Why Cat Art?

I'm always trying to clarify why I do what I do.  Why do I focus so much on cats in my artwork?  

I recently came across an article that talked about creating a mission or purpose statement, and it had you ask:  what do you do? for whom? and why?  It suggested creating a one sentence statement that included: who, what action, what subject, what audience, and what benefit does your artwork provide.  

This is what I came up with.

"Nestled in My Heart"

I, create handmade linocut art prints, of cats, for cat lovers, to beautify their homes, and remind them of their furry loved family members.

That's it!!  That's my mission statement.

Another reason why I focus on cats is how much I love my own.  Primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, you know the woman who studied wild chimpanzees in Tanzania for years and is now an environmental activist, has said, "You cannot share your life with a dog or cat and not know perfectly well that animals have personalities and minds and feelings." I cannot agree enough.  If you are a cat person like me, you know how different each cat is from the other.  No two have the same personalities.  And I find cats, as well as dogs, just embody love.  My life has become enriched by all the furry companions I now have, and the ones who have graced my life in the past.  

Favorite furry family photo from maybe three years ago.

I have a book that I like called "Steal Like an Artist," and chapter three in that book is, "Write the Book You Want to Read." Because I am a visual artist, I have always interpreted that as "create the art you want to see." I love cats and I love cat art.  I collect cat art by other artists.  My collection is large and growing.  I am ALWAYS looking for new cat art or artists to follow who create cat art. Cats inspire me creatively. So I am creating the art I want to see.  

Hobbs

From the feedback I get from my collectors, there is an emotional connection to my art.  It reminds them of a cat, or cats they have, or of a beloved cat who has passed on.  How truly rewarding it is for me to know that my art is really connecting to people from a heart space. What more could I ask for.

Oreo

I was asked in an interview by Sam Marshall, another printmaker, on Instagram, if I feel stuck having to only create cat art since I have a large following of cat lovers online.  I thought about that question a lot, and I can honestly say, I don't.  I will continue to create art that comes from my heart. That's where my kitties reside.

"Window in My Heart"