Big Eyes Baby Blackie print drops 8/22/24

It’s been four years (August 22, 2020) since Blackie the Cat Baseman transitioned to another world. We miss him and continue to be inspired by his dynamic personality, wisdom, and compassion.

To honor the life of this special feline, we’ve made limited edition prints of Baseman’s 2022 painting Big Eyes Baby Blackie.

Get your limited edition print HERE
Only 100 available
Paper size: 14 x 11 inches (Image size: 12 x 9 inches)
Signed and numbered by Gary Baseman

Inspired by Margaret Keane’s The Stray (1962), this painting nods to Blackie’s beginning as a stray. One night during a severe El Niño storm, when the rain was horizontal, Blackie landed on the porch of the family next door to Gary Baseman. The young daughter named the fluffy cat Blackie.

Originally an outdoor cat that roamed the block, Blackie the Cat would hang out with Gary to watch him paint and draw. The artist appreciated Blackie’s candid feedback on his art, and also benefited from his healing power. When the next door neighbors announced they were going to move, Gary adopted him.

When artist Margaret Keane passed in 2022, Baseman painted his own version of a girl holding a cat. Keane was known for painting big-eyed waifs, children, and animals that were hugely popular in the 1960s. Her personal art story inspired the film “Big Eyes”.

Blackie the Cat had big eyes. He saw a lot and taught a lot to Gary Baseman and others around the world.

Give a second chance to a stray cat today. Please consider donating to your local animal shelter or Kitty Bungalow HERE.

Stay tuned for MORE Blackie the Cat art and stories by Gary Baseman…