CAT TRICKS is the brainchild of recording artist LAUREN WOOD and photographer/musician SHERRY RAYN BARNETT. They both live in Los Angeles in homes that reflect their eccentric fixation with a B-movie Technicolor world filled with cats. In fact, their love of animals is encoded in their DNA. LAUREN's family owned the largest pet shop in the U.S. when she was growing up and "How Much is That Doggie in the Window?" was written was written about her Dad's store. SHERRY tracks her cat obsession back to her first childhood box camera that she used to photograph her pet B&W cat in every position imaginable.

Both firmly believe that cats should have not only basic animal rights but human rights as well. These felines have been given the opportunity to act, dress and choose their careers as they please, just as their humans have. They sleep in their own PJ's, spend their days in custom made t-shirts and basically enjoy their everyday "normal" home environment.

Gifted with a mutual appreciation of the absurd, CAT TRICKS debuted as a satirical 50's retro slide show entitled "YOUR CAT & YOU". An audio/visual "how to" of cat care, in which every "right" suggestion was interpreted by a totally "wrong" photograph, it was first shown in a darkened night club as a prelude to one of LAUREN's performances, When the normally jaded L.A. crowd became more and more hysterical with each succeeding image, through the haze of smoke and the eerie light of the slide projector, the two looked at each other wide-eyed and declared “I SMELL MONEY!”. On that fateful night, CAT TRICKS GREETING CARDS was born.

CAT TRICKS has since evolved into a viable independent card line with more than 100 images of birthday , holiday & everyday cards. Best selling images such as "I HATE MOUSEWORK" , "THE RABBI" and "A NUN'S TALE" are published nationwide on t-shirts, magnets, calendars & postcards and have been viewed by television audiences worldwide.

SHERRY RAYN BARNETT is a photographer/musician/entrepreneur, or as she describes herself, "a guitographer". Growing up in a household spearheaded by a mother who encouraged everything creative and eclectic, SHERRY discovered her first loves early on - a tuxedo cat, a basset hound, and an accordion. After one too many polkas, and the onset of puberty, she reconsidered her choices and entered her teens with a guitar and camera in hand. Self-taught, on her dad's vintage camera collection, she was soon photographing performers for New York City’s underground music scene while attending the (Famed) SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS. After graduating as a classical guitar major, her focus shifted to finding a way to have her first photograph - of her dog and cat - published.

Thus began her career in what was to become a "Who's Who" of music photography. Over the years, her images have been seen in publications including ROLLING STONE, CIRCUS, CREEM, GUITAR PLAYER and more recently in the pages of GOLDMINE, ACOUSTIC GUITAR and COUNTRY MUSIC MAGAZINE. Her clients have included SONY, VERVE/POLYGRAM and WARNER BROS. RECORDS. Artists as diverse as NINA SIMONE, CHARLIE HADEN and MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER have used her work for promotion as well as record & CD releases. She has photographed literally hundreds of performers including the legendary JANIS JOPLIN.

SHERRY is currently represented by the CACHET AGENCY and GETTY IMAGES.. Since moving to Los Angeles, where she began her collaboration with LAUREN WOOD, SHERRY has also traveled internationally as lead guitarist for THE MUSTANGS, a country-rock band. Rarely leaving home without a camera, her photo files have expanded to include a remarkable array of roadside marvels, and animal subjects of almost any humorous kind. In keeping with her love of animal art, music and the absurd, she dreams of turning her house into an offbeat museum, complete with guitar-shaped pond, pop-up cows and perhaps a very miniature golf course.

LAUREN WOOD Surrounded by a quirky collection of 50's-era decor, a couple of star felines & a dog named 'Norman Rappaport', singer/songwriter LAUREN WOOD looks at home. She is, in fact ... at home. The charmingly wacky pop artist is a voice familiar to audiences worldwide. From her inauspicious beginning as one third of CHUNKY, NOVI & ERNIE, a post-psychedelic trio of cousins from Pittsburgh, LAUREN WOOD has since recorded four albums for Warner Bros. Records. Each release has pictured her cat somewhere on the cover, leading up to the appropriately titled "CAT TRICK", which further succeeded in satisfying LAUREN's lifelong desire to immortalize her pets.

Although her recording success dates back to the early 80's with "PLEASE DON'T LEAVE", a Top 20 duet with Michael McDonald, she's best known as the singer and writer of the international hit song "FALLEN", from the PRETTY WOMAN soundtrack, selling over 15 million copies and earning her multi-platinum record status.

Her songs have also been recorded by Cher, Dusty Springfield, Gladys Knight, Sammy Hagar, Johnny Mathis, and many more. She starred as "Little Tu" in a cult-classic full-length video called "They Must Be Told", with cameos by Linda Ronstadt, Buck Henry, PeeWee Herman, and, of course, her black and white cat, "The Bunny".

LAUREN was heard singing the theme song on NBC’s hit sitcom "Just Shoot Me". She and her eclectic cat family have made numerous television appearances and she also does voiceovers and writes music for cartoons. You can find her latest CD, "LOVE, DEATH & CUSTOMER SERVICE" on Bad Art Records in your local record store or from top online music retailers or at her website: at LaurenWood.com.

Models:
Ducky	The Bunny	Norman (on the right)
Concept and Photography:		Concept, Hair & Makeup:
Sherry Barnett Visit Sherry Barnett Photography at http://www.sherrybarnettphotography.com		Lauren Wood Visit Lauren Wood at http://www.laurenwood.com