{"product_id":"rum-tum-tugger-and-skimbleshanks-literary-art-set-by-karen-strum","title":"Rum Tum Tugger and Skimbleshanks Literary Art Set by Karen Strum","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eA striking pair of literary illustrations inspired by Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot, reimagined through my signature henna watercolor style.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eThis two-piece set captures the contrasting personalities at the heart of Eliot’s whimsical cat universe:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eRum Tum Tugger — flamboyant, rebellious, and unpredictable, posed outside a pub in a moment of theatrical defiance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eSkimbleshanks, the Railway Cat — composed and dutiful, standing among the trains he meticulously oversees\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eEach illustration is rendered in permanent ink on watercolor paper, then hand-embellished with dimensional black and white paint to create a raised, henna-inspired texture. The pieces are framed by intricate borders of swirls, dots, and ornamental linework, giving them a tactile, almost sculptural quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eDetails\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eSet of two coordinated pieces\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eArtwork size: 5 x 7 (portrait orientation)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003ePresentation: Double white mat, fits standard 8 x 10 frame\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003ePackaged in protective art bags\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eMedium: Permanent ink + hand-applied dimensional paint on watercolor paper\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eStyle: Henna-inspired linework with soft watercolor washes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eFrame not included\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eOn the Work \u0026amp; Its Legacy\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eFirst published in 1939, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats occupies a curious place in literary history. While not controversial in the traditional sense of censorship, it was seen by some critics as unexpectedly playful—almost irreverent—for a poet of Eliot’s stature. Known for dense, modernist works like The Waste Land, Eliot’s turn toward light verse challenged expectations about what “serious” literature should be. That tension is part of what makes the work enduring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eBeneath its charm, the book quietly explores identity, duality, and the many roles we perform—ideas that resonate just as strongly in philosophy as they do in art. In Tugger and Skimbleshanks, we see two opposing modes of being: chaos and order, impulse and discipline, freedom and responsibility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eTogether, they form a complete picture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eWhy It Matters\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0;\"\u003eThis set is more than illustration—it’s a visual meditation on character and contradiction. By translating Eliot’s cats into a henna-based visual language, the work bridges literature, philosophy, and decorative tradition, making classic ideas feel tactile, intimate, and alive.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"KS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43982799306886,"sku":"318158152821","price":119.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1951\/6595\/files\/57_34c9912a-9b96-4af8-ac9d-6a761de476ea.jpg?v=1778767645","url":"https:\/\/karenstrum.com\/products\/rum-tum-tugger-and-skimbleshanks-literary-art-set-by-karen-strum","provider":"Karen Strum","version":"1.0","type":"link"}