Grand Cats
What are They?
| FCCR's "Grand Cats" are paper-mache statues, beautifully decorated by local artists. Each year, a group of talented cat-lovers (both amateur and professional artists) unleash their creativity and transform the blank figurines into works of art. These one-of-a-kind Grand Cats are then sold during the silent auction our annual winter fundraiser Whiskers 'n Wags Jubilee (formerly Chat Amour), raising money to help care for FCCR's shelter cats. |
Chat Amour III 2010 Grand Cats
 | Fifi (item #801), by Sherry Goldberg; Paradise Valley, AZ "My name is Fifi La Chatte. And in my day, I was a famous chanteuse. I would sing outside the Moulin Rouge every night. Toulouse Lautrec would come by each night and admire me and bring vittles. Toulouse even said that, next to Jane Avril, I was his favorite singer! If you ever see a cat in any of Toulouse's work, ahhhhhhhh, oui, c'est moi! I must humbly admit. When Baz Luhrman wanted to do a remake of "Moulin Rouge" a few years back, he came to me because he wanted it to be about my life story. Unfortunately, Nicole Kidman nixed it. So now I am writing my biography, 'Fifi, One Cat's Tale'. To all the cats I've loved before, meow, mon cheri!" |
 | Melvis (item #802), by Diane Paxton; Scottsdale, AZ "Hi there! My name is Melvis. And I suppose you can guess who my idol is! In my day as a rock and roll hero, I would sing outside the Las Vegas Hilton every night my hero, Elvis, appeared. If any of the cats are still around from those days, just ask them if they remember Melvis. I truly was unforgettable. Even being modest, I'd have to say that my vocal talents were very superior, and I strongly resented it one night when someone wrote a review and said I was caterwauling! I think they were just jealous because they had three cats who tried to become like The Supremes and just couldn't cut it. For those of you who remember me, you can always contact me. I still have videotapes of me in my hey-day sitting side-by-side with my hero, The King of Rock and Roll. To this day, there's no one to compare with Elvis and Melvis! No Heartbreak Hotels for us, Bubby, and I promise I won't step on your blue suede shoes! But, I will always love you tender." |
 | Bastet III with Carnelian eyes (item #803), by Suzanne Royer; Loveland, CO This classy kitty knows that the Egyptians once worshipped the cat goddess Bastet, and she believes that she was a pampered temple cat in ancient Bubastis in one of her former lives. So she decided to have her portrait done in the antique Egyptian style! Her eyes are carnelian, a semiprecious gemstone, and she is adorned with a headdress and necklace of glass seed beads in the colors of lapis lazuli and turquoise. All three of these gemstones were commonly used in ancient Egyptian artifacts. Whereas Bastet (or Bast) was the goddess of fertility and child rearing, perfumes and secrets, she was also the goddess of war, a fierce avenger, and the protector of the pharaoh. Isn’t there a little Bastet in all of our companion cats? |
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Calico Kitty with Aventurine eyes (item #804), by Suzanne Royer; Loveland, CO This mischievous little lady was caught in a tranquil moment between mad bouts of play, and she looks like she’s just planning her next move. In keeping with her priceless nature, her eyes are made of green aventurine, a semiprecious gemstone. To make this statue, the paper mache form was covered with polymer clay, which was also used to sculpt the head. The texture of her fur was created with layers of clay and heavy-bodied acrylic paint. She would love to go home with you, and she won’t even shed all over the house! |
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Goddess With Wings (item #805), by Beth-Holly Garretson. "A cat is much more than a feline. In our home the girls are treated as a queen and those that have passed on (we have had many in our 30 years of marriage) are always with us in spirit...therefore, fly high in the spiritual world-of course we also love the males, but since i have been drawing goddess lately that was the first concept that came into my mind with a blank paper machet cat in front of me!" About the artist: "I have been painting since I was a little kid, but I wasn't allowed to make a mess! I now have a huge studio behind my home that I am always in the process of reorganizing the mess! In kinder terms, I am consistently redesigning the elements. Before relocating to Fort Collins in 1987, I was an instructor at duCret School of Art in Plainfield, NJ. I taught Advertising Design I, Typography I, Design I and initiated the Design Group, consisting of 3rd year advanced commercial students (somewhere the term changed to graphic!) designing brochures & logos for non-profit local organizations". |
 | Madonna with Kitties (item #806), by Sue Awsumb-Conn; Fort Collins, CO. I have been an elementary art teacher at Timnath Elementary School for 181/2 years. I love teaching art and I believe that everyone has an artist inside of them. You just have to be brave enough to share it with the world around you! The cat I created is based on the early Renaissance iconic images of the Madonna. I have loved that style of gilded art ever since my trip to Florence, Italy. My Grand Cat is dedicated to my favorite family cat who passed away in 2001 at the age of 20 and was always knew herself to be royalty and was treated as such. Her name was Cosmos. |
