Cat Signs, Home is Where the Cats Are

Home is Where the Cats Are” is my design and stenciled hand-lettered by me in acrylic paint on weathered wood reclaimed from a neighbor’s old stockade fence. I create each sign individually and the wood surface varies so each sign is unique. This sign measures 10″ wide x 3.5″ tall and has a sawtooth hanger on the back.

Home is where the cats are.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Because, well, “cats are like potato chips”, I had to have a sign for those of us with multiple cats. I adapted the two silhouettes from my daily sketch “Morning at the Window” featuring Mr. Sunshine and Jelly Bean butt to butt, but nicely positioned for the text treatment I had in mind. The phrase “home is where the cats are” divides evenly into three words and three words, but the second half is a little short so I added a heart at the end. Why not?

“Morning at the Window”, marker, 7 x 10 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

You can read a little more about the sketch, and about my daily sketches, on The Creative Cat.

On the original sign I painted the heart black, but knew I’d want it to be red, and so it is.

I just started doodlin around in my studio with some nice weathered wood from my neighbor’s old stockade fence. Originally they were hand-painted, not stenciled. I was a sign painter 30 years ago and I’ve wanted to paint some decorative signs since they’ve become popular again. I gave the wood and the paint and two designs a try, then decided on four designs and started painting.

Because of that I began painting these signs freehand with outlines I traced on the wood and that worked fine with the first pieces of wood I used that I’d chosen because they were nice and smooth. However, in real life, most of the wood is not smooth but has rough finishes, stamped patterns from being cut, and splits and holes from nails and weather.

The wood is very rough and weathered so I give it a sanding, then wipe it down with a tack cloth. Now the larger areas on the signs are stenciled, and the text is hand-lettered. I try to find a smooth area for the text for each sign. There is no way to smooth out the surface so I just deal with it as I paint.

Find more

See more Signs in my Handmade Gift Gallery.

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit “purchasing” for availability and terms.