cat (a jive musician) daby - fccrsnc home€œdaby” by deby brandt this cat was kind of inspired...
TRANSCRIPT
“Daby”
by Deby Brandt
This cat was kind of inspired
by the art on train cars.
Deby created a Grand Cat for
the 2015 Whiskers ’n Wags
Jubilee. She loves all kinds of
art that there is in the world.
“CAT (A Jive Musician)”
by Mardi Heaberlin
“Hepcat” - a word used to describe a
cool person from the 1940s who under-
stands and speaks “jivetalk.” “Rise and
Shine” is a famous jive phrase from
that era. Mardi says, “My cat Charlie
inspires all of my Grand Cat pieces.
Every morning Charlie says ‘Rise and
Shine’ by scratching the walls, purring
really loud and gently licking my ears.
He might as well be blowing a trumpet
each morning to say, ‘Rise and
Shine.’”
Mardi is a longtime supporter of
FCCRSNC and has created multiple
Grand Cats for the Whiskers ’n Wags
Jubilee over the years.
“The Dragon Catcher”
by Leonard Mahoney
Caught in mid-flight, this frisky huntress
reaches for her summer prey in the late of
the afternoon. Her intense eyes, open paws
and leaping balance demonstrate her total
commitment to her quest. Imagine her
mewing as she brings her prize up the
garden path, through the backdoor, and with
great and glorious pride releases the still-
live “Dragon” into your home. This lime-
stone painted paper maché sculpture uses all
the material from the original Grand Cat
form. It includes aged cedar wood as its
base and copper tube/wire/sheet for the
plants and dragonfly.
Len Mahoney is an engineering by trade,
and cat lover/artist at heart. He is an ardent
supporter of FCCRSNC.
“Treasure” by Ashley Boothe
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and this Grand Cat is a purrfect
example. “Treasure” is a tough alley cat that had the
fortune of being fed daily by a kind caretaker who also
trapped, neutered and returned him to his familiar
domain.
Ashley has been an avid cat lover her entire life and
enjoyed flexing her artistic muscles to help FCCRSNC.
“Lory Twilight”
by Michael Ryan
“Lory Twilight” is the
physical manifestation of a
Front Range sunset. She is
fleeting, yet permanent - a
constant reminder of the
cycles of the earth.
Michael J. Ryan is a
painter in Fort Collins,
Colo. He specializes in
large-scale, impressionist
landscapes. His paintings
are collected throughout
the United States.
“The Quilted Cat”
by Katie Ferguson
This Grand Cat is covered in a
variety of colorful flannel
squares. It is all pulled togeth-
er by the Sharpie stitching,
and carefully placed pins and
buttons. The face is designed
using metallic sequins, more
pins, and a few glass beads.
Katie is a college sophomore
studying speech pathology at
Maryville University. She has
always loved exercising her
creative side through
multimedia art.
“Scraps” by Barb Huff
Scraps says, “I was pieced together
with love by my young girl who didn’t have much and made me by hand from pieces of old clothes,
pillow cases or anything she could get her hands on. The more I was
loved, the more it showed with the additional patches that were added for the worn spots. She even made
a replacement eye for me after I lost one. Years went by and I was accidentally packed in a suitcase
full of all of the same things I was made of. Now that I am found
again, can I come home with you?”
Barb says, “For the Grand Cat event this year I wanted to combine
my love of cats, painting and sewing in one project. So, I made ‘Scraps.’”
“Painting Away the
Music”
by Beth-Holly
Beth-Holly says, “After
researching the ‘hepcat jive’
era, my vision exploded
with color. As an artist, I
just assumed the cat would
be the same.”
“Painting is the window to
the soul. My window is
always open - I am grateful
to be able to express and
share my creativity,”
Beth-Holly says.
“Jazzy Kitty”
by Ellen Frommhold
“Jazzy Kitty” depicts the WWII
years of the 1930s and 1940s when
people needed to lift their spirits
with music and dancing. There was
hepcat jive back then and we still
have it now. You can watch your
own kitties dance! One of the best
things they do is lift your spirits!
Kindness to animals is like our
kindness to each other.
Ellen has loved cats and art and
music all of her life. She loves to
work with quality materials and
portray brightness and fun!
“Stardust”
by Alison Foshee
“Stardust” confirms your suspicions
that a cat can truly be the center of
your universe.
Alison has an MFA in printmaking
from the San Francisco Art Institute
and lives in Portland, Ore. She
creates dichotomies between
man-made objects and natural forms
to reveal the hidden metaphors in
the functional origins of everyday
materials.
“MEW-SIC”
by Judy Jackson
Judy says, “‘MEW-SIC’ was inspired
by my love of cats, music and the full
moon. It was so much fun to combine
all three! Look at the happy cats (on
the back, too) and ‘retain your sense
of wonder about all things.’”
