Artist paints cards of famous Frome cat for charity

A local artist has painted cards of Frome’s famous cat, Frodo, to help raise funds for two charities.

Wendy Robinson has created seasonal and non-seasonal cards featuring Frodo, a sociable and friendly cat who roams the town centre, to support Black Swan Arts and the Blue Cross. The Blue Cross has a charity shop in the Westway Shopping Centre, which Frodo visits most days.

“Frodo brings so much joy and comfort to so many people in the town, including me, after recently losing both my cats,” said Wendy. “It is purely all for the love of Frodo. I am friends with Frodo’s owner, Anna Davies, who has given me permission to paint him.”

Wendy, who works in Not Just Pets in the Market Place, said painting the cards was an effective way of sharing her art while raising funds for local causes.

She said, “I wanted to help the Black Swan Arts raise funds as it was trying to raise £10,000 earlier this year to save the space from closure due to rising energy bills.”

With a passion for animals, Wendy has painted horses and dogs to help raise funds for other charities in the past. She said, “I had a friend who was trying to raise money for horses that had come into their care. I realised I couldn’t afford to donate any money because my money was tied up in my own pets, so I thought I could paint horses and give to my friend to auction off.

“I also did this for a charity called Forever Hounds Trust. They held an auction and the whole amount they raised in the auction was £2,000, which my artwork was part of.”

Due to his popularity, Frodo received numerous nominations for the Frome Times Person of the Year Award in 2024. Frome Times created a special category just for Frodo and presented him with a golden cat statue.