Surrealist artist Richard Saunders is most certainly a cat lover. And if you like magic, surrealism, and fantasy, well, you’re in for the purrfect treat! You may have seen his famous Topiary Cat images circulating online over the years. And, no, they are his imagination come to life and not an actual giant Topiary Cat from a breathtaking garden.
Above is the very first Topiary Cat image that was shared online. Unfortunately, someone took it upon themselves to crop out the watermark and many were duped into thinking that this was a real-life giant topiary. So, no, you cannot visit The Topiary Cat. You can, however, feast your eyes on the 60+ images online! On his website, Richard says that:
It was based upon a photograph he had taken of Hall Barn, Beaconsfield, with a photo of Tolly, his Russian Blue Cat, which was taken to match the huge abstract ‘cloud’ topiary by the lake there, comped in.
There are dozens of these lovely images online, and you can even order them to display in your home or gift to someone you know who would enjoy them.
For fun, The Topiary Cat often shares meaningful messages with his fans on Facebook, like this one below…
Good morning! I have been chatting to The Master today and he is a little concerned that certain mortals, troublesome beings that they are, have been using this portal (Facebook, is that what they call it?) in ways that seem unethical. I understand none of this and would just like to reassure that I am not going anywhere, because I would miss all of you much too much. I am too set in my ways to worry about such matters and hope you feel the same as we do. Richard isn’t bothered about what he shares on here and nor am I. To be honest we are both quite innocent beings, but we do know we shouldn’t post anything here that we wouldn’t want anyone else to know or share with others. Of course I do hide myself when the occasion arises; that’s what The Topiary Cat does best!
Curious how this giant green kitty cat came about? Watch the video below to see Richard talk about the inspiration behind his famous work of feline art:
Richard lives in Hertfordshire, England, and the gorgeous English countryside serves as constant inspiration for his surrealist kitty cat creations. He has since brought another Russian Blue cat into his life since Tolly’s passing, but nothing can replace the love he feels for his late feline friend. But thanks to Richard’s wonderful imagination and enduring love for his late cat, Tolly’s spirit will live on forever.
An image of Tolly, the feline inspiration behind The Topiary Cat:
Such a beautiful inspiration!
I just love how well he captured the handsome Tolly here. And if you look closely, you will see a little Tolly on the right, too….
If you’d like to keep up with Richard’s Topiary Cat, you can find him here on Facebook. Or, you can visit the Topiary Cat website here. I’d like to give a special thank you to Richard for allowing me to share his images with you all. They’re simply fantastic! And if you know anyone who would enjoy them, please don’t forget to share.
Look at that green tongue!
What better place to take a cat nap than on the shore!
Catching the purrfect sunset…
All Images Courtesy of The Topiary Cat
