Mama Cat and Kittens

Scrappy

Quincy

Cat Sculptures

Cats have always been a part of my life. I have a deep affinity for these creatures within me that is so strong, that I often feel like a cat myself. This sense has been with me for quite some time and seems to be growing stronger as I get older.

After earning my MFA in ceramics from the University of Tulsa, and focusing on my "Fork in the Road" series I was ready for the challenge of a new direction. As life is want to do with one's plans, my artistic plans were abruptly pushed aside and my focus was shifted into the realm of my personal well being.

As I was in the initial stages of recovery from my hysterectomy feeling sad and weak and in fact very sorry for myself, one morning a couple of weeks after my surgery I finally willed myself out of the bed and into my studio. I could barely roll out the coils to begin working it was such a strain on my abdomen.

The first full-sized cat sculpture I created was "Quincy", a large sad-eyed cat that pretty well conveyed my emotional state at that time A few months later I went on a trip to the Greek Islands of Mykonos . Click on the photo below to visit one of my favorite web sites about the islands, Mykons.net. They have web cams set up that constantly update and a lot of terrific images to view.

The entire trip was amazing but what connected with me most was the cats. Cats, cats and more cats, they were everywhere. It almost felt as though I had come to a place that was setup as a cat sanctuary. Even though there were a large number of strays the merchants of the cities were extremely gracious in providing for them.

I have been making the small hand-held kittens for years, but I hadn't ever focused my sculptural work on cats. Something about the experience in Greece coupled with my recovery led me realize the source of my new muse.

Old Yeller

Cat's in the Family

Snowball was the name of my first cat. I was just entering kindergarten and she was my favorite dress up doll. I would wheel her around in my doll buggy, all dressed up and stroll the yard pretending we were going shopping. She was the first of many cats who have shared my pillow providing me comfort with their purring. To see the members of my current brood click on Shiva Marie.

Bunny Ray Pinkerton

Mama Cat and Kittens (2)

 Mama Cat in Garden(2)

Cats and Sculpture

Just before I left for Greece, I participated in the Blue Dome Festival in downtown Tulsa. One of the other artists there told me a story about a mother calico cat and her kittens that had been abandoned. The short version is I became a foster parent to them after my return from Greece and subsequently found great homes for the mother and two of the babies. Pictured below are the two who joined our family.

The next two cat sculptures I created were inspired by the mother cat with kittens who was abandoned. Since then, I've continued to create these special pieces and have done several commissions of these larger forms. I consider them works of love since they are very time consuming and require a good deal of attention. I prefer to create the sculptures as I am inspired. They seem to find homes almost as quickly as I am able to make them. I'm currently working on a series of cat inspired lamps that will be available sometime next year.

With the sale of artwork from our studio We like to support organizations that work for the well-being and care of cats and other animals. Below are a few sites that we are members of and feel are doing their part to be caretakers to our friends. Please visit their sites and remember to love your animals.    

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION

STREET CATS

PET & WELFARE ASSISTANCE SOCIETY