This piece is inspired by the Victorian artist Louis Wain. I must admit I have become a bit obsessed with his work after I receiving a book about him. 
 
If you haven't heard of Louis Wain before it's not surprising as he was an illustrator of anthropomorphised cats and other animals. His work is joyful, he was also a lover of colour and painted many cats in blues and bright colours.
 
In 2021 the film :The Electrical Life of Louis Wain was released staring Benedict Cumberbatch. A sad but lovely film about Louis Wain and his work.
 
I wanted to bring a little of Louis Wain's joy to my piece by creating a laughing cat in shades of blue leather with a pretty pink bow. I hope you find joy in it too.
 
Each piece of leather is cut by hand and meticulously fitted together using my unique leather marquetry technique. Once all the leather pieces are assembled, I stitch them together using my trusty companion, 'Gerty', a 1960's Pfaff rolling-foot sewing machine. Finally, I add the finishing touches to bring the piece to life.
 
I would love to see your photos & hear your thoughts.