Rosetta Sculpture - Portfolio

DOMESTIC CATS

Simplicity

The essence of the domestic cat, plain and simple.

BFF (Best Feline Friends)

Having had the pleasure of sharing my life with many sets of two cats at a time, I can attest that they are not always “best friends”. However, when they are, it is a pure delight to watch them enjoy each other’s companionship in play, sleep and mischief! The beauty of the feline form is enhanced when their flowing curves and joyful expressions are doubled.

Cat Nap

For a long time my interest in sculpting animals allowed no room for the use of the human form as the subject of my art. However, there came a time that my interest in human/animal relationships started to show up in my ideas for sculpture. As the fourth piece in a series I have done on that theme, this image brings my thoughts about those relationships out of a historical context into a more personal, present day realm. This peaceful, mutually comforting scene is one that I know a great many of us relate to.

Regal Repose Maquette

This small version of “Regal Repose” is reminiscent of so many of our feline family members relaxing on their favorite comfy pieces of furniture.

Regal Repose

When our wonderful veterinarian, Dr. Stephanie Romm, retired recently, the other doctors and staff at the Blue Sky Animal Clinic wanted to give her a special retirement present: "a sculpture of her favorite office cat by her favorite sculptor.” Dr. Roberts, the instigator of the gift, said of Dr. Romm and the gift, “She has been an inspiration both personally and professionally to so many people. I know she will treasure this always.” Hopefully this sculpture will remind her not only of the beautiful Bengal, “Glenn” but also the seven of our cats and the countless other animals she cared for over the years.

On the Fence

An old fence post makes the perfect vantage point for this elegant feline to survey her territory.

Library Cat Maquette

This is a half-size version of my popular “Library Cat” sculpture. I find that lots of people love both cats and books, often have both on a lap at the same time (as do I), and so relate to this familiar image.

Cameo

We think our new kitty, Cameo, is beautiful (and cute) so it was an easy decision to select her as the subject for my Quick Draw sculpture at the 2016 Bighorn Rendezvous show at the beautiful new Brinton Art Museum in Big Horn, WY. The patina reflects Cameo’s muted calico coloring that the Maine Coon breeder called “cameo” coloring.

Jasmine II

Like "Tika II", "Jasmine II" depicts one of my studio cats that passed away in 2013. Both of their ashes are in their artist’s proofs in my studio.

Jasmine was the beautiful, sweet looking but unfriendly one. I always had to warn visitors not to try to pet her or they would get nailed, though she was always affectionate and docile with Mel and me. She was a holy terror at the vet. So much fight and so many decibels for such a small cat!

I called her our "box cat" because she immediately jumped on and claimed every box that arrived in the studio and climbed into every opened one, whether it was so big that she couldn’t get out once she jumped in, or so small that only her legs would fit inside. A small cat, she was nevertheless the dominant one, always intimidating Tika out of whatever new sleeping place that Tika may have found, with one exception: Tika claimed the high carpet-covered cat shelf with the cozy tunnel and Jasmine was never able to usurp it from her. They died within two weeks of each other at age 14 of kidney failure, as both were allergic, in their own ways, to the special vet food that might have kept them going a bit longer.

"Jasmine II" has been exhibited in the Society of Animal Artists Annual Exhibition and Tour, in “Animalia” at the Loveland Museum and “Animals in Art” at Mills Pond Gallery, NY.

Tika II

"Tika II" was an enlargement of my mini cat, Tika, and was my Quick Draw piece for the 2012 Western Rendezvous of Art in Helena, MT where #1 of the edition of 35 sold at auction. Tika was one of my studio cats, the friendly one who thought that everyone who visited the studio had come to see her.

"Tika II" was included in the traveling exhibit “Feline Fine: Art of Cats II”.

Peaceful Sleep

When the second of a dear friend’s two old cats passed away, I created this sculpture using as reference several photos she had of them sleeping together. Their relationship was not always this peaceful but now that they are gone I envision them this way forever in my memory. Casting #1 of this size of this sculpture will hold both of their ashes.

Peaceful Sleep Maquette

When the second of a dear friend’s two old cats passed away, I created this sculpture using as reference several photos she had of them sleeping together. Their relationship was not always this peaceful but now that they are gone I envision them this way forever in my memory. The large version of this sculpture will hold both of their ashes.

Library Cat

Azle Public Library in Texas lost their beloved library cat, Molli, while they were in the process of constructing their new library building. They commissioned me to create a sculpture of a cat on an open book so that Molli will live on in the library’s new location. I find that there are plenty of people out there who love both cats and books, often have both on a lap at the same time, and seem to relate to this image whether inside or outside of a library context - as do I!

