About The Cat Mechanic (that’s me!)

Mykele Kitterman

Artist/Owner/CEO/Web Designer

The Name:

The number one question I get asked is, “why The Cat Mechanic?” The simple answer: I like cats! The slightly longer answer is that I have had cats all my life and I have done a lot of fostering, mostly for kittens who need bottle feeding. My friends consider me a bit of a cat whisperer. I’m always trying to ‘fix’ cats, thus The Cat Mechanic was born.

The Art:

I cannot remember a time when I did not make art of one sort or another. It started with drawing and developed outwards into other areas. I started to learn simple chainmaille patterns around 2006. I progressed into more complex patterns as the years went by. I still love to make chainmaille, but it really hasn’t been a big seller for me so I don’t do as much of it as I might like.

I got into wire wrapping early in 2015. Wire wrap is still my biggest draw at shows and in my online store. Around that same time I started to play with fuse beads, Perlers in particular. They are a lot of fun to make and the kids love to look at them while their parents look at the jewelry.

In 2019 I dabbled in acrylic pour painting. Super fun to do, but I really don’t sell too much. Mostly I paint rocks that I then hide around town for others to find and enjoy.

In 2020 I bought myself a 3d printer. Like most people, I had plenty of time to spend working with my new hobby that year. Only recently have I begun to try selling some of my prints, mostly I create things that will enhance my displays at shows. I have tried many other crafts over the years, these are just a few of the ones that have stuck with me the best.

The Shows:

I began going to small shows and trying to sell my art in 2014. I started very small; just a portfolio of my drawings on a mostly empty table. The jewelry gradually crept in, slowly taking over more and more real estate. Now I only offer my prints online and the jewelry owns the shows, although the fuse beads and 3d prints are slowly creeping in.

I love making beautiful things and I love getting to share them with others who will love them in turn. There is nothing better than to be at a show and have someone come up and tell me that they still have, and enjoy, something that they bought from me at past shows!