Laurel Burch and her Fantastic Felines
“Looking back, I remember the sheer delight I felt when in the midst of creating an array of earthen-colored animals—mysterious birds and other worldly people—I reached for a clean white sheet of paper and began painting a cat, sitting on a red flowered chair.”
"‘Who are you?’ I asked.
‘Your friend!’ was the answer.
And so he was.
Right when I needed one.
Life had been serious, and I was busy searching my soul. I wanted my art to be profound and meaningful, not silly and insignificant.
‘Phooey!’ said the sassy cat, perched on the red flowered chair.
‘It’s time to play. Get out some brighter colors and lighten up!’"
“Well, that was the beginning. As each fantastic feline arrived on paper through the tip of my pencil, their wit, whiskers and whimsy taught me my first lessons about the lighter side of beings. As a result of their riotous entrance into my otherwise serious life, I realize the joys and values of being reminded to play. To paint a chair red and sit in it to dream. Most wonderful of all—I realized my new-found friends could be messengers of bright spirit and joy, as no one else could.”
"‘Look at me, look at me. What do you see? Whiskers gold and patterns bold and eyes that dance with light. Mystic creature old and new. Who are you?’"
"Folkloricats. Egypticats. Indigo Cats. Kindred Cats. Feline Families. Festive Felines. While I love to create a diverse array of animal characters, my cat family seems to grow the most! I could never choose one favorite fantastic feline anymore then I could choose one color over another. It is the perfusion of personalities and the wild explosion of patterns all together that set my artistic imagination afire. At the same time, each and every feline is special in its own way, just as real ones are. This is where I find the continuous joy in creating more cats.”
"In all their various forms – on my jewelry, scarves, posters, mugs – each fantastic feline has a life of its own to lift spirits, warm hearts, share dreams, and kindle friendships. These are the things that inspired me to create my art, and these are the things my feline ambassadors can express.”