Daily Cat Report

Today I spent many hours typing and sending emails to those backers of the kickstarter project whose cats I will draw for the book. Whew! I'm tired of staring at the screen, and my hands are a bit cramped. I'd really rather be staring at photos of cats and scratchin' away on a scratchboard drawing of said cats. Soon...soon. If doing a book projects has taught me anything (and it taught me a lot!) it's that sometimes it's slow, slow, oh.good.golly slow. And then right when I can hardly stand it anymore, it's up and at rocket speed! Needless to say, but I'll say it, I'm at the slow portion of the project right now. But, it could be worse. I'm sitting comfortably in a spacious living room at the house I'm caring for while friends are gone. I've been in this house many times, as I used to live right down the hill and I was a friend to the former owner, and now with the current owners. The big Texas sky is starting to darken with the gloaming time of day. The trees have become silhouettes and all is good and quiet here. It's been a perfect day in Linda-Land. The project funded at kickstarter and while I'm raring to go, I still know enough to keep an even pace. If you thought about getting in on it and didn't, there is still time to have your cat immortalized in the book. You can comment here, or just contact me at lcsheets@blue-eyedponystudio.com and I'll fill you in.

Funding and Such

The kickstarter funding ended on Weds. I hopped in my truck and drove to Texas the next day.  Doing a lot of scratchboard classes for the rest of the month. Today's class at Casa De Linda in New Braunfels was excellent. Tomorrow I'll be at Jerry's Artarama in Austin from noon to 3 and then back at Casa Tuesday morning from 9 to noon.
I'm very happy with the dollar amount raised at the Cat Scratchin' kickstarter site, wanted to let y'all know that I'll continue to raise dollars via pledges to draw cats until mid-April. If you wanted to and didn't get in in time for the funding there, just contact me at Lcsheets1@yahoo.com and we'll get the ball rolling. I'm sitting in Austin Texas right now, happy with the weather and looking forward to seeing more friends. It's a good life.
If you are part of the project, don't worry you will hear from me in a few days with every bit of info you will need (and what I will need from you) Have a happy weekend!

Kickstarter Funding...Almost Done!

Here's a really big cat! This photo is from the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Rescue in Eureka Springs AR. I got to visit them this past summer and I was so impressed with the work they do rescuing big cats (plus a bear, monkey and any other wild thing that should NEVER be considered as a potential house pet). They gather all of these exotics from people who should not have had them and build them nice green areas to live out the rest of their lives. This one is in a holding cage near the entrance. They are a non-profit org and could always use donations to help with their mission.
My kickstarter Cat Scratchin' book project is almost done funding. Just about 4 hours from now I'll be sitting with friends visiting and watching to see the final outcome. I am so excited and happy with how this has developed. Cat folks have out funded Dog folks! Not that it's a competition, ok? I love both cats and dogs, but my oh my are they different!
Even if you miss the end of the funding at kickstarter this evening at 6:01pm central time you can still jump in if you contact me before the end of March. Here we go, making a book about rescued cats!! Love it. Thank you!

Making A Book Of Cat Drawings!

This is Nelson. He's going to be in the Cat Scratchin' book along with a bunch of other cats. I'm so excited, the kickstarter project reached it's goal last night and I've got about 45 cats to draw. Go here to see it, and add your kitty if you haven't already. There are 3 more days to pledge, check it out and see if you'd like to be a part of it, I'd love to have more cats to draw. As with the Dog Scratchin' book I will be giving a portion of sales to rescue groups, and also giving books for them to sell.  I'm so thankful for everyone who jumped in to join me. I'm looking forward to drawing all of the cats and telling the stories. Yippie eye Meow!

