Category: cat art

Fab Ferals – Drawings of Actual Feral Cats

"Oreo" Fab Feral Drawing #1
“Oreo” Fab Feral Drawing #1

T.S. Eliot wrote poems about a colony of cats that eventually were compiled into the book Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. Andrew Lloyd Weber adapted the poems into the musical Cats, which was the second longest-running show in Broadway history. I read once that the poems were inspired by an actual colony of feral cats that Eliot tended.

Much like the famous writer, I too am charmed and inspired by the antics and independent dignity of free roaming cats. Unlike pets that people keep in their homes, these animals live simply for the sake of being a cat.

So called feral cats are unsocialized to human contact, and they are often the offspring of abandoned and stray pets. Feral cats multiply much too quickly, though, and they become unwelcome pests in many areas.

As a volunteer with Peace for Pets, a nonprofit organization in Stark County, Ohio, I have been performing Trap Neuter Return (TNR) interventions with feral cats to reduce the overpopulation of free roaming cats in the area.

Mama Kitty - Fab Ferals Series #2
“Mama Kitty” – Fab Ferals Series #2

This summer, I have participated in TNR with several feral cats, and much as Eliot was inspired to write, I have been inspired to draw the cats in a new series of original drawings called “Fab Ferals”.

Each drawing is 5″ x 7″ and matted for framing in an 8″ x 10″ frame. I am selling the drawings in my Etsy Shop if you would like to purchase them. New drawings will be added daily, so visit often! 10% of the sales from the Fab Feral series will be donated to Peace for Pets.

Some of these cats have been named by the humans who feed them and manage their colonies. “Oreo” above is a male cat who has spawned many young kittens, but he is now neutered and will no longer contribute to the overpopulation of free roaming cats. “Mama Kitty”, a female cat who makes a pallet factory her home, will be a “mama” to no more kitties thanks to TNR.

You can learn more about the process of TNR at the Neighborhood Cats website. TNR is not only the most humane method for controlling feral cats, it is also the most effective method.

I hope that you enjoy the drawings, and I hope that you support TNR in your Community!

 

I love your artwork! Do you have something I can afford?

ACEO cat drawings by BZTAT
ACEO drawings by BZTAT

I have heard other artists lament that viewers often complain about the price of their artworks, suggesting that the work is not worth the stated price. I am lucky – I don’t usually get that. Most people recognize the value off my work, even if it is well outside of their price range.

Still yet, I believe art is for everyone, not just those who have a higher level of affluence than others.

I do not want to sell myself short. After all, selling art is my livelihood. But it is possible for me to make artworks in varied price ranges.

I have been making some smaller drawings called ACEOs (Artist Trading Cards) so that my fans can collect smaller, lower priced artworks, yet still enjoy high quality fine art.

The selection above represents some of the ACEOs that are available. There are many more! Each is a separate 2.5″ x 3.5″ drawing. I am selling them for $15 each to help ensure I that I can cover my cat Slick’s future veterinary costs. My hope is to sell a bunch of them, making my work affordable for my fans and making my cat’s vet costs less daunting.

I have created an Etsy shop to make them easier to sell. You can visit the shop here.

Although ACEOs are small, they are still very collectible, and can be framed and enjoyed as great decorative items. My hope is that you will enjoy them, and visit the Etsy shop often. New items will be added all the time. Eventually, I will be adding drawings and paintings as well. Stay tuned!

Happy Birthday Brewskie Butt!

Brew on the Beach - painting by BZTAT
“Brew on the Beach” – painting by BZTAT

Brewskie Butt is both my muse and a thorn in my side. He is my feline companion who inspires my artwork, but also gets on my nerves with his crazy antics around my home.

Nonetheless, I love him dearly, and we make quite an artistic team.

I don’t know his actual birthday, but the vet seems certain that he was born sometime in April of 2004. We celebrate his day on April 1, because he is such a fool.

Happy Birthday Brew. May you have many more years of purring and driving me crazy!

The painting above is for sale. It measures 22″H x 28″W and is acrylic on wood. $350 + shipping. Please contact BZTAT if you are interested in purchasing it.