Winners Take Home the Purrize for Cat-Themed Artwork
Catit recently hosted an international multi-category art contest featuring our favorite subject – cats. The contest offered prizes to the best cat art across different media including: digital art, paintings, drawings and mixed media. The prize? Winners received a selection of pawsome cat products for their cat! The overall contest winner also received a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 with S Pen to keep that artistic fire alive!
And now for the winners – drumroll please!
Overall Winner & Digital Media Winner – Chris Sanchez
Congratulations to Chris Sanchez! Chris was the overall winner of the International Catit Art Contest composing his art using digital media.
His cat art composition features a beautiful, small wildcat called a Margay. Chris was inspired to draw the margay as his subject because of their unique personalities, and because they’re one of the lesser known wild cats.
“Their eyes are extremely expressive and perfect for a portrait,” says Sanchez.
And he knows cats! Chris lives with 11 rescue cats. One of the main reason Sanchez loves drawing cats is because he can capture each of their individual, quirky personalities, and his meowdels are often his own cats. Congratulations, Chris!
You can see more of Chris’ work on Instagram @artistic.catgeek
Digital: “Margay” by Chris Sanchez
Painting Category – Franciscus van Boxtel
Franciscus van Boxtel won the Catit Art Contest’s painting category. His painting is a fairly large piece, at 36 inches x 48 inches wide, and was composed using acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas. Franciscus uses his own rescue cats, Hobbes and Jamila (Jami), for inspiration. The winning painting was created from a photo of Hobbes and Jami snuggling – which is very typical for these two. Franciscus also teaches painting and has a deep understanding of art and colors.
“Cats are among my favourite subjects to paint. They usually have large eyes, which I love to paint most, though ironically, Hobbes’ are closed in this painting. They all have an innate beauty, which is always enjoyable to portray,” says van Boxtel.
To see more of Franciscus van Boxtel’s work, visit his website www.franciscus.ca!
Painting: Franciscus van Boxtel
Mixed Media – Raphael Vavasseur
Taking home the Catit Art Contest trophy for best mixed media design is Raphael Vavasseur. His artwork was completed using acrylic paint on canvas with the help of his three feline assistants, Kitcha, Doodoo and Cocotte. Raphael is passionate about cats and watching them spurs a flurry of ideas.
“I love painting sleeping cats because they are incredibly beautiful sleepers,” says Vavasseur.
You may have seen his work on The Catnip Times’ Facebook Page visitor posts and other social media channels. To see more of Raphael Vavasseur’s work, you can catch him on:
Raphael’s Facebook Page
Raphael’s Ebay shop
Raphael’s Etsy shop
Mixed Media: “Moon Cat” by Raphael Vavasseur
Drawing Category – Becky McEwen
Last, and certainly not least, is the winner of the drawing category – Becky McEwen. She titled her work “Cat Nap,” as it portrays a circle of cats sleeping in a giant ball in all different shapes draped over one another.
She was inspired by her own little rescue kitten, Dexter, and his awkward sleeping positions. She took that idea and pounced on it!
“I started thinking how it might look if I had lots of cats all sleeping in their cute little stretches and curls. And it just worked!” remarked McEwen.
Becky is an avid cat lover and features cats in much of her artwork. “I was really excited about the Catit Art Contest, and even more exciting to see myself as a finalist!”
You can see more of Becky’s art on her Becky McEwen Art Facebook Page.
Drawing: “Cat Nap” by Becky McEwen
A hearty congratulations to all of the winners!
Do you have a favorite? Tell us what you love about these cat-inspired works of art!