Jasper II

Jasper II is an enlargement of one of my mini cats, "Jasper." I did this sculpture as my contribution to the Western Rendezvous of Art’s "Quick Draw" in August, 2008. This is always a fun event where visitors can watch the artists create a piece in 3 to 4 hours and then have the opportunity to bid on their favorites at auction. Of course, I can’t complete a sculpture in four hours, so I brought a rough clay I had put together in the studio in about two hours, and then spent another day at home later, refining the shapes. Casting #1 was enthusiastically purchased at the auction.

Curly

Every position a sleeping cat assumes seems to offer a different design solution for a sculpture. This one, obviously, suggested swirls and curls to me, so that's what I emphasized in this miniature, classic spiral formed piece.

Curly was my 2003 "Quick Draw" sculpture at the Western Rendezvous of Art in Helena, MT, #1 in the edition being purchased at auction there.

Two of a Kind

Two cats, rolled up together in a ball: the very picture of contentment. And a study in luxurious, flowing, swirling shapes.

This miniature piece was originally completed at the "Quick-Draw" at the Western Rendezvous of Art in Helena, MT. The first casting was auctioned there to benefit the art show.

Gatita

Gatita's pose was suggested to me by one of my studio cats, Jasmine, but as I worked on her, she began to look more like my other studio cat, Gatika ("Tika"). Since one of my mini cat series is already named Tika, I named it the Spanish for "small female cat" which is close.

This piece was created for the Western Rendezvous of Art "speed sculpt" in Montana in August, 2001 and the first casting sold in auction there to benefit the Northwest Rendezvous Group. It was finished up afterward in time to get #1 to it's owners by Christmas.

My cats never cease to amaze me with the variety of graceful poses they assume in the course of just being themselves.

"Gatita" has been shown at the Colorado Governor's Invitational and the "American Women Artists" at Columbine Gallery in Santa Fe.

4 Miniature Cats

(Group of four:) "Jasmine", "Sarifino", "Kuvo", & "Norton"
(clockwise from upper left.)
They range from 4" to 1.5" high, 4.5" to 3" long, 3.5" to 1.5" wide.
Editions of 50 each, ©2001, $775 each

Though photographed in a group for convenience, they are all separate sculptures.

We have had many cats over the years, both at the house and at the studio. I love to watch their antics and I can't resist capturing some of their poses in sculpture.

The group of five was featured in a miniatures sculpture exhibition at the Meguro Museum of Art in Tokyo, Japan, 2001, called "A shriek From an Invisible Box". Several of them have been shown at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and the Bosque Conservatory Art Council in TX.

5 Miniature Cats

(Group of five:) "Alfie", "Tika", "Brandy" "JASPER" & "Tiffany" (clockwise from upper left.)
They range from 4" to 1.5" high, 4.5" to 3" long, 3.5" to 1.5" wide.
Editions of 50 each, ©2001, $775 each, except for sold-out Tika, last AP, $795

Though photographed in in a group for convenience, they are all separate sculptures.

We have had many cats over the years, both at the house and at the studio. I love to watch their antics and I can't resist capturing some of their poses in sculpture.

Samantha

Samantha was one of my studio cats. I got her from the humane society to keep Kuvo company. Kuvo came from a tree in a friend's yard as a tiny kitten. Samantha taught Kuvo to clean himself and hunt grasshoppers.

"Sammy", as we called her, enjoyed posing for this sculpture and seemed to know exactly what I was doing. She just sat in this same position and looked at me while I was working on the clay, without any coaxing on my part. She was an elegant and loving cat as well as an excellent hunter, and definitely the dominant feline in the studio.

When I originally sculpted the 3" version I donated a portion of the edition to raise funds for the annual "Sculpture in the Park" show here in Loveland.

"Samantha" has been exhibited in the Colorado Governor's Invitational, the Bennington Center for the Arts in VT, The Nicolaysen Art Museum in WY, the "American Women Artists" at Total Arts Gallery in Taos NM and the Albuquerque Museum of Art.

Misty

Misty was one of my cats, a Birman. The irony is that I created this sculpture before I had the good fortune of finding her as a kitten at the Humane Society.

I had decided to do a Birman because their seal-point coloring, medium-long (silky soft) fur and very fluffy tail make them, to me, one of the most beautiful of the domestic breeds. I have discovered after adopting Misty that they are also one of the sweetest.

Unfortunately, Misty died in 1999. Her ashes are in my Artist's Proof of this sculpture.

Misty has been exhibited in "American Women Artists and the West" at the Tucson Museum of Art, the Nicolaysen Museum of Art in WY, the Society of Animal Artists Annual, a two-person exhibition called "Cat Spirit/Cat Strength" at the Beacon Street Gallery in Geneva, IL, and the Colorado Governor's Invitational.