Whiskers 'n Wags Jubilee

GRAND CATS

What Are They?

The 2018 Grand Cats

Sponsored by The Cat House	"Entirely Bonkers" by Diana Dellos This year's Jubilee theme piqued my interest. I'm a long-time fan of Alice in Wonderland. My art piece has a Wonderland theme to remind us to dream, fall down the rabbit hole sometimes, take risks, and know it's okay to be Entirely Bonkers..."all the best people are." Diana is a mixed media and acrylic artist in Fort Collins. She's inspired by bright colors, texture, and layering. www.dianadellos.com
Sponsored by Figo Pet Insurance	"Pizama Kota - The Cat's Pajamas" by Leigh Piontek "Pizama Kota" is inspired by Ukranian folk art and matryoshka nesting dolls. Acrylic paint on wood.
	"The WOW!" by Carole Hossan "The WOW!" is an homage to my adopted cat of the same name, as well as a tribute to Gustav Klimt, one of my favorite painters. Carole has painted five transformers in town, including one in the parking lot of the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. She has won awards in art exhibits in Fort Collins and Los Angeles.
	"Grand Garden" by Dylan Hunt "Grand Garden" depicts the scene in Alice in Wonderland when Alice, as a tiny, shrunken creature, explores the huge garden. Dylan is a preschool teacher at Rivendell Elementary School. When she's not working, she is drawing and painting. Dylan loves all animals and has a very special place in her heart for rescue cats.
	"Home Boy Greeter" by Mardi Heaberlin "Homeboy Greeter" is made from acrylic, mixed texture paper, and clear coat.
	"Cat-Tree of Life" by Niki Knihnicki "Cat-Tree of Life" embraces the new, wooden style of Grand Cat by employing pyrography to burn a nature theme into the form. Niki describes her artistic style as "peace, love & cats!"
Sponsored by Marinda Simpson Insurance Agency	"Feline with Flowers" by Marcella Wells "Feline with Flowers" is a mischievous kitty who has a bit of an attitude. She loves to play with flowers, and those she is playing with here are constructed from polymer clay canes. Caning is a precise form of Millefiori (Italian for "a thousand flowers") that involves slicing patterned rods of clay to make original patterns...in this case, flowers. All colors are mixed from unique polymer clay hues. Marcella is a local polymer artist. Her speciality is polymer jewelry and small, framed polymer compositions. In addition to the Millefiori shown in "Feline with Flowers," Marcella also uses Soutache (decorative coils and swirls) and Mokume Gane (layering and carving). marcynglenn.info
	"Mesmerized" by Kylee Muhlhauser Alice in Wonderland has always been one of my favorite movies. It is so magical with the surreal themes and colorful world. I wanted to paint a cat that represented how mesmerizing falling down the rabbit hole would be. Kylee says, "Creating art is like taking a yoga class. For me, it is simply meditational. I get to escape reality and unleash my creativity and imagination with each piece."
Sponsored by Wagz Pet Market	"Follow the Cheshire" by Elizabeth Nelson I love the story of Alice in Wonderland. It inspired me to create my version of "Through the Looking Glass." My crafty Cheshire invites you to join him in the fun and madness of Wonderland. How about it--are you ready? Elizabeth is an author and illustrator of two children's books. She is a lover of cats (even naughty ones) and was excited to participate in this fun FCCRSNC project. enelsonstudiorags.com
Sponsored by The Cat House	"Baby Love" by Patti A. Stickler Patti's strongest art influences have come from Laurel Burch and the Impressionists. "Baby Love" shows her love of cats and the use of bright, bold colors. Black outlining gives her that extra "pop" that she has used since a small child in her coloring books. Her cats' expressions show their personalities and hopefully bring a giggle or two. This piece has been sealed and protected to enjoy for many years. Thank you! Patti Stickler loves to paint in acrylics with bright, vivid colors to express her love of people, animals, nature, music, and other joys.
Sponsored by TLC For You Pets-Pet Sitting	"Chester Shire" by Barb Haynie Cheshire Cat, movie star, philosopher, cute--and rather scary at the same time.
Sponsored by Bentley's Pet Stuff	"Cheshire Cat in Paisley" by Beth-Holly Garretson "Cheshire Cat in Paisley" depicts a softer side of the Cheshire Cat! Beth-Holly says, "Each day has the potential for a new reality--be it in the form of experiences, color, or brush strokes."
	"Earth and Sky" by Bill "Bunneh" Keyes The sun shines down from above, calling to the Earth below. The Earth answers, reaching up tender green shoots toward heaven. Bill is a writer and artist from Johnstown. He wrote "The Widening Gyre," a steampunk book set in the 19th Century that never was.
	"Whiskers" by Pat Saunders-White This sweet kitty, "Whiskers," has authentic whiskers collected from a friend's cat named McClellan. I thought it added a fun touch. Acrylic paint and sealer were used for this piece. Pat is a Loveland artist represented at Lincoln Gallery, Loveland. She is well known as a pet portrait artist nationally. She is a yearly donor to Whiskers 'n Wags as well as other national Humane Societies. pat-saunderswhite.artistwebsites.com
	"Dappled by Sunlight" by Chelsea Glanz "Dappled by Sunlight" is made with wood burning, acrylic, and polyurethane. Chelsea creates visual art - paintings, illustrations, and murals. She also does creative blogging and copy writing. risenshineart.com
Sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited	"Rosita" by Ann Martinez "Rosita" adores her rescue-fur family because they always remind her to stop and smell the roses! Ann Martinez is a graphic artist, creative, and animal lover.
