Many of us are familiar with how it feels to truly miss a pet that you formerly owned. I do; in fact, I have a tattoo of my cat! But Richard Saunders, 75, took it to a whole new level. The artist made the decision to use incredibly unexpected surreal imagery to show his affection for his cat, who passed away five years ago. In these pictures, Tolly’s beautiful cat-shaped huge bushes stand in for real-world vegetation.

Exclusive to Bored Panda, Richard Saunders explained the history of his “The Topiary Cat” project: “At first, I made these pictures purely for fun. After photographing a massive cloud topiary on the grounds of a historic home, it dawned to me that I could snap a picture of Tolly in a position to mimic the shape of the bushes.

 

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After creating the first photograph and publishing it on Flickr, Richard claims that it was stolen and that his identity was removed without his consent. People mistook the image for a real topiary, and it eventually went viral on Facebook. Later, the BBC produced an article for their website revealing Richard as the true author of these manipulations as he produced an increasing number of them.

 

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Richard has been painting surrealistically since he was a teenager and learned how to use Photoshop more than 20 years ago while working as a creative director for advertising. When Tolly was still living more than eight years ago, he recalls, “The notion of producing The Topiary Cat was readily done using talents I already knew. Since then, the graphics have gotten more intricate, with many requiring days to produce and to have custom shots taken just for them.”

 

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Richard was too devastated to consider continuing The Topiary Cat after Tolly passed away in 2016, but his 40,000 Facebook fans urged him to do so. Richard thinks that when their own furry friends pass away, it helps them.

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The Topiary Cat has developed into quite a business. Richard now now produces puzzles, 3D visuals, and a narrative that he reads chapter by chapter on YouTube. The Topiary Cat’s adventures go on as Tolly is now joined by Georgi, another Russian Blue.

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When asked which of his works he personally prefers, Richard replies that it’s usually the most recent. Richard claims he draws inspiration from a wide range of various artists. Dal, Max Ernst, and the Pre-Raphaelites are a few of his all-time favorite artists.

 

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The creator acknowledged to Bored Panda that the majority of people he meets adore The Topiary Cat, at first frustrated that the creations aren’t “genuine,” but rapidly becoming fans of the ongoing narrative. The book “The Topiary Cat,” which is initially being printed in very small quantities as a commercial test, will determine the project’s destiny.

 

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