We've all been there, as the night goes on and things start to fray around the edges a little. You might get 'a little intense,' start to slur your words a bit, and eventually why you keep getting into these situations. These quirky pieces of matchbox art, created by Denver-based artist Arna Miller in collaboration with her husband Ravi Zupa, depict many of these common late-night bar scenarios with one vital twist, the subjects are cats.
Image credits: Arna Miller
The set is called Strike Your Fancy and is described as “a series of matchboxes featuring cats drinking at the bar and the good, embarrassing and confusing situations we have all found ourselves in.”
Image credits: Arna Miller
Miller says that she finds inspiration in “book illustrations, vintage packaging, matchboxes, magic show posters, and early-20th-century illustrations,” and that turn-of-the-century vibe really comes through with these whiskey bar felines.
Image credits: Arna Miller
“My guiding rule—which I sometimes break—is Possible, but Not Likely,” Miller Continues. “For example, it’s possible for a vole to sit on a cigarette box and float down a river, but it is not likely.”
“On the other hand, dinosaurs didn’t have laptops and headphones, so I would not draw that.”
Image credits: Arna Miller
I guess on this occasion unless our kitties are up to things at night that we are unaware of, the guiding rule was broken. We are happy it was!
Image credits: Arna Miller
If you like what you see, you can buy the matchboxes individually or as a complete set in Miller and Zupa’s online stores. Check them out!
Image credits: Arna Miller
Image credits: Arna Miller
Image credits: Arna Miller
“My artist husband Ravi Zupa and I both grew up in Denver suburbs and lived in Denver proper for a long time,” Miller writes on her website.
Image credits: Arna Miller
“Recently, $$$ pushed us to the unchartered territory of Commerce City where we bought a house. The previous owner left us five ducks and a goose, who have exceeded our expectations of awesomeness.”
“We can make everything “in-house”—from cutting and sanding the boards that we mount the art on to printing the packaging we use to ship it.”
“Here are all the different types of things we do from our art house: Draw (in the drawing room, of course);
Paint (in what would conventionally be called the living room);”
Paint (in what would conventionally be called the living room);”
Sculpt (clay, metal, wood, found objects); Cut and sand wood for mounting; Screen print (burn screens, print transparencies, mix ink, etc);
“Block print (with an antique printing press); Photograph the art; Shoot and edit videos”
Image credits: arnamiller
A complete husband-and-wife at home creative phenomenon! Sure beats slaving away in an office for 8 hours a day doesn't it! Scroll down to check out a video of their creative process, and let us know what you think in the comments!
Image credits: secretworldofsarahmac
Image credits: raviamarzupa