He’s My Dream Guy (But He’s Got a Cat)
In March 2026, I was commissioned to illustrate the lead image for the Los Angeles Times’s “L.A. Affairs” column.
The author wrote about how cats had always been a deal-breaker in dating — until she met the man she would marry.
For the final illustration, I wanted to show an uneasy alliance of three parties: she loves him, he loves his cat, and maybe she and the cat can make this work.
My visual approach: Two touching hands show a gentle loving relationship. The paw stacked on top gives it a sense of teamwork. And the claws just touching her hand represent the threat to be overcome.
See it online here!
Editorial for the L.A. Times
Visual exploration:
I presented three sketches for consideration, each based on a different emotional dynamic expressed in the article.
The first plays on the author writing that her “hill” was that she would not date a man with a cat, but found herself having to confront that head-on.
The second builds on that idea, but incorporates her partner and positions the cat more directly as an obstacle between them.
The third, which the editors selected, is a gentler approach, combining the elements of romance, teamwork, and threat. At the art director’s request, I explored ways to work the cat eyes of the first two versions into this composition, but we agreed that the eyes became the focal point and overpowered the subtle digging of the nails into the hand.
This article was published online on March 13, 2026, and in print on March 22, 2026.