Cats already inspire a range of feels in the human heart, but thanks to one artist, cats are helping us through the dark days in a series of comics about shifting perspectives with the hopes of boosting mental health.
Sometimes life can be overwhelming, but as Hector Janse van Rensburg illustrates, having a cat friend by your side can brighten the gloomiest of cycles.
By painting watercolor comics featuring his beloved cat Ona, Hector hopes to help people struggling with mental health issues by changing their perspectives. Painting under the moniker ‘Shi**y Watercolor’, Hector told Bored Panda his last series was “less optimistic, and this series is a bit like a response to that. They sometimes approach difficult issues like mental health, but the aim of the comics is not to solve the issues but to show a different perspective on them.”
Shifting Perspective With Feline Help
The watercolor cat helping to shift things to a brighter outlook in the comics is close to Hector’s heart. The positive perspective kitty helping a struggling man is based on his cat, Ona, “ who passed away a few years ago.”
Hector’s comics are not only a beautiful way to remember a cat best friend, but they also help those in need of some optimistic thinking.
When it comes to creating the comics, Hector said, “I think about the ways in which people can feel bad and how you might approach them as a friend would. I don’t think I find it too difficult to think of ideas which is probably a testament to how nice my cat was.”
Every cat lover touched by a special feline can understand this sentiment, as well as how much a kitty by your side can help the dark days. While we live to serve cats, they help us in so many ways too. Hector’s watercolor series certainly reflects this.
A Cat Dad Who Understands Needing a Different View
With a Philosophy, Politics, and Economics degree from the University of York, Hector’s career started on a very different path, but moments of downturn found him toying with an old watercolor set. From the set and the creativity flowing through Hector, his “little wobbly blobs of color” were born.
“Before I started painting online about 8 years ago, I had never had any interest in art and now it looks like that’s where my life is going,” Hector said.
Great news to hear, as Hector’s art helps shift perspectives when we need it most.
H/T: www.boredpanda.com
Feature Image: @swatercolour/Instagram