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This week I’m working on a series of four winged cats. I haven’t really decided if they’re cat angels, super-hero cats, or a half-remembered scene out of the Wizard of Oz. But I do know I’m having a lot of fun making them.
Two of my very non-angelic cats posed for me. Their modeling fees were paid with tuna fish.
Grey Striped Angel CatNow I have to get back to work and finish the other two winged cats. And I have three lion cub heads in the oven (that should make sense as soon as I write my next post.)
All these cats will be transported to Bellingham for an after-Thanksgiving art show.
Jonni – pls. give us a detailed tutorial so we all can make your lovely striped angel cat – reminds me very much of my treasured and well loved cat – Lucy. Yours, Joanne
Hi Joanne. I didn’t take any pictures of the process, for some reason. I think I was in a hurry, trying to build lots of cats for show that ended up being cancelled. Maybe I’ll do another one some day.
OH MY GOODNESS . paper mache is a beautiful art!!!!!! i thought nothing of it until i found this site!!!! this is beautiful im going to get started making some sculptures!!!!
can u make a grown male lion?
Hi Katelyn. The answer is yes, I could make a grown male lion. But I won’t be able to do it right away, because I have 13 new projects scheduled for the how-to book I’m writing. (One of the projects that will be in the book is a lion, actually.)
Are you looking for instructions about how to make one yourself? When I do mine I’ll be making a cardboard pattern and building a form with crumpled paper and masking tape, just like I did with the paper mache panda. If you get your lion done before I do, I hope you’ll let us see him.
jonni how do we purchase work done by you?
What a nice thing to ask! You can find the sculptures currently available on my gallery page. (Click the “Available Sculptures” tab at the top of the page). Special commissions may be considered. If you have something in mind that you don’t see here, please contact me directly. (remember to put “paper mache” in the subject line, so your email won’t get lost among the hundreds of spam emails I receive every day). I am in the middle of writing a book, so the number of commissions I can accept is limited.
On a completely irrelevant note, I recently learned where the original idea of winged cats came from. Back in the middle ages, when superstition and anti-cat sentiment was running high, certain days were set aside for torturing these innocent creatures. Evidently, people forgot the service cats perform by ridding towns and barns of rodents, and cats were associated with older women who had knowledge of herbal remedies. “Witches,” in other words.
As a part of the anti-cat celebration, some cats would be flung from the town’s belfry, and a surprising number of them survived — “proving” that they were diabolical. So, the first paintings of winged cats did not represent cat angels, but cat demons.
But my cats are angels – and I’m sure all those “flying” cats back in the middle ages were really angels, too. The people were just too ignorant to know it.
hi jonnie,
i like your work so much…. it has inspired me to try something… after seeing this lovely cat i have decided to make a kitten and gift it to my friend on his birthday…
so exited.. i have allready started working on it.. lets see, how far i can go…
anyways have pleasent time.. and keep inspiring us..
I just love your work and this great site you have created, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
These remind me of a favorite childresn book “Catwings” by Ursula LeGuin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catwings
OOh – I’ll have to read that. I enjoy reading children’s books, and LeGuin is one of my favorite authors. I don’t know how I missed it. Thanks for the tip.
Oh boy! I can’t wait to see them in person, Jonni!
I love them both, and am really enjoying the curled up Calico. Can’t wait to see the lions!
I like the angel cats. Eyes look so real. Pete
Jonni,
You have captured the life force in this Grey Striped Angel Cat piece. The pose, form and facial expression are so dynamic!
I half expect this Angel Cat to fly off or at least sprint way suddenly.
Gosh – thanks for the nice comments, everyone.
love the Angel Cat!
I CAN NOT WAIT to start on mine after the Holidays, I’m almost envious that you have yours done. LOL Seriously, they are GREAT