Jon Dunbar is a copy editor at The Korea Times, as well as editor of the Foreign Community page and curator of the Korea Times Archive. If you have suggestions for possible articles, or wish to contribute articles yourself, contact jdunbar@koreatimes.co.kr.
Expat artist releases coloring book for cat shelter
The coloring cards Brittany Fanning made for CATS, Whiskers Ministop are on display. / Courtesy of CATS, Whiskers Ministop
By Jon Dunbar
By Jon Dunbar
Brittany Fanning had no idea what she was getting into when she asked friends online for pictures of their cats.
The U.S. resident of Seoul aimed to produce drawings suitable for a coloring book, but she found herself inundated with hundreds of requests.
And after the first wave of people shared her line drawings, their friends wanted a chance to color pictures of their own cats.
“I started making these coloring pages for my nieces and nephews when quarantine first started in America,” she told The Korea Times. “It spread to friends' children, then adults who wanted to color their own pets. I started drawings pets for expats and it got a little out of control when hundreds of people started sending me images.”
Fanning certainly underestimated the popularity of coloring books for adults. “It began as a project for children, but I definitely think adults are coloring them more, especially during this strange time,” she said.
One of the people to contact her was Sungmi Allie Hong, who runs Cats Assistance in Transitional Shelter (CATS), Whiskers Ministop. She had dozens of cats, in desperate need of adoption, for Fanning to draw. A plan came together that they would release a coloring book.
Annie, a cat living at CATS, Whiskers Ministop, appears next to a drawing by Brittany Fanning. / Courtesy of CATS, Whiskers Ministop
“We both agreed that making these would be a great way to promote the shelter, raise money, and show the cats available for adoption,” explained Fanning.
Hong said, “During the pandemic, people look for something fun or interesting to do at home, and coloring has been one of the hot items in Korea among children and parents. I thought it could be a good item to raise funds to support the shelter during these hard times. So people who would like to support our shelter can also get something useful in return.”
On May 19, the shelter announced
, which was released as 38 cards instead of a book, which makes it easier to paint with watercolors. Donors can get 10 cards for 18,000 won, 15 for 21,000 won, 20 for 25,000 won, or the complete set for 35,000 won.
There are also rolls of masking tape featuring the shelter cats' faces. Sales will go toward paying rent and buying supplies for the cats.
Tobu, a cat living at CATS, Whiskers Ministop, appears next to a drawing by Brittany Fanning. / Courtesy of CATS, Whiskers Ministop
Three individuals who upload their finished pictures to Instagram with the hashtag #colorwhiskersministop will receive a mystery gift.
All cats pictured are available for adoption, but at least two have already found homes.
“Cats are fun to draw because they have so many facial expressions. I love it when they're especially focused on a toy … the furrier, the better,” Fanning said.
She now lives with an English bulldog, but says she is in the market for a cat herself.
Hong explained the adoption process at her shelter: “We first receive an adoption application, which will be reviewed by me and sometimes another long-term volunteer, too. All the questions on the application should be clearly answered and we will conduct a second round of review by communicating with the applicants and the further procedure will go on if the review part is positive.”
The shelter is run based on private donations and out of Hong's pocket. She raises money by offering cat-sitting services and boarding, but demand for those services has dried up due to everyone sheltering at home with their cats during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Basically this is a go-and-come system and no cat adopted no cat come in,” Hong explained. “We do not want to be a hoarder or be irresponsible with the poor cats just to be an instant hero. When we think we can afford more, we start checking with the acquaintance cat moms or local pounds if any cats need a temporary stay ― preferably adoptable but if not, we decide after discussion.”
Neo, one of the cats up for adoption at CATS, Whiskers Ministop, is drawn by artist Brittany Fanning and colored by an unknown person. Neo has been neutered, as indicated by the clipped ear. / Courtesy of CATS, Whiskers Ministop
Visit
for more information about the shelter or to place orders, or stop by
to see more of the artist's work.