Entertainment

People are going mad for this incredibly regal portrait of a cat

“I finally captured exactly how I see her in my mind.”
“I finally captured exactly how I see her in my mind.” “I finally captured exactly how I see her in my mind.”

Every self-respecting monarch has a royal portrait. And that’s no different for Luna, an incredibly regal cat from Canada.

Her owner, Kimberly Summerscales, painted the Himalayan half-Siamese moggie, nicknamed Lady Luna, holding a bright pink dollar-store cat toy like a sceptre.

“Luna has always been a bit… well, cheeky towards most,” says Kimberley.

Kimberley's portrait of Luna in all its glory (Kimberly Summerscales/PA)
Kimberley's portrait of Luna in all its glory (Kimberly Summerscales/PA)
Kimberley’s portrait of Luna in all its glory (Kimberly Summerscales/PA)

“While at home with myself she is as cuddly and charming as anything, but as soon as anyone else is around she is definitely a princess.

“I’m sure she also believes herself to be royalty in this house.”

Luna’s aristocratic attitude wasn’t the only thing that inspired the painting.

Luna gives a glare from behind a plant
Luna gives a glare from behind a plant
Her owner says it’s Luna’s mannerisms that make her a lady (Kimberly Summerscales/PA)

“I had played around with the idea for a while and am an avid listener of classical music, so the image just came naturally,” the artist said of her process.

The 26-year-old, who is originally from South Africa but now lives in Ontario, said it took about a month for her to complete the painting, which was done with acrylics.

“It was originally supposed to be sort of a gag picture,” she says, “but the longer I spent on it the more detailed it became.”

Kimberley holds Luna
Kimberley holds Luna
Kimberley says Luna behaves like a princess around the house (Kimberly Summerscales/PA)

Kimberley says she has only been painting properly for two years, and began when friends started asking for her work.

And if you want a vintage-looking painting of your own pet, she’s now offering her animal portrait services in her Etsy store.

The cat sits on a scratching post
The cat sits on a scratching post
Luna playing in her kingdom’s cat tower (Kimberly Summerscales/PA)

She’s got more plans for a Lady Luna gallery, and is considering an outdoor portrait next.

But what does Luna think of all this?

“Besides being very jealous of all the attention it has gotten,” Kimberley says, “I’m not really sure she knows what it is.”