Tortoiseshell Cat in a Window Box

Only the cat's head and shoulders rise above the window box, but that is enough to make the flowers look watched. Rust, black and cream patches break across the tortoiseshell coat, while white blooms and trailing leaves spill over the chipped blue sill. Warm indoor glass sits behind the face.

The cat's markings are irregular, so match the direction of a patch around the cheek or ear rather than its color alone. Flower centers make small white groups inside the larger green mass. The sill supplies a firm horizontal line. Use its chipped paint to tell real blue from the cooler reflections in the window.