I’ve always loved cats-not just as animals, but as symbols. They’re mysterious, expressive, a little unpredictable… and that’s exactly what I wanted to capture in this sculpture. The Watcher Cat began as an experiment and turned into one of my favorite pieces. Here’s how it came to life.
- Starting from Scratch: The Skeleton
The base form began with cardboard strips, shaped into a spherical structure-almost like building a nest. I used paper tape and hot glue to hold everything together. The form was lightweight, flexible, and gave me the freedom to sculpt around it without being too rigid.
Photo: early stage with cardboard framework
Then came the addition of the snout, cheeks, and ears using a mix of paper mache and wire mesh. I wanted the head to feel angular and exaggerated-like a character that might walk out of a surreal animation or myth.
- Mesh, Molding, and Texture
For structure and sculpting, I used layers of plaster cloth and gauze soaked in glue–molding the cat’s facial features, eyes, and shaping the ears with wire mesh sewn at the edges. This part was the slowest, but also the most meditative.
Watching the raw shape evolve into a recognizable cat form was oddly satisfying.
At this point, the piece looked like a ghostly cat skull-white, rough, and staring blankly. But I already knew I wanted the final piece to feel loud, playful, and alive.
- Painting it Alive
This is where the fun began. I broke all rules of realism. One side of the face became a vibrant ocean blue; the other, a mix of citrus yellow, magenta, and orange stripes–almost like fur and war paint colliding. I used bright, pop-art-inspired color schemes with high contrast and hand-painted linework to echo movement and emotion.
The stripes were my favorite part-they wrap around the form like energy lines. There’s something tribal, decorative, and modern about them all at once.
- The Final Piece
Photo: final painted version under warm lighting.
What It Means to Me
The Watcher Cat is part totem, part daydream.
It’s a sculpture, yes-but also a character. A creature that doesn’t move, yet seems fully aware. Its colorful mask hints at personality, maybe even identity, hidden behind shape and color.
This piece reminded me that building something from scratch–no blueprint, no fear of “messing up”-is where true creative joy lives.
Materials Used
- Cardboard strips
- Paper cache& plaster cloth
- Wire mesh
- Acrylic paints
- Gloss Varnish
What do you think-should I make more characters like this? Or maybe turn this one into a digital version too?
Hikmet Melis Gures 