The third in a triptych of black cat and seasonal flowers, rendered in the tradition of ukiyo-e (woodblock prints of the floating world) and shin-hanga (the early 20th-century "new print" movement). Cherry blossom branches trail down against an open blue sky. Beneath them, a cat quietly washes its face — unaware of the flowers, or perhaps simply at home in its own unhurried world. Three colours only: the blue of the ground, the black of the cat, and the lines that trace the blossoms and waves. Neither petals nor leaves are filled in solid — form is built from outline alone. I believe that restraint in colour is what allows a painting to hold your gaze over time. The third panel of the triptych "Cat and the Flowers of the Seasons." The series also includes Chrysanthemum (autumn) and Peony (early summer).