-worldly.
I enjoyed doing the drawings in pencil as well as it allowed me to play about with shading, smudges and an eraser to achieve smoke like affects.
I'm having a great time working my way through the bestiary. I love the synergy between the writing and drawing. I always start with a quick draft of ideas then I begin to draw. Then, as I draw I come up with wee details that I then find ways to work into the writing. It's how I prefer to write and it probably takes longer than if I just sat down and bashed out a draft but it makes the experience richer and more exciting for me.
The full story of Merlin's cat sidhe will be in the bestiary when it's done but I hope you enjoy this tiny taster. You can check out some of the other pages from Merlin's bestiary about
the sidhe (fairies) and wyrms and
gargoyles as well. Next will be GIANTS!!!
Check out more from the Bestiary here!
Hope you enjoy!
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Buy 'Black Star' or 'Spirit Shear' on Amazon in the
UK and
US
I'm easing myself back into the writing game and fighting back against my shadowy inner critic by dipping into my first love - drawing. So, the bestiary has become my refuge where I get to write and draw and fantasise about all the fantastic mythological creatures of Scotland. And I'm pretty sure understanding the eachy might be the key to figuring out one of Scotland's greatest myths. Can you tell what it is yet?