Judy is a longtime supporter of
FCCRSNC and has created multiple
Grand Cats for the Whisker ’n Wags
Jubilee over the years.
“Hugo”
by Leigh Kuehn
Hugo comes to you from the far reaches
of Romania in a mountain village outside
of Transylvania. Known as a gargoyle,
chimera or grotesque, his job was to ward
off evil spirits and protect those who
dwell inside. After centuries of braving
the cold, harsh winters, Hugo decided to
whet his taste for adventure. His travels
landed him in Fort Collins, where he
hopes to find work, but out of the rain
and wind. Perhaps he could provide you
with company on a sunporch, in the
glow of a warm beam?
Leigh is a returning artist who is now
studying Interior Design.
“FCCR-16”
by Dyana Wyeno
FCCR-16 comes from the
Cat Eye Nebula and has
traveled a great distance to
be a companion droid to an
adventurous soul. Are you
the one he has been
searching for?
Dyana is a mixed media
artist who enjoys a challenge
and loves cats.
“The Fastest Cat Alive”
by Bill & Tammy Keyes
Inspired by the hit TV show,
“The Flash,” “The Fastest Cat
Alive” will race into your heart.
Made with found materials,
jewelry findings, textiles,
and acrylic paint.
Bill is a Johnstown writer and art-
ist. He wrote “The Widening
Gyre,” a Steampunk book set in
the 19th century that never was.
Tammy sews costumes for herself
and family in her spare time.
She also does cross-stitch and
scrap booking.
“Handsome Hairy
the Hipster”
by Ann Martinez
He jives and has arrived and is
ready to bust a moby. So be
cool ‘n wig out to this
HepCat’s tap 45s.
Ann says, “I absolutely adore
cats! My kitties T-bone, Mr. Gato
and Queen Bee were a big help in
creating ‘Hairy’ the Grand Cat.
I’m a graphic designer and artist
who is very happy to have the
opportunity to help in this year’s
HepCat Jive ... meeoow!
“Estes”
by Jon Sanders
Jon says, “I drew my
inspiration from my trips
to Estes Park during the
spring sunsets.”
Jon Sanders and his wife,
Cami, own Sanders Ink
Studio, a family-based
tattoo studio in Fort
Collins, where they are
both artists.
“Louie the Bourbon Street
Blues Cat ”
by Barb Lloyd
Louie is a mixed media sculpture made
of coat hangers, aluminum foil, plaster
mesh, sculptor's stone and of course ...
the stunning cat blank that inspires us
every year. Louie’s custom made yellow
zoot suit is the smallest outfit that I have
ever sewn.
Barb says, “Art has been a lifelong
passion, hobby, and profession. This was
my sixth Grand Cat. Each year it is fun
and challenging to take the basic cat
form, learn the upcoming event theme
and see what comes out the other side.”
“Angel”
by Sara Kemp
Sara’s Grand Cat is a
replication of her current
kitty, Porsha, who is
her little angel.
This Grand Cat is for all
the people who have lost
a loving cat.
Sara is a vet tech at
FCCRSNC and has a
huge passion for helping
the animals in our
community.
“Sunshine”
by Jason Hardung
Jason says, “Clouds and cats are
two of my favorite things.”
Jason started painting five years
ago to deal with crippling anxie-
ty. He is self-taught and works
mostly in acrylics. He has shown
his work in galleries, bars and
coffee shops in Fort Collins and
Cheyenne. Someday he hopes to
have a longer bio.
“Kitty Tat”
by Debbie DeLong
“KittyTat” is tattooed
with Zentangle inspired
art. The original paper
maché was preserved to
provide an antique and
worn look.
Debbie is a longtime
volunteer and supporter of
FCCRSNC. She dabbles
in many types of mixed
media arts.
“Mademoiselle Mew-sicalle”
by Jan Jones
1940s Mew-sic Awards’ “Mademoiselle” scratched and clawed
her way from alley cat to MEW-sical marvel. She sang oPUR-
Ra, played many MEW-sical instruments, and chose vaudeville
to express her flamboyant talents. She chased the era of the
roaring ‘20s, swing bands, jazz, blues, and hip hop. What a
feline phenomenon. She won the 1940s Mew-sical Award.
Jan is a local Erie, Colo.,
artist who works with mixed
media and multimedia art.
“Curious Cub”
by Suzanne Royer
This playful mountain lion kitten
reminds us that there is still a little
lion inside each and every housecat.
Materials for the sculpture include
paper maché, Sculpey clay, wood,
metal, and fabric.
Suzanne is a talented, longtime
contributing artist and lifetime cat
lover who enjoys portraying cats in
fanciful ways.
“Edwin”
by Mandy Brandt