Creator Profile - Catamation

I recently got to interview the amazing Catamation.  I had previously seen her beautiful items in Bleeding Heart Gallery and met her at the Marky Markets.  I'm currently bidding on these cute beetles for the Online Auction to Help Brisbane Valley Cat Rescue.  Scroll down to learn more!

Tell us about yourself!

I’m an animator, illustrator, printmaker and artist. I need to keep the analogue/digital balance so I spend as many hours making kooky origami and in the print studio as I do sitting in front of my computer animating. I like cats and words that end in ‘ation’ (illustration, animation, contemplation, procrastination ...) hence the name of my business ‘catamation’. I also fill in the time waiting for renders to process by knitting, spinning and crocheting, and had my first sewing machine when I was 4 years old.

What do you create?

I go through phases – at the moment I’m doing a lot of origami and origami collages as I don’t get into the printmaking studio as often as I’d like to. Previously I did a lot of beaded work, photography, carved leather work and couture sewing.

How long have you been making things?

I’ve been making things since I was very little. I was probably scheming to make things when I was in my mother’s belly. When I was a kid I used to make clothes out of large rolls of newsprint, colour them in with my crayons and then staple my younger sister into them. I also used to steal food dye from the pantry and use it to colour in my drawings. Strange as it may seem, those drawings/paintings haven’t faded a touch in many years. Goodness knows what food dye does to your insides!

Where do you get your inspiration?

I like the macro world – plants, flowers, insects, beetles, moths, dragonflies. I moved up from Victoria to Brisbane because the beetles up here are huge and I like to be warm. Also fascinated by anatomy (human, animal and insect) and mechanics (probably why I’m good at rigging characters). I like to study and sketch my pets in motion – two black cats and a rhino beetle called Cleo. And being an old school geeky goth, I’m really getting into steampunk over the last few years.

How can people contact you?

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Catamation/161122813924643 : my blog where you can keep up to date as to what exhibitions, markets and projects I’m currently working on

http://www.catamation.etsy.com : where I sell my prints and origami creations

Online Auction to Help Brisbane Valley Cat Rescue

And they're off!  Bidding has already started on a lot of the items up for auction on Skeleton Closet's page (you have to friend them on Facebook to bid).  While there was a technical difficulty at the beginning, it is good to see that it is all up and I'd encourage you to let Skeleton Closet know how rad she is for doing this.  It takes a lot of time and effort to put something like this together and I for one, am impressed.  Well done!

Awesome lacquered origami beetle pin from Catamation

I myself have been bidding furiously on some items since midnight in the hopes that getting in early will encourage others (and maybe if the bids are high enough, let me win hehe).  My personal favourites are the beetle pins by Catamation and the cards by Catbirds (which I have on my wall from winning in the P.A.A. Auction).

Card, postcard and magnet set from Catbirds

The auction is to raise much needed funds for Brisbane Valley Cat Rescue (previous write up here).  There are over ONE HUNDRED awesome items to choose from, ranging from quirky handmade items to lingerie!  It's great to see such a response from all kinds of businesses; small to large.  Everyone seems to be opening their hearts to help out.  I encourage you to 'like' the small handmadies pages and share this auction with friends as it is really a large sacrifice on their part when making a donation.

Earrings from Loopy Designs

All bidding starts at $2.00 and goes up by $1.00 increments.  The auction will run from 12:00am 6th June to 11:59pm 13th June.  This means that you have plenty of time to bid and fight (playfully) for the ones you like.  Remember to keep it nice and don't be rude!  This is all for the kittens and cats.

Jewellery from Ruby Louise

 I hope that you can find it in your hearts to help these wonderful volunteers by bidding on an item.  It's basically like getting rewarded for donating!  Please spread this far and wide in order to help as much as possible <3.

Gift pack from Skullmonkey Art + Design

Suitcase Rummage

So Sunday 5th of April was my seventh Suitcase Rummage!  Woo!

This month I was raising money for Peninsula Animal Aid.  I had a lot of people ask me if I am part of the organisation; I'm not, I just like to help out where I can through bake sales.  I managed to raise $46.60 using my amazing powers of vegan baking!

Chocolate cupcakes and carrot cake

The Suitcase Rummage is great.  It's a good opportunity for you to either sell your old stuff or to try out things that you are making yourself.  It's only $10 and to register you just have to check the blog here.

 
It runs from 12-5pm on the first Sunday of each month at the top of Queen Street outside the library (opposite the casino).  I encourage anyone wanting to make things to give this market a go.  If you don't make things, come along and get yourself some locally made wonders to spoil your friends (or yourself ;p).

Brisbane Valley Cat Rescue

The charity I chose to donate to for the month of May is Brisbane Valley Cat Rescue.

They are a no kill, not for profit centre run by volunteers who take in stray, surrendered and abandoned cats and look after them until they can find them permanent homes.

Unfortunately, this is expensive.  Cats require lots of food, kitty litter, toys, medicine and vet bills, not to mention attention and care.

This month, thanks to the help of some generous buyers who donated extra, a vegan bake sale at the Suitcase Rummage and the 10% I donated from sales, we were able to put together $106.75 worth of donations.

If you'd like to help out and donate more, or take a cat in to love forever, please check out their website.  Otherwise, leave a message of support on their Facebook page.

I will be donating to them every second month as I truly believe that they are making a difference.

*These photos were taken from their Facebook page*