Meet the Rotherham woman who makes a living drawing nothing but cats
“Drawing cats lights up part of the brain that other things don't”
Most people love cats, but one Rotherham woman has taken her passion for the creatures a step further by working full time drawing nothing but cats.
Harriet Bevan makes a living from drawing only cats, and has built up a strong following amongst cat lovers.
“I’ve tried lots of different subjects in the past, but drawing cats lights up part of the brain that other things don't."
Ms Bevan has no formal art training but honed her skills at an art class she has attended for 24 years.
She explains that she has tried capturing other subjects but always finds herself coming back to cats.
She said: “I watch them come alive on the paper. Even after all this time it's like magic to me.
“Because I only draw cats, cat lovers really look up to me and respect that I do that.”
Ms Bevan has not always been a full-time artist, only dedicating all her time to drawing after realising how much people enjoyed her work.
She said: “I’ve always been into art but I started to really realise how good it was for my mental health.”
Ms Bevan has previously battled with episodes of depression and anxiety, and has turned to art as an outlet.
After a recent autism diagnosis Ms Bevan began to understand more about her difficulties in life as well as her love for sharing her art.
She said: “I’m in a relationship where I don't have to hide what I find difficult. He’s got to know me really well and he’s got to know more about autism and he started pointing things out to me.
“I thought ‘hang on a minute there's something in this’. It’s so obvious I can't believe I missed it.
“I was such a reserved person but I felt compelled to share my music with people - it didn’t really add up to me.”
“My art helped pull me out of that depression.”
Now Ms Bevan spends her days in her home drawing to her heart’s content, and finds the process therapeutic.
She said: “You have to be really patient and the work goes through an ugly phase before it looks good.
“Because it’s such a slow process it really suited me.”
Ms Bevan has recently self-published a collection of her work titled ‘A Celebration of Cats’, showcasing 60 of her finest feline portraits.
She said: “It was a lot of work and I’m really proud of it.”