| I am currently the proud ownee of two all American, | | | | not found a calling; I did not believe in myself. That was |
| genuine CATs. Both are just less than a year old. | | | | in *ahem* 1991. I dabbled in drawings over the years, |
| Roxie was a gift for my daughter's 6th birthday but | | | | much as I had all my life. Everyone loved them, but I |
| she proudly calls me hers. (She would have it no other | | | | was not satisfied. About three years ago, after much |
| way). And Turbo, who started out as my son's stray | | | | encouragement from my supporting family, I took a |
| rescue kitten from under our long parked Honda, has | | | | 'continuing education' class that was a satellite of our |
| turned into his namesake. A compact powerhouse | | | | community college courses in pottery of all things. Just |
| with a purr that could shake windows, Turbo finds me | | | | something that I had never tried. I fell in love with the |
| the coziest place to nap. My two babies. My two toe | | | | mud! Clay was everything that I couldn't express. |
| assassins. | | | | Somehow I was able to coax the feeling out of it that |
| Over the years I have realized that cats are perfect | | | | paper could never give. Then I went from making pots |
| for someone like me. Busy, lazy, intense, quiet. All at | | | | to sculpting. Somehow it makes sense looking back; |
| differing bursts. Anything that can give you that much | | | | my mother and grandmother used to have a ceramic |
| intense love and attention and walk away like they | | | | shop of their own. I didn't have much interest at the |
| don't really care anyway, commands my respect. I am | | | | time because I was young; but I was there every day |
| sure you are the same. Tranquility that bursts into | | | | with the dust and the smell of greenware and the firing |
| acrobatics all over the flicker of a shadow ("I am sure I | | | | kilns. It must have sunk into my core. |
| saw something...") Cats are indeed my reflection on | | | | When my sister asked me to do a sculpture of her |
| many different levels. | | | | cat, it just made sense. My sister was crushed when |
| Actually, this is a reunion for me and cats. I had cats all | | | | her cat died. She had had that cat since we were |
| my life except for a stretch of eight years. (Has it | | | | both in high school. When I found out that she had had |
| really been that long!?) None, except the ones in my | | | | her cat cremated, it only made sense that she would |
| head. Not until I began to express them in my art. Have | | | | be able to place the ashes inside the cat I created in |
| you ever heard of the book "The Purpose Driven | | | | her likeness. So my purpose, as it were, was revealed. |
| Life"? | | | | Why shouldn't everyone that loved their cat be able to |
| -This sounds really strange but is true. A little over 2 | | | | memorialize them the same way? So I began the |
| years ago I had two joint surgeries (unrelated) both to | | | | journey of the last few years. Now finally realizing that |
| left side extremities. One wrist and one knee. I had | | | | potential, I have a purpose for my art. Cats that are |
| eight weeks off work and received that book from | | | | art, that are sculptures, that are urns, that are art. It lifts |
| someone I have never heard of in Missouri. I started | | | | me every time I think of it. The healing that it can bring |
| reading through the book, wondering what it was and | | | | for cat owners. To see a likeness of their cat. Not a |
| why I had been sent it. At the same time I was mulling | | | | box or a jar with their cat's name. Something that can |
| over a request that my sister had made of me some | | | | be placed in their favorite sunny spot or wear their |
| time before to do a sculpture of her cat. Thinking of | | | | collar. |
| how I would go about creating the sculpture. While that | | | | I have toiled and collected and gathered and spent. I |
| was going on, her cat had to be euthanized and then I | | | | have sweated blood and tears and now I am there. |
| guess everything kind of came together for me. | | | | Standing on the brink. With a ball of clay in one hand |
| To understand what was happening, you must | | | | and a computer mouse dangling in the other. I taught |
| understand that for YEARS I had floundered around | | | | myself how to build a website and opened up for the |
| without any direction for my artistic skills. I had even | | | | prying eyes of the public web. To be crawled over by |
| dropped out of college because-- I did not want to be | | | | search engine "spiders" and Googled. But-- there is |
| an art teacher or a graphic artist. I had no idea what to | | | | purpose behind this I remind myself. And as if on cue, |
| do with my skill if I could even I could really own it as | | | | here is Roxie. Jumped into my lap; purring and |
| that. Everyone else told me I was talented but I had | | | | reminding me that it is worth it. |