Skadey is Curacao's Official cat, I'm sure you have heard. But have you ever wondered how Skadey was born? In this post you can read all about how he came to life, including where he got his name from!
When I started painting early on and began selling to tourists I realised they loved Handelskade! Handelskade are Curacao's famous buildings. A little history of the Handelskade, well known for its bright and vibrant colours, which is actually a result of a former Dutch Governor, who asked for the buildings to be painted any color other then white, as he suffered from headaches and claimed it was because of the sun reflecting off of the white buildings. In 1997 Punda and Otrabanda was made a UNESCO World Hertiage Site. Not to forget that these iconic buildings are something every tourist see's even before their arrival. Thats when I knew I needed something that showcased Handelskade. I had already created seveal peices like my "Cats Enjoying the View" and "Van Gogh Meets Handelskade" both featuring Handelskade. But I needed something more.
How Skadey came to mind, I can not tell you, but I think while looking at these two pieces, it somehow just came together. I wanted to create a breed of cat only found in Curacao. Inspired by my own cat Tiger, who has a heart on his stomach, so I thought why not Handelskade instead of a heart? Thats the idea was born of having Handelskade on his back. Skadey looking at Starry night, was the painting.
One question I always get asked is how did Skadey get his name- truth is I didn't name him! A friend of mine saw the painting, and named him Skadey. Handelskade was truncated and added a "ey" at the end to make it sound cute and the name Skadey was created!
While at the store (Copperstone, our family store), I was constantly asked for figurines of Skadey, after a lot of sourcing I finally found someone to make them for me. I sketched my "Skadey" a mold was made, and then a sample was made. I started out with one standard size, now I have three different sizes, you can choose from.
Each figurine just like my paintings, I hand paint indvidually and signed on the side with the year. I try to make each one different from the last and the common denominator is that the all have Curacao's iconic Handelskade, but the designs and colors are different. Customized Skadeys can be done prior to your arrival or can be shipped to you as well.
In January of 2018 I really wanted to have Skadey on the wall, something 3D. I worked with an incredible artist Esteban Ferrales to make the 3D Skadey to place on the wall, and I painted the cat and the background. If you are ever in Curacao have a selfie with Skadey!
In August of 2018 I was fortunate to be invited to the Prime Ministers office , Eugene Rhuggenath, I gifted him a large Skadey painting. So if you ever visit his office ask to see Skadey. That is how Curacao's Official Cat Skadey was born.
Today Skadeys are in homes around the world! I wouldn’t have dreamt possible! Often clients send me pictures of their Skadey's in their new homes and sometimes even with their pets. Which is a real treat for me since I love animals. I feature all the pictures sent to me on my social media accounts too!
Skadey Cats are currently available at Copperstone N.V. or you can always just send a message to order one! Worldwide shipping!