Kickstarter Cat Book And Such

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1547701634/cat-scratchin-a-collection-of-good-cats-and-their
The Cat Scratchin' book project is rolling right along. Today we are 94% funded with 5 days to go. If you have a great rescued cat story and photos of said cat I'd love to draw them with Ampersand Art Scratchbord and include them in the book. There are many different pledge levels and 'rewards' for the pledge. Click on the link above to check it out. I'm creating this book to use to raise some funds for rescue groups, for me to become a better artist, and to give some recognition to the 'ordinary' cats and their folks with stories need to be told. Please join me. The above cats are, Trixie, who really isn't my cat, but she lives outside and comes for food and, Opal Mae, who has PTSD from watching her siblings snatched away by an owl in the barn she was born in. She's around 10 years old and has never gotten over it. This morning she was hissing, spitting and growling at her own reflection in the mirror and sliding glass door. No amount of loving or encouraging words can change her neurotic behavior. Oh well, she's pretty dear anyway. Trixie is dear too, but because of Opal, must stay outside. So, I'm going to try and find her a safe home. Wish me luck, she's about half feral, so getting her in a crate should be an adventure.( I'm going to put hashtags, don't know if they mean anything or link to anything here) #cats #kickstartercatscratchin

Kickstarter Cat Book

Oh so close to the goal. Please help or share, this is going to be awesome!
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1547701634/cat-scratchin-a-collection-of-good-cats-and-their

I'm feeling lucky! This is Jack, he lives in Taos. He's an amazing cat. Well, aren't they all?

Not The Damn Cat Book Again!

So as I wrangle my cat book project on kickstarter I am beginning to  really understand the difference between cat people and dog people. Uh, NOT. Please, allow me to ramble on a bit. The dog project was funded earlier than it needed to be and then just sat for a while before going up and over the amount needed at the end. It had a certain frustration, but at least I knew it was a 'go' and could sit back and breathe for a minute. The Cat Scratchin' project, on the the other paw, has been up and down, dribs and drabs, with a few bursts of funding. We are close, but not there yet. Kind of like my relationships with the feline persuasion. I have a new cat in the house, the above Ms. Opal Mae. She's not-so-new herself, being 10 years old and a little gray chunky scaredy cat. In fact, I believe if you look in the dictionary for 'Scaredy Cat' you will see her picture. Reportedly she saw her siblings snatched away in front of her by an owl when she was a little barn kitten. So, she is scarred and scared for life. I like to think of her as a 'survivor'. She spent much of the first 3 days here under my bed. Now she only spends about 14 hours in a 24 hour day under there. The rest of the time she is eating, drinking, pooping, peeing and, damn it, poking me in the face very early in the morning. Do I wish she would sit on my lap or rub up against me looking at me with love? Oh sure. Will I resign myself to the notion that 'I will get what I will get' from her? Yes. What else can I do?
While sometimes annoying, this relationship works for me. The new dog Bo is now on the 'family exchange' program (long story, suffice to say, when I was growing up my brothers and cousins were shipped back and forth between various Aunts and Uncles to 'straighten' them out.) Anyhow, Bo is at his cousin's house and Opal Mae who used to be there, is here. When he was here I found I couldn't get anything done because:
A. He's a puppy and his bladder is small and he is high maintenance.
B. I'm a pretty self-centered artist type who just wants to make things, or think about making things, and I travel a bit.(soon to travel more)
C. My dear friends who are my family here fell in love with him. Now he's a part of their pack, and I am a part too.
I get to visit him, take him for walks and do fun loving stuff with him, then I come back to Opal Mae who just pokes me now and then.
My point here is that I'm hoping that cat people are just as mysterious as their cats and will come aboard the Cat Scratchin' book project at kickstarter (look here) sometime in their own time and before the funding ends on Feb. 13 at 6:01pm central time.
Shall I say it's kind of like 'trying to herd cats?'  I push and push with this project on various social networks and not much happens. Dogs just want to please, Cats do as they please. Hi ho! Come on cat lovers! Line up and sign up. Or maybe when you get a moment, will you consider it? Pretty please? With Tuna on top?