On the 5th Day of Catsmas, my kitteh gave to me 3 Mini Cat Prints.

Entries for this prize have closed, and the winner will be announced shortly. Check back to see if you’re the winner!

Day 5’s prize is a group of THREE ACEOs — YOUR CHOICE from Gingercat Press. Read The Cat’s Meow’s interview with Tara of Gingercat here.

“ACEO” stands for Art Cards Editions and Originals. They are small (3-1/2″ X 2-1/2″) signed prints that are extremely versatile. You can display them on stands, mat and frame them, or include them with Holiday cards as little gifts. The winner can choose from more than 60 whimsical prints.

Click here to see the complete selection of ACEOs from which the winner can choose.

She will ship anywhere in the world.

TO ENTER

Leave a comment on this post. Be sure to enter a valid email address so we can contact you if you win.

RULES:

• Only one entry for each prize per household.
• Winner will be drawn from all valid entries using random.org.
• If the winner cannot be contacted successfully, another winner will be drawn.

ENTRY DEADLINE:

We’re not telling, so leave your comment right now!

Throughout the 12 Days of Catsmas Giveaway, we’ll be drawing winners, but not necessarily in order. So the Day 4 prize winner could be drawn on December 5th, and the Day 1 prize winner could be drawn on December 12th. Winners will be announced on the original prize post, so you’ll know when entries have closed for each prize.

All prize winners will be drawn no later than December 13th, and a complete list of winners will be posted on that day.

Good luck! And come back tomorrow to enter to win Day 6’s prize!

• Click here to enter the drawing for Day 1’s prize: “The Cat Lover’s Daily Companion.”
• Click here to enter the drawing for Day 2’s prize: The Calvin Memorial Holiday Gift Set
• Click here to enter the drawing for Day 3’s prize: “Homer’s Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned About Love and Life With a Blind Wonder Cat”
• Click here to enter the drawing for Day 4’s prize: Pets-Eye-View Cat Cam

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Wrap Up: List of All 12 Days of Catsmas Winners
• The Pets-Eye-View Camera Winner is….
• The Winner of the Custom Cat Portrait is…
• The Winner of the Pet First Aid Kit and 111 Zealies is…
• The Winners of the Catnip Grab Bag are….

Today, in our ongoing series of profiles of Cat Lady Artists, I’m interviewing Tara Anderson, the creative spirit behind Ginger Cat Press.

Tara grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and studied illustration and fine art at the Ontario College of Art and Design. She worked for many years as a children’s bookseller before returning to painting and starting a new career as a cover artist and children’s book illustrator. She now lives on a 200-acre farm in Ontario where seven domestic cats and numerous barn cats provide inspiration.

Karen: Tara, introduce me to your cats!
Tara: I have seven cats. Blondie, Teddy, Red, Cooper, Oscar, Milo, Zoe, Gracie, and Bear.

Karen: Have you always been a cat person?
Tara: I have always been an animal person.
Cat, dog, bird or mountain lion, it doesn’t matter I just love animals. I ended up living with cats when I came to the country. My treasured childhood pet was a dog named Buffy. Buffy and I grew up together. We went everywhere together. In high school all my friends and I would walk her for hours after school. Back then I would have told you I was a dog person.
Karen: Teddy (right) is a cutie! Can we expect to see more paintings of him?
Tara: Ah Teddy… Teddy is Blondie’s son. He is a sweet shy boy. Generally I am the only person who is allowed to touch him. We decided as a family to keep Ted because he was so shy.
Shy cats often will end up in shelters just because they are so independent. We didn’t want this fate for Teddy. I constantly paint my cats so yes, Teddy will appear in future pieces.

Karen: What makes Ted a good subject?
Tara: Ted makes a good subject because I have a connection to him. All of the subjects in my art are like that. They come from my environment. I sometimes use photo reference for backup after I have many sketches. I like to draw and paint out of my head so I naturally draw what I know best. For me my best paintings come from the heart.

Karen: Do you foster kittens?
Tara: We live in the country on a large farm. Unfortunately people will often dump a cat rather than take it to a shelter. It is a sad tale. These lost souls are never fixed and when they are fortunate to escape the wild beasties they turn up at the farm for a meal. If I am unable to catch them right away I befriend them. Then I have them fixed. Sometimes I foster their offspring and find them homes. I have a gang of friendly cats that come and go on our property. We have a special barn for them that they hunker down in and I just keep working at winning them over and spaying them. I never have a hard time adopting a pet out to the right home.

