midnightinchicago
If you are new to this blog, and are starting to read it from this blog entry, then you know nothing about Lola the Cat.
She is the Official “Midnight In Chicago” Studio Cat. Her full name is Maria de los Dolores and which, when translated means Mary of Sorrows. The name is usually shortened to the more colloquial form of Loli, Lolita or Lola. Lewis, who adopted Lola from the Peterborough Human Society back in March 2006, decided the cat’s name was Maria de los Dolores and then he announced she would be called Lola, for short.
Now getting back to this story about Lola the Studio Cat, I can assure you that if we were to let you listen to the outtakes from our podcast recordings, you would be privy to her meows in the background or her scratching at the studio door as she tries to get in or tries to leave.
Lola has always seemed determined to make her own inroads, niche and special place in the Midnight in Chicago project, so when I painted the front and back covers for the first “Midnight In Chicago” CD, I obliged her by putting her in one of the paintings that appears on the back cover.
That particular painting also appears on the back of the “Countdown to Midnight” CD. (It’s the one with the Canadian flag on it, in case you are curious as a cat). In the picture, Lola is looking out the window at the Peterborough, Ontario clock tower. You can see that she is a gray and white tabby, although I have streamlined her fur a little in the painting. In reality, she is long-haired, and on dry days she is as static–y as a shorted out electrical transformer.
Hang on a second. I think I may have forgotten where I was going with all of this. Any time you see an MIC painting appear on the front or back covers of the CD, there is usually something in it that pertains to the project, or to my life, or to Elyse’s life, or to Lola the cat’s life. You get the picture.
Just as this blog details some of the “inner secrets” about what drives the Midnight In Chicago initiative and its Creator and Co-Creator, the paintings and art cards give additional clues to who we are and what we do.
Regrettably, I cannot send out the “Midnight in Chicago” and “Countdown to Midnight” CDs to each and every one of you, but you can order the CDs online if you want to see the paintings close up. Plus, the same paintings that appear on the CDs are available as art cards and prints. The paintings appeal to both Canadians and US citizens alike. (There are also ringtones available for download, by the way, in case the paintings on the CDs leave you wanting a portable momento to carry around with you all day long).
Anyway, I just thought that I would write this in case any of you were wondering if the cat in the painting on the CD is real or inspired. The answer is, Lola is real, and she, herself, is VERY inspired.
Thomas D. Taylor
Co-Creator
MIDNIGHT IN CHICAGO