 | Mister Tomas Tuxx (item #807), by Jean Batchelder (www.batchelderart.com); Loveland, CO The inspiration for this cat came to Jean, when... "visiting my oldest, bestest friend Holly, I showed her the cat and told her about the project. Holly's an incredibly creative person, excelling in numerous 'crafty' endeavors, so I asked her if she had any ideas for my cat. She instantly envisioned him in a tuxedo. He evolved from there to become something of a lascivious charmer! He's hoping to go home with someone who will cherish him and treat him like the high-society feline he is!" Ms. Batchelder has been painting watercolors for about 10 years; she'd never attempted anything like painting & decorating her Grand Cat. Jean's work can be found at the Lincoln Gallery in downtown Loveland and she's represented by McGrath and Braun Art Consultants in Denver. Her work has been accepted into many local, regional, and national juried exhibitions; frequently receives awards; and is in public and private collections throughout the United States and in Europe. |
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Fluff and Stuff (item #808), by Pat Saunders-White (http://www.patsaunderswhite.com); Loveland, CO A highly sought after pet commission artist, Pat has added the Fort Collins Cat Rescue to her yearly list of donations. Having owned rescued animals for a number of years, she helps various animal shelters with her donations. The Loveland Museum/Gallery hired her during the introduction of after school art for the children in the Loveland school district. After 7 years, she now instructs the adult classes. Her home studio is along the foothills where she paints, conducts private workshops, and runs her art business across the United States. The cat’s name is “Fluff and Stuff”. The sculpture was created from 4 different stuffed toys. She has created a new animal from the paper mache form. Pat has used her creative humor in posing “Fluff and Stuff” performing her daily grooming. |
 | 1 short of 9 (item #809), by Deborah Barone (www.baronecopperart.com); Fort Collins, CO. This is "1 short of 9" He is gold, silver and copper leafed. The base is wood covered in tri nailed and hammered recycled metals. The extensions, representing radiating good fortune. And is made from recycled copper. meow! As for me, I’m a mixed media assembler as well as an oil painter. I mostly work with copper. It seems to conform to my motion inspired shapes. I live in Ft Collins, and own a small, humble business www.baronecopperart.com making sculptural objects using copper and stained glass. |
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Strut memorial (item #810), by Leigh Kuehn; Fort Collins, CO After attending the Chat Amour for the first time last year, I thought I would like to design a Grand Cat, too. Initially, my cat Bianca was my "mews", but after hearing about the tragic loss of Strut, the clinic's mascot, the design took a new shape. Strut was distinguished--with a magnificent tail, and splendid ruff. And he had wonderful expressive whiskers. I hope I was able to favorably capture his essence through this Grand Cat. I am a physical therapist by trade, and have been a semi-professional photographer for 3 years. I enjoy home decorating, painting and needlework, however this is the first time I've attempted a project of this nature. |
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Day of the Dead (item #811), by Cat Kuhlmann; Fort Collins, CO My day job is as a Vet Tech at the Fort Collins Spay/Neuter Clinic. In my spare time, I work on my own bodies of artwork. I have been creating artwork as far back as I can remember. I now primarily work with acrylic and spray paint on canvas, and photography. I will soon be branching out to sculpture, printmaking, and possibly some welding. Until recently, animals and mummies were my primary subject matter. I am currently transitioning into another series of work, focusing on human interaction and communication. The Grand Cat I created for Chat Amour III, was inspired by Day of the Dead figurines. I had a great time creating this piece. Starting with a skull mask, building up bit by bit with paper clay, the figure took form as I went. Representative of a person or animal who passed away, often Day of the Dead figurines include something that the subject loved to do in their life. Thinking of this, I came up with the idea of somehow suspending cat toys or similar enticing items in front of the cat’s face. To do this, without creating a halo effect, I extended the ears up and over the head with many layers of paper clay, each building on eachother for strength. To make the outside texture uniform, I put a thin coat of paper clay over the whole piece. After that was dry, I painted the whole piece in white acrylic paint. I then added details such as eyes, nose, ribs, bones for the tail, etc. The finishing touch was to make a ball of gold and jute, attach that and the toy mouse to the ears, and sign the bottom. |
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Lola L'Amont (item #812), by Sparkle-Plenty and the Sparkle-Ettes; Fort Collilns, CO.