Karen: On your blog, you wrote that Tigger — the orange ginger cat who figured prominently in your work — was the reason you started painting cats in the first place. Tell me a little bit about that, and why you paint cats.
Tara: Tigger. He was the most original cat I have ever known. He was a coveted member of my family. When I came to the country Tigger would come from the city for visits. After a while we became so attached my mom couldn’t bear to put him through the constant traveling. So he began living with me and Mom would come and visit him. Tigger did such funny things that it was only natural for me to paint him. He loved to talk in to the phone. He had many different types of meows. If something was wrong in the house he would come and find you. He was amazing and totally bizarre.

Tigger was like a little kid. He liked to sit in my lap when I was working on a painting. He would put his paws on the edge of my desk and watch. He was very good. He wouldn’t take off with my paint brush or anything. He would just watch. He was the best companion I have ever known. Tigger’s compelling nature was a natural inspiration for visual storytelling.

Karen: Which of your cats do you enjoy painting the most, and why?
Tara: I love painting any cat with a quirky personality.

Karen: What was your inspiration for your popular Ballet Cats series?
Tara: I used to dance when I was a girl. I was a ballet fanatic! I thought it would be a fun to combine the two. Cats are so graceful and athletic. They have such beautiful lines! It turned out nicely too. A fancy invoice with ballet cats in the margins led to my first children’s picture book; That Stripy Cat.

Karen: Do you paint cats other than your own?
Tara: Yes indeed I do. I have done cat portraits for friends and my customers from etsy.com.

Karen: Aside from Etsy, do you sell in other online venues or exhibit in galleries?
Tara: I mostly exhibit in coffee shops and craft stores, and have published work in magazines and children’s books. All of my links can be found on my blog: gingercatpress.blogspot.com.

Karen: Does tea time at your house include the cats?
Tara: Always. Tigger loved to take tea in the afternoon. Tea for me and a little catnip for my friends.

Ginger Cat Press is online:

• Buy online at the Ginger Cat Press Shop
• Tara’s Ginger Cat Press Blog

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Meet Nova Scotian Cat Lady Artist, Shelagh Duffett
• Kay’s K9s is a Cat Lover’s Best Friend
• Catsmas Giveaway: Day 10 – Custom Cat Portrait
• Catsmas Giveaway: Day 5 – 3 Gingercat Press Mini Cat Prints
• Burning Man Catmobiles

Today, as part of our ongoing series of profiles of Cat Lady Artists, I’m interviewing Shelagh Duffet of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’s hard to find one of Shelagh’s paintings that doesn’t have a cat somewhere within it. Her brilliant colors and primitive style portray a whimsical landscape that can’t help but make the viewer smile… and consider moving to Nova Scotia.

Karen: Shelagh, tell me a bit about the cats in your life and how they influence your work.
Shelagh: The funny thing about my work is that when I first really started painting cats, I only had a big Rhodesian Ridgeback dog named Sequoia. I do love cats and growing up, we had two Siamese cats named Topaz and Gigi. Topaz was the classic round, purry and motherly kind of cat, while Gigi was thin, neurotic and meowly. They both lived to be grand old dames. Our dog Sequoia passed away a few years ago and we now have Monty, a lovely large tabby cat who is my constant companion. Even as I sit here, he is trying to fit into my lap and as big cat, it is not an easy task!

Karen: I can relate! I have a 20-lb. tabby who has no idea how big he is. Have you always been a cat person?
Shelagh: Yes, I have. I do love cats but I love dogs too. Hard to choose between the two because they are so different.

Karen: Do you use Monty very often as a model in your work?
Shelagh: I’ve only painted Monty once. He’s the subject of Twilight Cat (right).

Karen: What inspired you to become an artist and sell your work?
Shelagh: I am self taught as an artist. I used to be a film editor and later a producer/director, so I have always worked with images. Even as a child I sketched a lot. When my daughter was born, I stayed home to look after her and wanted to find something I could do from home to earn money. Ebay was just coming online and I tried it to sell my art, was successful and still use it! I picked painting up ten years ago seriously and have not looked back since.

Karen: Have you always lived in Nova Scotia? Does it influence you?
Shelagh: I have spent most of my life in Nova Scotia. I lived in Toronto for a bit and Bermuda and have traveled extensively, but Nova Scotia is the place I come back to. It is a gorgeous province and Halifax where I live is just the perfect size. There are six Universities here and it is a Naval and shipping centre, so it has a vibrant and ever changing culture. I do lots of landscape pictures of Nova Scotia. It is so colorful and full of life.

