height 19"/ width 12"/ depth 12"
Harry Cat, by Beau Smith, January 2024
copper and bronze, welded and brazed, given a patina with touches of oil paint, waxed
This is the first Cat of a series of Cats I began in October or November of 2023. I have made a few Cats before, years ago. But this is the first one I made intending, and actually doing it, to make a series. The process by which I made these Cats is substantially different from the Frog sculptures I am known for. You may notice that the shapes are more wrought, more slender and smooth. Still, though, they have the familiar copper wrinkles that are in my Frog sculpture.
Cats became a departure for me. Having made Frogs for over 35 years, I had come to master the techniques involved. It was finally time for something new. With the Cats came new creativity. I began painting them. The Cats held so many creative innovations and openings for new creativity. I love them for that. I happen to love actual cats, anyway. More than Frogs, actually. Can I say that?
This first Cat reminded me of a dear Siamese Cat we had when my wife was alive and my son was a young boy. We had trekked up to upstate Georgia to pick up two baby Siamese Cats. My wife had a knowing appreciation in that I had two Siamese Cats when I was a boy, and I loved them very much.
I didn't set out to make this Cat to be Harry - my son had named one of the Siamese cats we got, Harry, after Harry Potter, of course. Harry was a large, funny cat. We loved him so much, and his passing was a great loss.
Sometimes an artist begins with a definite idea in mind. Well, the idea I had was to make a Cat. I did not think it would be Harry. I did not know. These things you find out on the way of creating them.
My son (now 25) thinks the face looks funny, not as cat-like as the second Cat I made, which happened to become the other Siamese cat we had, who Julian, my son, had named, Dianna, (Wonder Woman/Greek Goddess of the hunt) at the tender age of five or six. The funny face for Harry is apprapo, as he was a funny cat. He was also very big. This Cat is actually not as big as Harry. Harry was huge.
This Cat is not for sale. But, if you like, for now, I can make one very much like it. This option will not always be open. But it is now. Just email (Beau@beautifulfrog.com) me and we can work out the details. It should take me 2 weeks to make.
Shipping is included in the price.
