I was browsing the library at university today, looking for inspiration for my dissertation. I didn’t find any but I did find this book Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics

It’s presented as a serious book on art by cats but it had me in stitches! The photographs are wonderful and some of the serious captions made me laugh even more. It certainly brightened up my day.

Buster’s representation of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers is a good example of invertism…..

Smokey puts the finishing touches to Manic Marigolds #17

Why Cats Paint: A Theory of Feline Aesthetics is only 1p on Amazon second-hand and it’s worth it for the photos. Maybe one day I might actually read the words.

What do you think? Is your cat the next Picasso?

I can’t express quite how much I love Maru. I remember discovering his blog and spending a whole evening going through the pages, laughing at all his cute antics. He really is the coolest cat on the internet.

I was so excited to find out that his book was being released in English. I had wanted it for ages but it was only available in Japanese and on Japanese and American sites. Now it’s available in the UK!! The book is great. It has some of his kitten photos in which are so very cute. The book is a wonderful glimpse into Maru’s life and what he gets up to. I recommend the book to any Maru fans, get it!

Amazon Link I Am Maru

Maru has a great blog, it’s in Japanese but there are English translations. Maru’s Blog

He also has lots of YouTube videos and has won many awards. I think this video is my favourite.

So, if you’ve not met Maru yet, be sure to check him out, he’s the most round, adorable, comical cat on the internet.

I’ve been researching childrens books recently, thinking about maybe designing my own. I love the idea but when it comes to making up stories I am rather lacking so it might be a while. We went to a few carboot sales over the weekend and I got lots of lovely books, most for only 20 pence. Some of them are so lovely I had to share them with you.

I’m amazed how all the different styles of illustrations, some simple, some complex. The drawings have to suit the stories and characters and the wording has to be simple yet effective. I feel that creating a childrens book may not be as easy as it looks.

If you have any childrens book favourites I would love to know so I can check them out.

Mr.Pusskins by Sam Lloyd
I love that he looks so grumpy but is a big softy really, a bit like our Oscar.

My Cat Just Sleeps by Joanne Partis
This book is adorable, the illustrations are magical and the story is really sweet. This book is pretty much about our lovely Artemis who is asleep 90% of the time

This is from a book called Bus Fuss which I nearly didn’t buy because it was so tatty but I’m glad I did. It seems that it’s no longer available to buy (it’s from 1990). It’s a lovely story about a man who takes his dog on the bus in his bag and a woman who takes her cat on the bus in a basket. You can imagine the chaos it causes.

I don’t think there’s anyone out there who hasn’t come across Simon’s Cat.
I still remember seeing the first video he did and I was totally in love with his style and watched it many many times. I think it’s still my favourite of them all.

I got his first book as soon as it came out and I might have to treat myself to the more recent one. Perfect coffee table book for cat lovers!

If you haven’t already, head on over to the Simon’s Cat Website and check out the films section. They are all awesome and definately worth a watch.

Today I want to share with you the illustrator of one of my favourite cat cartoon books, Jeffery Brown. I bought his Cat Getting Out of a Bag and Other Observations
book as a birthday present to myself a couple of years ago, it’s brilliant. I love the simple style and the classic cat antics in the comics. He has since published another great book, Cats Are Weird: And More Observations which I have as well and both of them are on my shelf of favourite cat books. I might have to treat myself to Cutest Sneeze in the World Postcard Box because it’s just so adorable! If you’re looking for a gift for a cat lover or you want to treat yourself to something cute and funny I definately recommend these books.

Crafting with Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make with Your Cat

I couldn’t believe it when I saw this book on The Dainty Squid’s blog. I have to admit to trying to felt cat hair but never got any further than making balls out of it for them to play with. With three cats now, there’s a lot of floof about and they seem to moult all the time, especially Oscar who leaves a trail of black hair where ever he goes. Maybe I should start thinking about doing something a bit more constructive with it all!