Karen: Have you always used the brilliant, saturated “happy” colors in your work, or did that style evolve over time?
Shelagh: I am drawn to bright and happy colors. They lift my spirits and make me feel good. I have always painted with them. Occasionally I have ventured into pastels but always return to the color! Bright colors are like a big smile, you want to smile back!

Karen: Your grandmother, Alice, was part of the inspiration for the name of your shop. How has she influenced you?
Shelagh: I spent many weeks staying with my Grandmother in Scotland when growing up. She was an extraordinary woman. Small and feisty. My grandfather was a sea captain and away a lot. they had a small apartment when starting out in the bottom of a large set of flats across form a school. She decided to start a sweetie shop out of their home and eventually bought the entire building. One candy at a time, much to my Grandfather’s surprise. She was quite the business woman and I am inspired by her.

Karen: Of the work that’s currently for sale in your shop, which is your favorite?
Shelagh: Gosh, I have many favorites and they change constantly. I do like “All is Well”,” Twilight Cat”, “White House Lighthouse” and “Sunset Cottage”

Karen: You appear to be amazingly prolific! How many pieces do you paint per week?
Shelagh: It changes from week to week but I always manage to paint one to three at the very least. It is a matter of discipline. Just like going to work everyday. One doesn’t always feel like it but it has to be done. I find that once I sit, the ideas come to me and it is easy to get going, the more you do, the easier the inspiration:)

Karen: In addition to doing acrylic paintings, you’re also a photographer. Which do you prefer?
Shelagh: I prefer photography because it is so instant. Beauty is all around us and with one flick of the finger it can be captured. I find that when I have a camera in my hands, I look at the world with different eyes.

Karen: You also do corporate graphics, like the labels for Robbie’s Sauces.
Shelagh: Yes, I have done work for clients who have discovered me on the internet and it is always such a nice surprise. The internet has been responsible for the success I have!

Karen: I wish you continued success! Thanks for taking the time to chat with The Cat’s Meow.

Prints of Shelagh’s cat paintings can be found at Alice in Paris. Her prints are very affordable; most are only $20. You’ll also find her delightful Alice in Paris blog and other gallery sites on the web:

• Alice in Paris Blog
  
• Etsy prints of paintings: Alice in Paris
  
• Etsy photography
  
• Duffet Folk Art website
  
• Shelagh’s eBay shop
  
• Stock photos on Shutterstock
  
• Stamps for stampers

Her photography is available at the Love Me Boutique on Birmingham Street in Halifax NS.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Meet Ginger Cat Press’ Cat Lady Artist, Tara Anderson
• Kay’s K9s is a Cat Lover’s Best Friend
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• German Shepherd Frees Trapped Kitten
• Catsmas Giveaway: Day 10 – Custom Cat Portrait

Today I’m interviewing Kay Stahler of Kay’s K9s as part of my ongoing series on Cat Artists.

Yes, you read that right. But despite the name, Kay’s K9s doesn’t discriminate by species and embraces cats and other animals in the subjects she sculpts.

And her miniature sculptures are enchanting. Made of wool through a process called “felting,” she creates purrfect replicas of cherished pets. Her clients can even send bits of their pets’ fur to be incorporated into the sculpture, providing a great way to memorialize the furry members of your family.

Karen: Kay, do your pets influence your work?
Kay: I think they do. In between custom orders, I enjoy creating miniatures scenes with my needle felted animals. The inspiration for a lot of these scenes comes from my experiences with my own pets. For example, I’ll soon be offering a scene with a Jack Russell Terrier digging holes in a yard while a mole is poking its head up behind him. That scene was inspired by my own Jack Russell, who spent countless hours waiting patiently beside a mole hole in my own backyard.

Karen: How long have you been making these felt animals?
Kay: I’ve been making my felted Kritters for about two and a half years.

Karen: How did you learn the felting process?
Kay: I first heard about needle felting online a few years ago. I’ve always been the type to enjoy trying my hand at a new craft, so I ordered a kit off of Ebay. After learning the basics from that kit, I started teaching myself and creating dogs based on my own techniques.

Karen: Can you describe the felting process?
Kay: Simply put, needle felting is the process of taking raw wool roving and using a special barbed needle to sculpt it into shape. The sculpting is done by poking the wool fibers thousands of times until they interlock and felt together. This process is extremely time-consuming, and each sculpture normally takes 15 – 30 hours to create.

