Cats A-Z: P (Pangur Bán)

"Pangur Bán" 
Woodcut
6" x 8" (paper) 3" x 4" (image) 
Oil-based inks on white Subi paper 
Artist's Proof 
Available for purchase here. 

Pangur Bán

The way the cat stands out in a dimly-lit room filled with dark objects reminds me of how the moon lights up the night sky. Though his coat is the purest white, he is always clean. That is the result of his most conscientious, daily grooming habits. He is quiet, but ever-present, and so I can concentrate on my own routines and never feel lonely.

Pangur Bán, a poem by an old Irish monk about his cat. Also the name of the white cat in the animated film The Secret of Kells. 

Cats A-Z: O (Oscar)

"Oscar" 
Woodcut
6" x 8" (paper) 4" x 4" (image) 
Oil-based inks on heavyweight, white paper 
Artist's Proof 
Available for purchase here. 

A jagged halo fires out from his silhouette like electricity as he keeps a jaunty pace. Hind limbs of metal and plastic fill the air with sound: tap tap tap tap tap. The accident that took those legs, horrible as it was, seems so much more dark and distant than the tangible now. Today is a happy day. 

Oscar the "Bionic Cat" gained fame for being fitted with prosthetic legs after a farming machinery accident. Read more about him here. 

Cats A-Z: N (Nora)

"Nora" 
Woodcut
6" x 8" (paper) 4" x 4" (image) 
Oil-based inks on white Subi paper 
Artist's Proof 
Available for purchase here. 

Nora

Why, these keys make lovely sounds when my paws press down! And even better, they attract an approving audience. What joy!

Nora the cat is famous for her odd behavior of daily piano playing, often in duets with humans. She became an Internet sensation when her owner uploaded a video of her piano playing to YouTube in 2007, and has since gained broader media fame. 

Cats A-Z: M (Maneki Neko)

"Maneki Neko"
Woodcut
6" x 8" (paper) 3" x 4" (image)
Oil-based inks on white Subi paper
Artist's Proof
Available for purchase here.

Maneki Neko

A familiar-looking feline with large eyes, black and orange spots, and a red collar stands in a dark corner of the store. He waves, as if greeting the customers. These ceramic critters always appear friendly, often cute, but are not quite cuddly. There is something too formal, even stoic about their rigid stance. The stare from those big eyes is cold and far too resolute.

Maneki Neko is a good luck charm thought to bring prosperity. Typically they are depicted as Japanese bobtails who sit upright, beckoning with one raised paw. Here the writing on the cat's pendant is Japanese for "money."

Cats A-Z: K (Kirlee)

"Kirlee" 
Woodcut
6" x 8" (paper) 4" x 3.75" (image) 
Oil-based inks on bright white printmaking paper 
Artist's Proof 
Available for purchase here. 

Kirlee 

The cat's huge, glassy eyes bedeck a coat of coiled fur, tightly draped over an angular skull and bony, yet muscular figure. He obscures his gnarly body by standing in front of an equally-gnarled backdrop. His large ears are poised to received the softest sounds, and whiskers slither out in all directions to sense the very air all around. Make no mistake, though he is small and tame, he is still a hunter. 

A cat named "Kirlee" was the founding father of the Devon Rex breed of cat, known for their extremely short, curly coats of fur.

Cats A-Z: L (Leo)

"Leo" 
Woodcut
6" x 6.5" (paper) 4" x 3.5" (image) 
Oil-based inks on white Subi paper 
Artist's Proof 
Available for purchase here. 

Leo 

The lion smiled just before he turned to walk away. What was that about? An inside joke? A pleasant memory? Perhaps he is just happy to be king. Even better yet to be immortal in the sky.

Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac. According to myth, the constellation depicts the Nemean Lion who was slain by Hercules as the first of his Twelve Labours.

Cats A-Z: J (Jeoffry)

"Jeoffry" 
Woodcut
6" x 8" (paper) 3.75" x 4" (image) 
Oil-based inks on bright white printmaking paper 
Artist's Proof 
Available for purchase here. 

Jeoffry 

He sits serene on a puffy pedestal, and we are entranced. Dazzling stripes ripple out, mimicking both the cloud's softness and the stripes that radiate from his halo. What magic do cats possess when they sleep? How is it that through the mere act of dozing off, they transform into exalted beings?  

Jeoffry was the pet of Christopher Smart, a poet who immortalized the feline in his poem "Jubilate Agno." The poem is a religious work written while Smart was hospitalized for insanity. A large section of the work sings the praises of Jeoffry for his beauty, grace, and cleanliness, all of which Smart associated with the divine.