Karen Muench "Oaxacan Water Cat" Original Watercolor, 2010 View Watchlist >
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Lot # G485
System ID # 30312018
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Karen Muench "Oaxacan Water Cat" Original Watercolor, 2010
Karen Muench works at the intersection of psychedelic folk art and coastal fantasy — a world where cats are cobalt, mermaids have peace signs woven into their hair, and the ocean is a place of ceremony rather than geography. "Oaxacan Water Cat" sits squarely in that universe. Two flame-haired mermaids lean in from opposite edges of the composition, flanking a large blue feline whose body is scattered with red daisies and small hearts. Behind them, a full golden sun fills the center field like a halo or a stage light. The mermaids' tails are patterned differently — one scaled in warm orange with tiny fish, the other deep purple blooming with pink lotuses — giving the piece a bilateral symmetry that feels ceremonial, as if they are presenting the cat rather than simply petting it. Rendered in saturated watercolor over confident ink line work, the palette hits hard: cobalt, scarlet, saffron, violet, with no apology.
Muench's title draws on Oaxacan folk art tradition — specifically the alebrije sensibility, where animals become vessels for pattern, color, and spirit rather than naturalistic representation. The water cat reads in that lineage: a creature that doesn't exist in nature but makes complete sense in art. The piece is signed "Muench 2010" at lower right in ink, and the verso carries the artist's own label: "Oaxacan Water Cat" / From An Original Watercolor By Karen Muench® / www.KarenMuenchArt.com. The "From An Original Watercolor" language on the label is the artist's standard self-published labeling convention — the work itself is a hand-executed original in watercolor and ink. Framed and double matted behind glass in a cobalt blue frame with a coordinating inner mat that echoes the cat's body.
CONDITION
Very Good. No remarkable damage; colors remain bright and ink line work is crisp throughout. Light handling marks to the mat noted on close review. Presented framed and double matted behind glass.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- Overall (framed): 10½" H × 13" W × 1" D
- Visible (sight): 6½" H × 9" W
- Medium: Watercolor and ink on paper
- Signed: "Muench 2010," lower right
- Verso label: "Oaxacan Water Cat," www.KarenMuenchArt.com
- Framed and double matted behind glass; blue frame with coordinating inner mat
