Frequently Asked Questions
ABOUT THE ART
So are these paintings or what?
I draw in a computer program called Adobe Illustrator. While there is no paint or ink involved, I draw everything by hand. I use a Wacom tablet with a stylus to draw different shapes and then I fill them with solid colors and gradients of color to create depth and textures and patterns. Instead of paint I work with what are called vectors. They are difficult to describe but someone once described working with them as drawing with rubber bands and I liked that description. You can stretch them, bend them, twist them, and they don't break.
How long does it take you to make a drawing?
Since I draw each one from scratch, original and completely customized just for you, they can take a little while to complete. Some portraits are more complicated than others - I find that tabby cats and long hair cats usually take the longest to capture the textures and patterns in their coats. Portraits can take anywhere from 4-10 hours to complete - but there may be other orders in progress ahead of yours.
I take some time to look through the subject's Instagram to find photos that are useful for reference and also have clues about the personality of the cat and their people. I may also have to do some research if I am unfamiliar with a specifically requested concept, but I am always happy to go the extra mile to create something special for you that is beautiful!
What can I do with this art?
All of the custom portraits I create are for personal use only - which means you can feel free to share it on your social media and display it in your home. I ask that you do not make items with that art to sell them.
If you are interested in having a portrait made into apparel, accessories, or housewares, please let me know and I can have that made for you. I have lots of options available in my shop currently but I am always willing to try something new. Currently I offer tanks, tees, hoodies, notecards, leggings, laminated placemats, ceramic and travel mugs, t-shirt and sleeveless A-line dresses, scarves, blankets, indoor/outdoor pillowcases, wall clocks, shower curtains, zip pouches, and totes.
In order to fit the art on many of these items, the portrait, which is created square, needs to be adapted and modified to suit the printed area perfectly at the right scale.
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Do you take wholesale orders for your cat art your products?
Currently I am only able to do wholesale orders for art prints and art notecards.
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Do you do graphic design work as well?
Yes! Please contact me with information on your project and I will give you a quote.
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If you have any questions about the process, please ask!
ABOUT OLIVE AND RYE
Are Olive and Rye related?
The are not related by blood. They were found in different parts of Philadelphia, wandering the streets and happened to end up at the same location of Philly PAWS on the day we came in looking to adopt. Rye is about 6 months to a year younger than Olive.
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What kind of cats are Olive and Rye?
They are both domestic shorthair cats, which is basically the same as a cat "mutt". A lot of people ask us about Rye because of her fur pattern which is known as tortoiseshell - which is generally described as two colors that aren't white - that can be black/blue/tabby with orange/yellow/peach. The tortie fur coloring is present in many different breeds of cat, including Oriental Shorthairs, Maine Coons, Rexes, and Exotics.
Olive's fur pattern is known as calico (sometimes called tortoiseshell with white in the UK) - which is any of the tortoiseshell color combinations plus white. This pattern can also appear on a wide variety of cat breeds as well as the domestic "mutts", just like torties.
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Because the gene that creates this fur pattern is located on the X chromosome, calicos and torties are almost exclusively female - about 99.9% of the time. Olive and Rye are both girls.
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What are their personalities like?
Rye has a lot of what is known as "tortitude". She always has a lot to say about everything. Every move is usually punctuated by some warble or trill or mew. She loves to be around people and enjoys being held, hugging and snuggling. She demands attention and is also a skilled hunter.
Olive is pretty much the complete opposite of Rye. She makes essentially no sounds at all. You usually have to feel her throat to tell if she is even purring. Olive always seems excited and confused about everything and her reactions tend to be comically unpredictable. She really doesn't enjoy being picked up and held, though she is really starting to enjoy sitting on my lap to get a full body rub down. Slowly she is learning things from Rye, including how to solicit affection, which she does a bit more often, though still nervously. She loves to play with toys but rarely is able to actually catch anything. It is extremely lucky she was brought in by PAWS as she probably would not have lasted much longer on the streets. She is very much a mama's girl to the core.
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Do you two make appearances for events?We are mostly homebodies, but would consider local events for the right cause. Please get in touch with your proposal!
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