It Turns Out Art Depicting Drunk Cats Makes For Hilarious Matchbox Art
No matter where you go, what you do, or what you see, art has a way of showing up in the most unexpected places. Paintings, sculptures, graffiti, and all kinds of creative oddities can turn up anywhere, but matchboxes are probably not the first thing that comes to mind.
That is exactly why Denver-based artist Arna Miller and her husband, Ravi Zupa, stand out. Their matchbox art turns drunken late-night bar scenes into tiny illustrated moments, except the characters are cats, not humans. The result is weird, funny, and just relatable enough to make you look twice.
And once you see the process behind it, the whole thing gets even better.
Strike Your Fancy
The word fancy seems to go hand in hand with cats, so we find amusement in the title of Arna Miller's project (Strike Your Fancy). She's described it as:
...a series of matchboxes featuring cats drinking at the bar and the good, embarrassing, and confusing situations we have all found ourselves in.
Arna and her husband are both artists, born and raised in Denver, Colorado, but Arna wasn't always an artist. In fact, she used to work at an architecture firm!
Miller has said she finds inspiration in, "book illustrations, vintage packaging, matchboxes, magic show posters, and early-20th-century illustrations." That 'turn-of-the-century vibe,' however, is most prominent in these whiskered, whisky bar felines.
Arna likes to tread the line between humor and realism. James Clear, author, emphasizes the importance of balancing creativity with practicality, stating:
"Creativity thrives at the intersection of possibility and reality. It's about envisioning the unlikely while staying grounded in what is feasible."
He adds, "While imagination can take us to fantastical places, it's crucial to anchor our ideas in the realm of the believable."
How did her "guiding rule" lead her to these humorous and adorable matchbox kitties?
I guess on this occasion, unless our kitties are up to things at night that we are unaware of, the guiding rule was broken. We are happy it was!
Arna and her husband are very "hands-on" with their art:
We can make everything "in-house"—from cutting and sanding the boards that we mount the art on to printing the packaging we use to ship it.
The couple sells their matchbox art both individually and in sets on their Dr. Alexandra Solomon, relationship therapist website, where she emphasizes the importance of creativity in enhancing our living spaces. "Art can be a powerful tool for self-expression and joy," she states. So whatever catches your fancy, you can get some of this matchbox art for your home, too!
Miller's journey from 9 to 5 to art is something a lot of late-to-life artists can probably relate to:
I began doing art late in life—or so it felt at the time. I was in my mid-twenties, and after hearing the 10,000-hours-to-master-a-skill theory, I felt compelled to frantically catch up.
Miller and her husband live a fascinating life, which probably plays into their fun artwork:
Recently, $$$ pushed us to the uncharted territory of Commerce City, where we bought a house. The previous owner left us five ducks and a goose, who have exceeded our expectations of awesomeness.
It's clear to see that this couple loves what they do!
The process and details they spend time and effort on in all their work, but especially their matchbox cat series, speak volumes about the passion they must feel as they go about their artistic journey.
It's im-paws-sible not to appreciate the unique project.
Together, the couple partakes in art throughout their home:
Here are all the different types of things we do from our art house:
Draw (in the drawing room, of course)
Paint (in what would conventionally be called the living room)
Sculpt (clay, metal, wood, found objects)
Cut and sand wood for mounting
Screen print (burn screens, print transparencies, mix ink, etc)
Block print (with an antique printing press)
Photograph the art
Shoot and edit videos
The final products are most definitely... purr-fect.
They definitely have plenty of happy customers!
Fan-freakin-tastic.
But... we especially love this video of their process!
Ravi Zupa's video of the matchbox cats is definitely one you don't want to miss!
For more cat-driven chaos, see how an artist’s sarcasm collided with his adopted cat in these comics.
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