Behind the Mask
The Cat Casts of Lynn Osborn
by Andrew Waters

Humans may be able to decipher the thoughts and emotions of other humans - and many a dog -- by carefully observing their facial expressions, but the cat has proven mostly immune to these intuitive interpretations. You may never know what thoughts are masked behind the slanted, mysterious eyes of your own cat, but the colorful cat casts of artist Lynn Osborn can serve as an artistic tribute to that inscrutable feline countenance.

Osborn's casts are nonwearable masks, constructed of papier-mâché and hand painted. Each cast is formed from a basic design, carved from clay. A mold is poured into the clay design. Once dry, the mold is cut and shaped to resemble an individual cat, then papier-mâché is pressed into the mold to create the three-dimensional cast.

"I hand paint each piece, then I have to drill holes for all the individual whiskers, thread each one and glue them into place. The whiskers make each cast even more of an individual piece," says Osborn, who uses acrylic paints and finishes each cast with a clear coat of polyurethane.

The casts vary in size but are typically 5 to 6 inches tall and approximately 8 inches wide. She currently charges $65 for noncustom cats and $75 for custom orders. Even on noncustom orders, customers can still select the breed, fur color and eye color of the cast. For custom orders, Osborn requests photographs of the individual cats for her to use as a model.

Osborn draws on her training as a theatrical costume designer to create her casts. A resident of St. Petersburg, Florida, she studied theater design at Radford University in southwestern Virginia and at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

"I worked as a costume designer for many years. I eventually got out of that work, but I missed certain parts of it," says Osborn. "For instance, I really liked making masks. I have a couple of cats, and thought 'Hey, I want to make some of my cats.' I had those on my wall, and so many people said things I thought, 'Let's see if I can develop these things.'"

She started her own business, called Designs By Lynnie, to do just that. "I started with the Internet, and I'm now getting into some local galleries," she says, describing her efforts to promote and market her work. Osborn's artistic style is developing along with her business skills. "What I've learned since I started this is how difficult cats' faces are to recreate. There are so many different characteristics to each individual cat. I've got well over 20 molds by now, and I'll probably end up with 40 or more."

Osborn's Web site - www.designsbylynnie.com - lists the designs she has currently available. They include many popular breeds as well as non-pedigreed longhairs and shorthairs. "I've done a lot of research on cats since I started this. I now have a full library of cat books," says Osborn. "And then, each time I get a photo of an individual cat, it's a whole new study. It's basically the same as if someone was doing a portrait of a cat. Each cat is so different, it's a challenge to capture those unique markings."

As hard as Osborn works to accurately recreate each detail of the cat's face, a bit of her own flair is displayed in the eyes of each cast. "I take a little bit of artistic license with eyes. When you look at a cat's eyes, they're just wild. I guess I'm influenced by that to go a little artsy with them. Some of the recent ones I've done are really different," admits Osborn, who has been making her cat casts commercially the past year. "I guess the more I do this, the more my own style is developing." Thanks to that individual style, as well as the handmade design, construction and painting process, each of Osborn's casts is a unique work of art, just like the face of the cat they attempt to capture.

For More Information

To view several examples of Lynn Osborn's casts, or to place an order, visit her Web site at www.designsbylynnie.com. You can contact Osborn by e-mail at: lynniedesigns@yahoo.com; or write to her at: Designs By Lynnie, P.O. Box 13141, St. Petersburg, FL 33733.