User:Theo Christian

Stuart Katt

Stuart Katt is a lino-block-print image series featuring a central cat character named Stuart, created, written and produced by Canadian illustrator/writer Philip Dingman in 1988.

Inspired by his black cat Stuart, an orphaned kitten he adopted from a street vendor on Yonge Street in Toronto, Philip conceived and created the original image, "Cat Wants Out" as a gift to his younger sister, Katherine.

Technique

Stuart Katt images were created through a traditional printmaking technique called lino-block or linoleum-cut print or simply linocut, a variant of another print technique called woodcut.  Linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for a relief surface and the design is cut into the linoleum surface with a variety of special knife-like tools. The raised (uncarved) areas representing a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed are inked with a roller (brayer) and the ink is transfer to paper.

Products, Licencing and Distribution

Originally created as t-shirt series, sold from a street-vending cart in the Byward Market in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, the images were translated, licensed, and printed on a variety of products and distributed throughout Canada, United States and Great Britain.