"Her name is Lola, she was a showcat Lola was carefully created by Rebecca Campbell, Sharon Campbell and Regina Schoenfeld, who share a passion for all things sparkly and glitzy. Her stunning fur is made up of 2,850 sequins, seed beads and pins. She is our inner dream cat. Please bid often and bid high on Lola! She makes her feathers sway, |
 | Le Chat Blanc (item #813), By Jessica de Jongh, http://stapeliad.blogspot.com; New York City. Le Chat Blanc is a Winter cat, inspired by the snow leopards living in the Central Park Zoo. This cat celebrates the beauty of the winter season in a uniquely feline fashion. Jessica de Jongh graduated from Pratt Institute with a degree in Communications Design/Illustration. She works as a designer/developer of online interactive content. which helps support her deep and abiding love of oil paint. |
 | Ruffles (item #814) by Barb Lloyd, Fort Collins, CO. Cat design: The artist wanted to incorporate a useful item within the cat as well as vary the basic structure of the paper mache base. She was able to add more dimension and texture with paper clay. About the artist: Barb Lloyd's formal training includes an Associates of Science degree in Graphic Design from Indiana- Purdue University and a Bachelors of Science degree in Interior Design from Colorado State University. She is a a lifelong crafter and seamstress. Her hobbies include needlework of all kinds, stained glass, gourd art, painting, sketching and photography. |
 | Fiera (item #815), by Lisa Lilienthal-Ternes; http://www.etsy.com/shop/aletaart; Hays, KS Fiera is a volunteer firefighter, coincidentally stationed on the same fire department as Lisa Lilienthal-Ternes. Lisa Aleta Lilienthal grew up on the family farm and has always enjoyed drawing. In grade school she always enjoyed competing in the annual art competition with the rest of the students and this carried into high school and college. She received an art scholarship to Fort Hays State University in Hays, Ks and after seven years, graduated with three degrees: a BFA in Art, a BS in Biology and a BA in Chemistry. After college, she married her husband, Brady Ternes, and together they went through the heartbreak of losing a child. Picking up the pieces, she decided she wanted to do something different. She joined the local volunteer fire department and found out that she really enjoys it. Wanting to move more toward being a full time artist, she put her work on etsy.com under her alias aleta art, and has had some success. With all the ups and downs, though, there has always been art. Art can get you through a lot of pain or help express your joy. Lisa loves to draw and hopes to do it full time one day. |
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Angel of Hope (item #816) by Dixie Lee; Windsor, CO "My cat's name is Angel of Hope. Reason being there's been alot of misfortune in my family. Every day I hope for the best. Some days are good and some days not so good! So sitting there looking at her it just came to me how to make her come to life. She has her wings as she's an Angel, her eyes can almost look through your soul and know how you're feeling. The gold is your path way to the higher up. Her whiskers and eye lashes are whimsical and make you laugh. The secret is inside - pick her up when you need to hope something will turn out for the better and you will hear the jingle of the stars trying to lift your spirits even if it's for a minute, day or forever. |
 | Peaches & Cream & Aquamarine (item #817), by Brian Kughman; Fort Collins, CO |
 | Silly Whiskers (item #818), by Debbie DeLong; Fort Collins, CO "Silly Whiskers" is a tribute to one of my cats, Daphne. She and her brother, Freddy, were adopted from FCCR (after I failed at fostering them!). Daphne has long brownish-black and white fur, and she has the silliest, long whiskers going in all directions. Some of them go back, some go forward, some are long, and some are short. Daphne is such a love... and we have always admired her "silly whiskers". |
 | Queen ElizaKitty (item #819), by Leonard Mahoney; Fort Collins, CO “After some time in exile, I, Queen ElizaKitty, seek a new kingdom and subjects to reinstate my divinely-appointed rule. While I may tolerate other established cats, they must understand who the true Queen is; after all, the proper social decorum must be honored. My new subjects should be attentive in anticipating all of The Queen’s needs, and nourishment must be more than just “satisfactory”. I require daily naps in the warm afternoon sun on a well-cushioned throne and room to practice hunting skills to sustain my alertness and beauty. I expect my subjects to show tremendous loyalty, love and care. After all, I am The Queen.” This piece “Queen ElizaKitty” is inspired by our FCCR adopted feline, “Queen Elizabeth”. Once at our home it was clear that this beautiful and affectionate tabby was no ordinary feline. Smart, Beautiful and Courageous with a regal attitude, it was clear that it was SHE who had adopted us. Len is a research engineer, part-time artist and always In the Service of Her Majesty. |
