Mona Lisa didn’t own a cat. That we know of. We never will. Artist Leonardo da Vinci evidently resisted any request to include one in his iconic sixteenth-century portrait of a Florentine merchant’s wife, known forever after for her enigmatic smile.

    And lack of cat.

    I’m also an artist with a cat problem. Can cats smile?

    I say “Yes.” My grown daughters say “No!” They say I’m nuts for requesting photos of a smiling, or at least pleasant-looking, pussycat – which my youngest insisted I include in a portrait of her and her partner. Her human partner …

Bio:

Anthony Jenkins is an Ontario-based artist, writer, and father. The first two were trained for and rewarding. The last, he learned on the job (www.jenkinsdraws.com).