Every now and then Often I like to go on little creative side-quests, creating something that will likely never be repeated, but that makes for a fun and unexpected project.
This custom cat statue was one of those side-quests.
The proposal came to me quite randomly one day when I brought a few monarchs over to my neighbors’ house so that they could watch them be released. I pet-sit for these neighbors whenever they go away, and so I’m quite familiar with their 16-year-old cat, Annie.
When they asked if I’d be at all interested in painting a cement cat statue to look like their old tortoiseshell girl, my curiously was piqued.
Although they weren’t sure if I’d be able to paint on such a porous surface (and made sure to reassure me that it was perfectly fine if it was something that I couldn’t do), I could immediately envision the project as soon as I laid my eyes on the heavy, blank-eyed cat sitting soullessly on their wooden hutch.
my neighbor really hated the eyeless stare
They were going on vacation soon after this visit, and although they put no timeframe on the project, I took that week to finish the project (while going over and looking at Annie to make sure I was getting all her markings as accurate as possible) before they got home.
I painted cement-Annie with my typical acrylic paint, sealed her with mod podge, and left her sitting on their counter to greet them when they walked in the door.
Although Annie likes to know I’m around when her people are away, she’s a cat who likes her personal space, and will tell you with a lightning-fast swipe of her paw (claws out) when you’ve gone too far (i.e. dared to touch her when she doesn’t want to be touched). Although she’ll sometimes enjoy a short-lasting pet (in very certain ways, in very certain areas), trying to hit that sweet spot usually isn’t worth the risk of the (nearly-inevitable) bleeding hands. Her and I have a relationship based on respecting personal space, and pure necessity.
I must say, I was quite pleased with the outcome of this project. And although it’s nothing that I would ever offer on a bigger scale (can you imagine how nitpicky strangers would be if I started offering full-body 3D pet portraits in my Etsy shop!? There’s enough to deal with when I paint my normal pet portraits!), it was a fun and satisfying project to create for two people who I knew would adore and cherish the outcome.
