Posts Tagged ‘cats’

Great Heights

Posted 20 Apr 2012 — by Kevin Spear
Category children cartoons
6467dfcd36e4b99d64fe76f169a9c308 Great Heights

Spear 3863 1 Great Heights

Cartoon of a girl scolding a kitten. She says, “Come down from there! Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Heights and obstacles are a matter of perspective, aren’t they? Whenever a child is convinced an obstacle is just too much for them, I need to remember it really does look as big to them as they imagine it. Part of the challenge is to convince a student they can overcome an obstacle without belittling or minimizing their fear.

How do you get a child to overcome an an obstacle in a respectful, encouraging way? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week’s word is “heights.”

 

Pardon Me/Love Me

Posted 05 Apr 2012 — by Kevin Spear
Category animal cartoons
6467dfcd36e4b99d64fe76f169a9c308 Pardon Me/Love Me

Spear 3859 Pardon Me/Love Me

Illustration of a man reluctantly holding a loving cat.

Sometimes love come when you least expect it… or want it. Cats are notorious for wanting affection on their own terms. I believe they wait until the least opportune time, then spring into action. Of course, they don’t care to love you when you come home. They wait until they are certain you are about to begin a new project.

One nice about having a cat, is they help promote procrastination. Everybody can use that, right?

Perfect Personal Space

Posted 13 Mar 2012 — by Kevin Spear
Category animal cartoons
6467dfcd36e4b99d64fe76f169a9c308 Perfect Personal Space

Spear 3855 Perfect Personal Space

Let’s face it. Cats are not known for respecting personal space. Lately, our cat has been particularly neurotic when it comes to morning attention. It makes it hard to put on your thinking cap when the cat is atop your head. It makes me frantically look for a catnip mouse or a can of tuna as a distraction.

If your cat is keeping you from morning productivity, here are a few things you can do:

  • Try reverse psychology. I’ve noticed if you want to pet cats, they run away as if you’ve sprouted a second, evil head. If they think YOU want attention, they’ll sense they are no longer in control and run.
  • Stand up and walk. Cats are not keen on maintaining balance on moving objects.
  • Keep the coffee from the cat. The last thing you need is a neurotic AND a caffeinated cat.

Hang in there. This too shall pass!

Can You be Popular?

Posted 10 Feb 2012 — by Kevin Spear
Category Illustration Friday
6467dfcd36e4b99d64fe76f169a9c308 Can You be Popular?

Spear 3848 Can You be Popular?

Cartoon of a girl with a can of tuna. She is surrounded by cats. The girl says, “Popularity is easy. All you need is a can of tuna.”

How can someone be popular? Why is it some people always have a flock of admiring fans around them? Some people have charisma. Others have money, skills and a winning smile that seem to flock people around them like cats to a can of tuna. I can’t control whether I get the red carpet treatment, but there are a few things that I’ve learned will help.

Be Generous

It doesn’t matter if you have much or a little. I’ve seen rich people who were selfish and poor people who were generous. Guess which ones were more popular? Generosity with your time, resources and compliments always bring people your way.

Smile a little

So often, I forget to smile. Yet when I do that simple thing, it’s amazing how people react to it. It’s another thing to be generous with. We all search for a pleasant look and a friendly face.

Forget About It!

Whenever I’ve fretted over what people thought of me, I’ve made myself so nervous I didn’t want to be around me! It’s one of those paradoxes of life. If I fret about being popular, I turn people away. When you relax and just be yourself, people will begin to relax around you too.

I drew this cartoon for Illustration Friday. This week’s theme is “popularity.”

Kitty’s so Vain

Posted 18 Nov 2011 — by Kevin Spear
Category Illustration Friday
6467dfcd36e4b99d64fe76f169a9c308 Kittys so Vain

Spear 3824 300x279 Kittys so Vain
Illustration of a cat admiring her reflection in a mirror. A dog looks on.
It’s so hard to be humble when the hair on your face is so luxurious. I’m sure that’s what my cat said to me this morning. She knows I’m jealous because she can grow better facial hair than I could ever hope to achieve.

I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week’s word is “vanity.”