My Interview with OLIVE & RYE

Olive & Rye are a calico and torti who inspire and oversee the artwork of illustrator Laura Kicey.

KATNISS: I am a big fan of your Humom’s work because, you know, it features cats. Clearly you both serve as her inspurration and mews, but how are you helpful in the actual creation of her artwork?

RYE: Well, I always make sure to knock things off tables, grab at her styus, chew cords and sit on her hands while she is trying to work. This keeps her sharp and focused.

OLIVE: And we both like to sit on her legs behind the laptop when she is working on the sofa.

RYE: Or behind her back when she is sitting on a chair.

OLIVE: We provide lumbar support!

KATNISS: That all sounds very helpful.

RYE: We also got her hooked up with the COI (Cats of the Internet) community and now all she draws are cats. So yeah, we’ll take credit for that.

KATNISS: She does commissioned cat purrtraits almost exclusively – thanks to the both of you. Tell me about the artwork, how it’s done.

OLIVE: Before she does a purrtrait, we direct her to the cat’s Instagram or FB feed so she can get a sense of their purrsonality and what their Humans like. She works mostly on a laptop with a Wacom Intuit tablet connected with a stylus –

RYE: That I like to chew –

OLIVE: And she draws in something called Adobe Illustrator, just like a pencil or paintbrush –

RYE: Except you can’t knock them on the floor –

OLIVE: Or bat them under the couch.

KATNISS: That’s a bummer. And no paper to scratch at, to make noise.

RYE: Right?!

KATNISS: So who are some of the Internet cats she’s drawn?

OLIVE: Scrappy, Jarvis P. Weasley, Tsim Tung Brother Cream, Miss Raspberry Kittay, Taco and Sophie The Model, to name a few.

@miss_raspberry_kittay

@olivertaco

@seniorscrappy

KATNISS: And, of course, she’s always drawing you two.

RYE: Yes, we love to meowdel for her.

KATNISS: She sells merchandise, too, right?

OLIVE: Yes, you can get your cat’s purrtrait on housewares and clothing/accessories including mugs, placemats, wall clocks, totes, scarves, leggings, tees and sweatshirts at our Etsy store.

KATNISS: I like that. Cats everywhere, all around the house, reminding Humans of our importance and value to them.

RYE: World domination is next. Just kidding. Sort of.

KATNISS: Tell me about Kittydelphia, your pop-up catfest set for July 28-29th in Philadelphia.

OLIVE: We came up with the idea along with our sister, Fig. We are all rescue pets and wanted to create an event that gets people excited about adopting shelter kitties.

KATNISS: Pawsome! I was adopted from a shelter myself.

RYE: Great – so you get it. We think shelter kitties are special, beautiful, loving and deserving of furever homes.

KATNISS: You know I suppurrt that!

OLIVE: Donations from our event will be supporting Philly PAWS, a no-kill shelter with several locations in Philadelphia. And of course there will be adoptable cats and kittens there from PAWS, too.

RYE: Olive and I and Fig were all adopted from there and we love what they do for the animals without homes in the Philly area.

OLIVE: And we actually met Fig at Kittydelphia, so she’s especially invested in purrmoting it!

Olive, Fig & Rye

KATNISS: I hear you’re going to have some famous celebri-cats at Kittydelphia. Tell me meowr.

RYE: They are all rescues, just like us. So far, we’ve confurmed Mac of @littleman_mika, who is special needs; Donny of @blossom_and_her_family, who is blind and has CH (Cerebellar hypoplasia); and our furiend @sophie_the_model.

OLIVE: We hope that by letting people meet and see special needs kitties in action and by getting to talk with their people, it may open some minds as well.

KATNISS: Oh, that’s great. I love when so-called “less adoptable” cats get furever homes. Seniors, special needs cats, even black cats are considered less adoptable.

RYE: Fur sure.