Grace of the Cat

TAMSIN PICKERAL is an art historian and animal expert. The daughter of a veterinary surgeon, she grew up in the English countryside surrounded by an eclectic mix of animals, from dogs and ferrets to horses and rescued squirrels. She has been a devoted dog owner her entire life. Her studies have focused on the evolution of animals and their relationship with humans over time. Tamsin has lived in Europe and North America, where she has worked as a veterinary nurse for many years. She is a widely published author who has written a number of books on animal themes, including The Dog: 5,000 Years of the Dog in Art, chosen by The Guardian as one of the top fifty art books of 2009. ASTRID HARRISSON has more than ten years of industry experience in graphic design, photography, creative direction, and marketing. She began photographing animals in early 2008, working on a ranch high in the hills in northwest Argentina, where a lifelong adoration of all things animal fused dramatically with her creative side. Daily adventures, camera in hand, provided the opportunity for Astrid to capture the essence of ranch life from new perspectives and inspired a book on the history of the estancia. Astrid has subsequently traveled to the United States with her camera, as well as photographing animals in the foothills of the Andes, Cuba, Switzerland, Mozambique, and Iceland. Tamsin and Astrid have recently collaborated on the highly acclaimed The Majesty of the Horse and their other title for Frances Lincoln is The Spirit of the Dog (9780711233867).