I "Do" Cats - Helping Cats through Glass Art

People ask me if I "do" bugs. Anyone who knows me would know that I don't "do" bugs.

I don't like bugs. I don't "do" bugs. What I do like are cats. In fact, I love cats. So, I "do" cats. Lots of cats.

It's not that I don't like other animals. In fact, I do like most animals. And I actually "do" other animals (reindeer, dogs, cows), among other things. But, anyone who knows me would know that I adore cats more than almost anything. So, I do cats. Lots of cats. Hundreds of cats.

People say I am passionate about cats, even obsessed with cats. My husband calls me the "Cat Whisperer." My sister calls me the "Cat Lady." I am proud to say it's all true. Not that I have a lot of actual cats (I live with three), but that I am totally into anything with "cat" -- the actual animals, images of cats, cat art and just about anything shaped like a cat. I have never met a cat that doesn't like me, and I've never met a cat I don't like.

Truth is, while I love cats I am not brave enough to work with actual cats -- to work for or volunteer at a shelter and actually see all the neglect and abuse firsthand. So, what I do is I help the animals through my art.

I am a fused-glass artist in Bellingham, Washington, and I make a huge variety of glass ornaments, pendants, earrings, wall art, garden stakes and more. What I do most are fused-glass cats.

I donate a portion of my sales and actual art to raise money to help cats. In October 2009, I donated more than $1300 to our local Humane Society. I also donated dozens of cat and dog ornaments, paw-print wine-bottle stoppers, cat wall art, and paw-print earrings and pendants to both the local Humane Society Masquerade Ball auction and Purrfect Pals (a no-kill cat shelter) Black Cat Ball. In addition, I was asked to donate the main art piece for the Black Cat Ball, which was used on invitations and posters to promote the event. I also donate my work throughout the year to the local Humane Society gift shop, called Paws Awhile.

(Art donated to the Black Ball.)

When people ask me to donate to their charity, I tell them that if it's a charity to help animals then, "I'm in." If not, I let them know that animals are important to me and I decided several years ago to focus all of my donation and charity efforts to help animals.

So, maybe in the future I will be brave enough to actually volunteer to rescue abused animals or foster special-needs cats or even play with the animals as they sit on death row just waiting and hoping they will be adopted. But for now, I do what I can to help cats through my glass art.

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Kristi of Glassworks Northwest is a fused-glass artist in Bellingham, Washington, and is a member of the Crafting for Animals Guild on Artfire.com. Everything is designed and created by hand by Kristi in her home studio. You can find her work online on Artfire and Etsy, at shops and galleries, and at juried art shows throughout the Northwest.