Karen: Is it a difficult process, or is it easy to learn?
Kay: I would say it’s the same as most other art forms – easy to learn but difficult to master. The concept of painting is very simple (dip brush in paint, run brush along canvas, repeat) but of course it takes years to develop technique, not to mention it requires a certain level of innate artistic ability. Felting is very similar. Everyone can learn it to varying degrees (it’s an extremely simple concept of poking wool with a needle) but not everyone can master it in the same way.

Karen: I’m always struck by what phenomenally accurate likenesses your sculptures portray. Of the 15-30 hours it takes you to make a sculpture, what percentage of that time is spent fine-tuning the facial expression and likeness to make them so realistic?
Kay: It can take anywhere from a day to 2-3 days to complete the finishing touches on a sculpture (facial details, final posing etc). I always send photos of finished custom sculptures for customer approval prior to shipment. At times, I will get a customer who is rather particular about the details. In those situations, the fine-tuning has sometimes required over a week! Under normal circumstances though, I spend a day on the facial features.

Karen: Are there any breeds that you find difficult to sculpt?
Kay: Tabby cats have been the most difficult so far, due to the very detailed and specific markings. I do enjoy being challenged though, it helps me bring out my creative side.

Karen: Of the sculptures you’ve created, do you have a favorite?
Kay: If I had to choose a favorite, it would be a Rat Terrier sculpture that I made almost 2 years ago. I made that sculpture as a gift for my mother, and it was a replica of the family dog we had growing up and tragically lost to Cushing’s Disease 5 years ago. She had tears in her eyes when she saw it and she has treasured it ever since. I know it has brought her a lot of comfort, which makes it one of the best gifts I could have given her.

Karen: What is the biggest size that you’ve felted?
Kay: I once created a Boxer that was 8” tall and about 12” long. I massively underestimated the work involved, and severely undercharged it. That one sculpture is the reason I limit my sculptures to 4” body length (about 6-7” including cats tails). I would have to charge insane prices to offer sculptures that size, as they would end up taking me several weeks each!

Karen: Why do most of your customers buy these sculptures? Are they all commemorating deceased animals, are they purchasing gifts for friends?
Kay: I generally have quite a variety of customers. I’ve had several who order a sculpture of a recently deceased pet, frequently sending me some of that animal’s fur to include in the sculpture as a memorial. Others have ordered from me upon receiving the devastating news that their pet is terminally ill.

I’ve also had several sculptures ordered as gifts (I deal with a lot of husbands ordering for their wives around Christmas).

Most customers seem to order a sculpture of their pets while they are still living, which is easier on me emotionally. Having gone through the heartbreak of losing a pet myself, it can be a very emotional process to work with grieving pet owners.

Karen: But even as difficult as it is, it must be gratifying to be able to provide a pet owner with such a stunning memorial.
Kay: Yes. In fact, earlier in the year I had a customer contact me about ordering a sculpture of her seal-point Himalayan. Her cat had just been tragically diagnosed with kidney failure, so she knew she had only a limited amount of time before she would be required to say goodbye. She told me how excited she was to discover my work because she had been searching for a way to immortalize her kitty.

She sent me some of Camille’s fur, and also some of her whiskers, to be included in the sculpture. This way she would always have a part of Camille with her, even after she had moved on to Rainbow Bridge.

Hearing how much my work means to people, and how much it can comfort them during such devastating times in their lives, brings me so much joy. I truly love working with my customers to memorialize their cherished pets.

Karen: Thanks, Kay, for taking the time to talk with me about your work. You really capture the souls of the pets you portray.

You can find Kay online:

• Kay’s K9s on Etsy
• Kay’s K9s website
• Kay’s K9s Blog

A portion of all proceeds from Kay’s K9s sales is donated to the Ontario SPCA and local animal shelters. By purchasing from Kay’s K9s, you help support animals in need.

Don’t forget! You can leave a comment on this post for an entry in The Cat’s Meow’s giveaway of a custom oil painting of your cat by Linden Alley.

Share this entry with your pawple anywhere:

• Meet Ginger Cat Press’ Cat Lady Artist, Tara Anderson
• Meet Nova Scotian Cat Lady Artist, Shelagh Duffett
• Meet Crazy Cat Lady Artist Alison E Kurek
• Pet Artist Darlene Pucillo is the Cat’s Meow
• Meet Crazy Cat Lady Cat Artist, Susan Faye