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Cowboy (item #820), by Megan Fagerhaug (art blog: gallopinglane.blogspot.com); Fort Collins, CO. This cat is a rugged resident of Colorado. With wide open spaces and majestic mountains, this cat is the purrfect compliment to the western lifestyle. Megan Fagerhaug is an Equine Science/English major at Colorado State University. She is also a portrait artist, specializing in pets and equestrian artwork. |
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Puma Rodriguez (item #821), by Jru Swany; Fort Collins, CO My cat (Puma Rodriguez) suffers from multiple personality disorder. Inside he is a deep dark red and purple, but in the sunlight he glistens with metalic flake and gloss. This disorder stems from too much inhilation of the automotive grade paint used in his design. He enjoys sitting on window ledges where both sides can be seen throughout the day. Puma Rodriguez once fought fifty men, and won. |
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Snow Cats, (Item #822), by Beth-Holly Garretson "For the past 2 years, I have painted a spring landscapes with sunflowers. this year, since it has been a snowy winter, I decided to paint a winter scene with "snowcats" in the round... most look like our cats which we lovingly got at the FCCR." About the Artist: "I have always enjoyed the challenge to create order from chaos and playing with color. This alone can keep me occupied 24.7 - I just have a time management issue! I was born in Morristown, raised in Lake Hiawatha, and lived in Bridgewater, NJ before moving to Fort Collins. The tiny state of NJ was where I learned my "street smarts" (I was quick witted and sharp tongued!) & my formal art training. I have mellowed the past 20 years living here with my husband, and 2 older sons. They would not agree!" |
 | Frankenkitty (item #823), by Timothy Brister, Windsor, CO. Timothy Brister is a freelance graphic artist and pre-press manager for a local printing company. He lives in Windsor, Colorado with his wife, Amanda (also a freelance designer), and his 7year old silky terrier, Mauka. A child at heart, Timothy (or Timmy as his friends often call him) has a penchant for all things whimsical and bizarre. This is proven by his collection of eclectically strange bobbleheads and office full of toys. Fitting with his love for the strange and affinity for the misfits in life, Timothy created "Frankenkitty" for this year's auction, taking the idea of cat rescue and turning it on its head. |
 | Puss in Boots (item #824) by Amy Cook and Kristin Tuckerflores, Fort Collins, CO. Amy Cook: "I am a graduate student in sustainable construction management at CSU, but I also have an undergraduate degree in visual arts. I love to get my hands into anything sculptural and creative! Being a cat lover, I know every cat has a daring and courageous side just like Puss in Boots. It is an honor to help out the Fort Collins Cat Rescue!" Kristin Tuckerflores: "I work as a graphic designer at ColorPro Printing, so I don't get to work on a lot of sculptures, so it was fun and challenging to work on 'Puss in Boots'. We chose Puss in Boots because he is a fun and famous cat with a lot of character. We hope that someone will enjoy this fun and playful sculpture and help out some cats in the process. Thank you Fort Collins Cat Rescue!!!!" |
 | Rose (item #825) by Judy Jackson, Fort Collins, CO. This cat is dedicated to the memory of the artist's son, Jim (Jimi) Jackson and his special cat "ROSE". He taught Judy to enjoy each day to the fullest and "be happy" for all things. |  |
Chat Mieux (item #826) by Lorraine Dunn, Fort Collins, CO. Chat Mieux is named for Chagement en mieux (change for the better). She can help you collect coins to make a change for the better for all the little kitties. Lorraine Dunn lives, does art and plays in Fort Collins. Her card collection can be found under her name at GreetingCardUniverse.com |
Prior Grand Cats
2009 Grand Cats
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