Sponsored by CodeGeek.net	"Skye" by Judy Jackson There is still magic in the world. Follow the road to the magic in the sky--you might find a surprise in the clouds.
Sponsored by Gamble Pet Clinic	"Miss Moxxi" by Barb Huff Inspired by the character from Borderlands 2 video game, "Miss Moxxi" has a self-possessed confidence with an attitude of fearlessness in everyday circumstances. My hope is these qualities come out in every person who views her. Barb is a self-taught artist who enjoys working with different mediums. She has a passion for wood working, so it was fun for her to create this year's Grand Cat.
Sponsored by The Cat House	"Peepers" by Barb Huff "Peepers" is happy, wide-eyed, curious, adventurous and eager to play at a moment's notice. Barb says, "I love woodworking, so in preparation with the new form this year, I created a couple of blank wood templates. After finishing my first entry, I wanted to paint another just like painting a canvas."
	"Queen of Hearts" by Mandy & Deb Brandt "Queen of Hearts" is inspired by the song "Painting the Roses Red." Mandy is an artist who works at the Humane Society. Deb is a lover of cats.
	"Silhouette" by Tim Preston At the window, Meowing at the moon; A warm summer memory. My sweet furry friend. You will live forever. Tim is the owner of the Clay Center of Northern Colorado. He teaches classes and has space for working clay artists. claycenternc.com
Sponsored by Team Petroleum	"Tea Time" by Sara Kemp "Time for Tea" is a time piece with swinging tail, an Alice in Wonderland clock face, and the Cheshire Cat wearing the Mad Hatter's hat. Sara is not a professional artist; she is the Clinic Medical Services Manager at Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic! She is an artist of the vet tech variety.
Sponsored by Hummel House Art	"Daydreaming at Midnight" by Debbie DeLong Whether you see an outside cat looking in, or an inside cat looking out, "Daydreaming at Midnight" is an ode to all cats who, I believe, possess an incredible imagination--"drawing" from their internal, primal tiger in search of jungle prey, of crickets, spiders, and crinkle toys. Zentangle inspired art, multimedia, pen, acrylic paint. Debbie is a longtime supporter and friend of Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic, as well as a returning Grand Cat artist. She is sharing Zentangle to enhance the world! HummelHouseArt.com
Sponsored by Ceva Animal Health	"The Mad Catter" by Kay Cary As Alice roamed the winding paths of Whiskerland, she came across the nonsensical teaparty, held by the delightfully crazy host, the Mad Catter. Kay is a 19-year-old artist who loves her two precious cats. Other than occasionally painting, she also draws, makes jewelry, and crochets.
	"Josie" by Leonard Mahoney "Josie" is a black and white cat who, at first, you might not notice among all the others. But looks more closely as she sits in the sunlight to see that there is far more to her in both character and beauty. Sit by her and discover her kitten-like playfulness, her urgent joy as you pet her, her peaceful and confident blue gaze, and the rich colors and patterns in her soft, rich coat. Josie knows she's a real beauty, inside and out. Let her leap into your lap and get to know you, too. Bring her home and be enriched by the warmth and joy of her presence. Len Mahoney is an engineer and long-time amateur artist who loves to use his cats as his subjects. He is an ardent supporter of Fort Collins Cat Rescue & Spay/Neuter Clinic and a repeat Grand Cat artist.
Sponsored by Blue Buffalo	"Note Worthy Cat" by Lorraine Dunn "Note Worthy" is a cat that hopes to dazzle in color and design as well as being useful. Accused of being all over the map withher art, no one is more surprised than Lorraine on what turn each project will take.
	"Splatter Cat" by Colin Dunn "Splatter Cat"--the modern version of the Cheshire Cat...able to disappear in front of any city wall. Inspired by Banksy, both in style and politically, Colin's art has expanded to let the medium of spray paint become the artistic message.
	"Francis Cheshire" by Dyana Wyeno "Francis" the Cheshire Cat is a mysterious and wise Tabby. He strolls between worlds, watching out for those who need his advice. If you take him home, he will make a trusty companion and confidant. Dyana resides and creates in Greeley, Colo. She is inspired by the natural world and its creatures.
	"Major Tom" by Ashley Boothe "Major Tom" is a tuxedo tomcat made primarily of Fort Collins Brewery bottle caps. He was named after the now-defunct brewery's Major Tom Pomegranate Wheat beer. Since FCB is no more and was purchased by a Canadian brewery, "Major Tom," with his black and silver coat of caps, is a one-of-a-kind endangered species. Materials: wood, acrylic paint, bottle caps, brad nails, wire. Ashley has been a lifelong cat lover and enjoyed flexing her creative muscles on this mosaic project.
	"Princess of Hearts" by Suzanne Royer This year my Grand Cat is the "Princess of Hearts" (because she is so much nicer than the Queen of Hearts). The Princess is much beloved by the inhabitants of Wonderland, not in the least because she would never dream of cutting off anyone's head. When she is Queen someday, she will be a kind and gentle ruler, even to Mad Hatters, dormice, and white rabbits. The Cheshire Cat has a crush on her. Suzanne is a semi-retired biologist, sometime artist, and repeat foster mom "failure," currently owned by seven wonderful, very spoiled cats.
	"Zen Kitty" by Jane Barber "Zen Kitty" is keeper of your hopes and dreams. She is a reflection of the calm nature of all cats, and the balance that we strive for in life. Zen Kitty is hand-sanded, carved, stained, painted, and finished with oil.