Pete the Cat may soon join the ranks of Garfield, Mr. Mistoffelees and other famous four-legged stars.
Limited-edition prints of the blue feline painted beside works such as “Mona Lisa” and Annapolis landmarks such as the City Dock will be available at ARTFX in Annapolis during August.
Pete the Cat is the creation of Southern artist James Dean, “one of the greatest human beings on the face of the Earth,” said Bill Bibb, who has shown Dean?s paintings at Seen Gallery in Georgia for the past five years. “Each painting tells a story. No matter how simple, its humor is captivating,” he said.
“Pete?s been growing over the past couple of years. He?s reached Alaska, which is strange to me,” Dean said. “For [my work] to be in California and I?m coming up to Maryland, I?m just living a dream.”
The artist?s genuinely delightful personality and love for painting ? his second vocation ? are reflected in his work.
Unexpected praise from a college drawing instructor lingered in his ear for decades until he quit his job as an electrical engineer.
The Georgia native quickly recalls the date ? July 2, 1997 ? when he succumbed to his lifelong desire to draw.
In 1999, Dean blended his affinity for depicting landmarks and iconic images with drawings of his shelter cat, Pete, who wandered away.
ARTFX owner and artist Megan Evans attributes Dean?s successes to his paintings? vibrant colors and smile-inducing scenes, she said. “A customer bought three prints recently who isn?t even a cat person. She said they were just too funny not to buy.”
The result is festive and dynamic work, which coincides with ARTFX?s atmosphere, Evans said.
During the gallery?s anniversary celebration, Dean will visit ARTFX to sign copies of his book “The Misadventures of Pete the Cat.”
IF YOU GO
“Pete the Cat” by James Dean
» Through Aug. 31, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. First Sundays
