AT LAST!!!
We are purrfectly delighted that you've finally arrived at our
Red Hot Kitties online gallery!
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(Or, as many people ask,"What's with the cats and hot peppers?") |
Meet Our Family
We are John and Mary Smith, a husband and wife artist team, encouraged by our 5 cats (Mickey, Bobo, Omi, Figlet, and Plumi) and 6 + 1 dogs (Kachina, Durga, Nester, Solomon, Mr. Bigglesworth, and Memphis + Dechin, our daycare dog). They are, respectively, a border collie mix, a rottweiler mix, two greyhounds, a ferocious min-pin, a wonderful mutt, and another wonderful mutt. Yes, it is a zoo.
We moved to Pensacola, Florida strictly at random after almost 30 years of Navy adventure in such places as Hawaii, Japan and Singapore. Mary opened her Red Hot Kitties gallery in 1998, producing cat art in pottery, jewelry, clothing and paintings. She made John take a pottery class, and he immediately became even more indispensable then ever in their 30-year partnership. So here we are both today, madly turning out cat and dog art, and having a wonderful time.
We Love Our Work!
Because we love our kitties and dogs, and live with quite a tribe, you may notice a bit of expressive energy in our work that communicates our affection for these special companions. Our cats (silky, purry, flirtatious and contrary) and our dogs (earnest, comic, barky and direct) supply us with more ideas than we can shake a stick/toss a bag of catnip at. Our joint styles are a mix of Southwest, Oriental, ancient and contemporary (see Mary’s new print, "Santa Fe Sushi"), flavored generously by the hot peppers we so enjoy.
Our aim is to share the joyful, loving and giving spirit of these special little souls, precious gifts of our Creator, who, without complaint, happily share our lives. And, because we believe in helping people who help animals, we support our local Rowe’s Orphanage for Cats and Kittens, and Escarosa Greys Greyhound Adoptions - so your purchase will help support these groups as well!
How We Work: QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY
Each piece of pottery is made individually, without molds or casting. Our wheel-thrown pots are sculpted and carefully decorated and glazed one at a time. We make our own glazes from scratch, and fire in a kiln that we built ourselves! Our CoffeeKatz mugs, for example, require over 20 production steps each. So, no matter how many cats appear, no two will ever be exactly alike. We specialize in high-fire stoneware, the most durable ceramic product there is. Our functional ware is microwave, oven and dishwasher safe.
What We Make
Get ready! We offer both cat AND dog art in an amazing variety that even makes our heads spin! ... CoffeeKatz mugs, Los Gatos Platos cat plates, large YardKatz planters and smaller HausKatz pots, Water Kitties cat fountains, classic blue-and-white cat pottery, plus our newest "Flying Bones" line of dog mugs, plates, and fountains. Mary makes both cat and turquoise jewelry in an ethnic/tribal style, and paints a growing line of cat and dog art as well. Our "cat boards" are local favorites - a more informal original folk-art style of acrylic on wood. These will soon be posted in our "Musee des Chats." And, you are always welcome to call about a special commission.
Our Native American Jewelry
We love to visit the Southwest, and find much inspiration there for our art. So we also offer a selection of unusual Native American jewelry in our gallery.
Every Day Is A Blessing
God gives us the desire of our hearts as we seek to carry out His purpose for our lives. We are constantly amazed at the wonderful blessing and opportunity of our work! He has a wonderful plan for your life as well - so if He’s been speaking to YOU lately, ask Him what is, and you’ll be glad you did.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS! THANK YOU!
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