Kitty Kitsch

Charles David and Ferbie Fox Claudon, 1987

When I created my business, The Butterfly Cat Studio, I sold cast epoxy miniature cats in various scales which I hand-painted. These grew out of showing Ruby's Christmas and having people ask if I could make them to sell. I signed all the cats with a stylized cat with wings.

While I worked on cats and rooms, my wife Ferbie perfected dressing miniature figures. A logical step was to combine my cats with her dressing and together we created Kitty Kitsch--cats dressed in human clothing with a sense of wit and humor. From 1981 to 1995, we sold Kitty Kitsch at miniature shows.

Display Box Vignette: Make Love, Not War (1987)

Using the idea of the store windows that came from our hosting the NAME National Convention in Chicago, I wanted to contrast the Colonial military view with the hippie movement of the 1960s. His sign which has blurred with age said, "Make Love, Not War." I posed and painted the cats, Ferbie dressed them and I constructed the vignette.

1:12-scale box using Kitty Kitsch: High Cream (1984)

In a box setting Edwardian nursery, a little girl sleeps holding a book of fairy tales while dreaming of three cats and a kitten having High Cream. Ferbie made the little girl and dressed the cats. I hand-painted the room. An image of the Butterfly cat can be seen on the top side of the box. Sold at a National Houseparty.

A 1:24-Scale Kitty Kitsch Room: 

"Sweetie, Sylvester was only joking"

Our 1/2 scale miniature club did a workshop with D. Anne Ruff doing bed ruffles and table skirts. The workshop led to this room with its Kitty Kitsch couple [the male holding knife and fork] confronting the parakeet on the bed.

The Kittens' Recital: Hansel and Gretel

The theatre painting was inspired by a book on Russian ornamental painting. The set design is based on a symbolist painting of the early 1900s.

1:24 Scale Vignette: Watching Punch and Judy

The handpuppets are all accurate representations of the real Punch and Judy 
puppets of the period. Behind the cloth stage is a cat puppeteer.

Kitty Kitsch Examples

The Gold Dust Twins, Out of Africa, Rodeo

William Shakepaw, Dances with Wolves, Miss Liberty, General Puss, Uncle Socks Wants You.

Masquarade, Uncle Socks, The Blackbird Reunion, 

The Scottish Cat, Puss-in-Boots, The Flying Nun, The Clown, "What Big Ears You Have."

Sunday in the Park with George

Grace Realized Too Late That She'd Made a Mistake

'Tis a Gift to be Simple

Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life at Last I've Found You!

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I was delighted and flattered to discover an online article about the Claudon Cats from the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures. A big thank you to the museum for the article.