Assignment One:
I have decided to center my shrine on cats. Cats are my favorite animal, well domesticated animal. Beyond that fact, they mean a lot to me within my personal life. I have loved animals since I was a little girl; I would read books and draw pictures of the animals that mesmerized me. Around 6 years old, my family adopted a little black and white kitten, who we named Oreo. We picked him up behind a gas station; from the moment is first I held him; my life changed. Cats became my number one. Over the years, I built a deep connection with my little friend, who ultimately became not so little. About six years later, I adopted two more cats; they were brothers from a local rescue. Ozzy and Jif also became my best friends. I spent every moment at home with my little babies. The love that I felt for them cannot not be described. When I was 16, Oreo passed away. The pain and grief I. experienced was unimaginable; I had lost my best friend. I basically worshipped the little man, so his death was life changing. I think that moment solidified my connection with cats. Since then, I have adopted two more rescue kitties, both little girls. First, I adopted Mika, who I believe led me through some of the darkest periods of my life so far. She became an idol to me. Later, my family adopted Elsa, our little tripod kitty. Caring for her has been one of the happiest experiences for everyone in my family. My connection to cats has only strengthened over the years, so I believe there is no better choice for this project than to center my shrine around them. I want to connect my shrine to religious iconography because my relationship to cats seems like I worship them. I think I want to try to communicate my feelings toward cats to the audience; I want to show the importance of such relationships.
Assignment 2:
Assignment Three:
I am drawing my inspiration from pocket shrines. I liked the idea of this design because it conveys the need to worship in times of need. It reminds me of how I feel the need to be with my cates when I am feeling down. These shrines often include an iconographic image, something similar to a rosary, tiny amounts of holy water, and other small significant objects. I want to twist these objects to fit into things cats like; for the image, I want to create a holy image of a cat.
Assignment 4:
