Shu Yamamoto paints cats into famous masterworks, and his latest feline creation just won him a ribbon at the county level.

The longtime Sandy resident earned third place in the canvas art category at the fourth annual Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services Senior Art Show for "Washingpaw Crosses the Delaware," the Cottonwood Heights Journal reported Sept. 3. The painting reimagines Emanuel Leutze's "Washington Crossing the Delaware" with General Washingpaw standing in a boat, surrounded by a crew of kittens on the river.

Yamamoto created the piece as part of a series celebrating America's 250th anniversary. The series also includes cats signing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

"I've always admired my adopted country, the U.S. … I became a citizen 10 years ago, and I wanted to celebrate with other Americans," Yamamoto said in the Cottonwood Heights Journal's coverage of the show.

Yamamoto has been reimagining classical paintings with cat subjects for nearly 20 years. A professional illustrator by training, he studied graphic design at Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts in Japan. After retiring, he discovered a childhood drawing by his son that substituted a cat's face into a Van Gogh self-portrait.

The idea stuck. By 2018, he had completed more than 500 cat-art pieces, according to a Sandy Journal profile that year. He has published four cat art books. "Cat Art" was in its fifth printing in Japan as of that 2018 profile, and "Vermeow" collects 37 Vermeer paintings reimagined with cats.

The senior art show, themed "From the Heart: Reflections on 250 Years of America," drew more than 140 entries in canvas art, pottery, woodworking and fine craft. Judging took place at the end of July, and the work was displayed at the Salt Lake County Government Center.

Leonard Davis took first place in canvas art. Dennis Greenwood placed second. In the fine art category, Dennis Otteson won first, Terry Harris second and Jacqueline McCleery third.

Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services Division Director Paul Leggett selected two Director's Choice awards: Kristy Fullmer of Draper for a lighthouse pottery mug and Millcreek resident Ralph Morelli for a canvas painting titled "Pink."

Salt Lake County Aging & Adult Services program manager James Witucki said the division operates 14 senior centers across the county, each offering art groups and classes in pottery, woodcarving, painting and fiber arts.