"Ovey: The Paper Sitting, Butterfly Loving, Fat Cat" Mural
"Ovey: The Paper Sitting, Butterfly Loving, Fat Cat" Mural is a memorial tribute to my actual real life cat Ovechkin who I always say was and is "30 pounds of pure love". It's true what they say when you lose a
pet it's like losing a family member...and in our family we treat our pets as we would any other person, which is why I wanted to do something grand to honor one of the most important men in my life. Someone who has been a constant muse throughout my art career and will continue to make me think about how we perceive masculine roles/figures, how sensitivity can be a masculine trait, and how to treat others with kindness and respect--and yes I learned all of this from a cat.
He wasn't just any cat though...he was a father to an orphaned and scared kitten who has now turned into a grown male cat, he was an avid hockey fan (probably because he was named after Alexandre Ovechin) and would watch the games (especially if the Blue Jackets were playing the Capitals), and he was a major lover not a fighter...I won't talk about how he suddenly died, or the sadness and pain that followed because I'm sure if you have ever lost a friend (furry or not) then you can imagine. Instead, I want to focus on bringing positivity to who he was and to share his positivity with others...I mean who doesn't just love a big fat cat?!
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Step 1
I applied for 934 Mural Fest which is an annual Mural and Music Arts Festival here in Columbus, OH.
Step 2
Sketch...Sketch...Sketch.
Here is an example of the sketch I made of the mural.
Step 3
Make friends and have good times while painting away.
Hidden Meanings:
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The Butterfly: Ovey LOVED Butterflies. He would spend all day watching them in the garden and laying in the grass seeing them float by...sometimes when he was feeling a bit naughty he would chase after them.
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Paper: he also loved laying on paper...the crinklier the better! Often I would find him laying on my school work or, later in life, piles of my work work. I think he thought he was helping me finish so we could cuddle.
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The Green Eyes: Ovey had the biggest and most beautiful green eyes. His eyes are shut in this piece to symbolize his passing; however, I still wanted to incorporate them in the piece...so his head is laying on a pillow like object with a green and sparkly eye pattern on it.
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His Position: Often you would find Ovey in these funny positions on the floor or bed where he was either laying on his belly looking like superman or he was laying on his back looking like he is ready for a nice soft pet on his belly (one of the only cats I've met who actually liked belly rubs). With this, I encourage viewers to go up and lean on him, hug him, pet him for good luck, and just know he's shining down on us giving so much love, peace, and joy.
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A huge thank you to 934 Gallery for allowing me to be apart of 2021's 934 Fest, for all your hard work through marketing, preparing the walls, and for setting up/tearing down the event. To all the volunteers who made this happen, stayed late nights and got up early morning to help us painters with scaffolding/water/snacks and everything else. And to my friends who helped me physically and/or mentally make this mural happen. I couldn't have done this without you all. Thank you!