Rum Tum Tugger and Skimbleshanks Literary Art Set by Karen Strum

A 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. This two-piece set captures the contrasting personalities at the heart of Eliot’s whimsical cat universe: Rum Tum Tugger — flamboyant, rebellious, and unpredictable, posed outside a pub in a moment of theatrical defiance Skimbleshanks, the Railway Cat — composed and dutiful, standing among the trains he meticulously oversees Each 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. Details Set of two coordinated pieces Artwork size: 5 x 7 (portrait orientation) Presentation: Double white mat, fits standard 8 x 10 frame Packaged in protective art bags Medium: Permanent ink + hand-applied dimensional paint on watercolor paper Style: Henna-inspired linework with soft watercolor washes Frame not included On the Work & Its Legacy First 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. Beneath 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. Together, they form a complete picture. Why It Matters This 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.