Daily Photo: Chocolate Bath

Reflected winter sun brings out the best of Mimi’s chocolate fur. I think this may become a painting.

I had actually originally photographed her looking at me, and I love that pose too, below, at about the same time I photographed Giuseppe for the sketch I did yesterday (in fact, that’s his back end you see behind her, and they ended up trading places) because I love the curved shapes of her hip, tail, face, chest, paws. But as I edited photos I really liked the gentle chiaroscuro of her reflected highlights.

 

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What other photos have I shared on or around this date?

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Under Cabinet Monster Steals Toys!, 2015

We should be glad it hasn’t gotten Smokie or Bella and dragged them under the cabinet! Smokie says it has a great stash of toys under there! Jelly Bean say he thinks it looks a lot like Bella…

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Other daily photos shared on this date

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Finally Clean Dishtowels, 2014

We had a massive cat pileup in the kitchen today, hard to tell what happened, all that fur.

It was a warm kitchen on a cold winter morning as I did some baking and all five gathered in the sun until it disappeared and at the windows to watch the birds. I brought up a pile of dishtowels to fold—they weren’t even out of the dryer and warm but it didn’t matter, they were today’s cat magnet. Mr. Sunshine was the last to join and just didn’t fit, but found the basket with its newly-washed lining to be more than acceptable.

They were clumped together so tightly I could hardly tell them apart.

Later, even after Mimi and I had gone outdoors again and I’d done more laundry, they persisted in the middle of the kitchen, watching birds on the deck.

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Not Enough Baskets, 2014

It all started out with Mr. Sunshine and Mimi curling up in the basket with the nice clean canvas liner. Spending a day in my studio I love to be able to focus on the creative projects at hand as well as plan out my new ones, but beginning with Sunshine giving his little mom a bath, five black cats were determined to keep me distracted all day. If I had only known all they needed was another basket or two I could have gotten more work done!

Sunshine followed me when I opened the bathroom door so Emeraude could join us during which time Mewsette took advantage of the basket and crawled in with her mama. That basket was full and overflowing with black cat sweetness! Yet Mr. Sunshine felt he needed to be a part of it, even enlisting the help of each of his brothers. First he pleaded with his mama as she sat on Mewsette, having a good bath.

Then he got Giuseppe to whisper in his mama’s ear.

Then he got Jelly Bean to intercede on his behalf, but I’m not sure Bean was able to stay awake for that.

Then he got as much of himself into the basket as he could…

…and it was back to the beginning, giving his mama a bath.

But he just could not fit himself into the basket. “You really need another basket,” he said.

So I cleaned out the other basket in this set and all was quiet once again on the work table, Mimi sleeping atop Mewsette, as usual.

This is only a small part of the action—it’s only Mr. Sunshine’s part of the story! You’ll see other photos from today coming up soon. Now how much do you think you would have gotten done with all this cuteness?

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Two Black Cats, 2011

Mewsette and Giuseppe have a front row position to watch the great outdoors outside the big window otherwise known as Cat TV.

Their positions reminded me of a famous poster design, “A La Bodiniere”, by Théophile Steinlein, the painter, illustrator and Art Nouveau printmaker who helped set the standard for poster design and has been a great inspiration to me as both a graphic designer and a feline artist.

Steinlein was one of the most famous feline artists of any era, sketching and painting his cats all the time and incorporating their images into his designs. Easily recognizable among his designs are “Tournee du Chat Noir” and no doubt many people have seen “Clinique Chéron” hanging in their veterinarian’s office.

One of my favorite things to sit and study is a beat-up old copy of the Dover Art Library’s Steinlein Cats, showing me pages from his everyday sketchbooks of cats in charcoal, ink, watercolor, studies of paw and ears and noses, a momcat nursing her kittens, a little cartoon of a cat who spilled the milk; what a joy for me to share the inspirations of another artist so intimately.

So were Mewsette and Giuseppe posing for me as an inspiration? If they hadn’t been on my main sketchbook that may have worked, and when I got up to get my smaller sketchbook and drawing bag, they hopped up and came with me. My studio and office used to be integrated and drawing materials were here with my disks and computer paper; I have now installed a couple of sketchpads and drawing materials at my desk. I never know when it will happen.

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Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

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All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop or Fine Art America profile to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.

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© 2016 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

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Weekly schedule of features: Sunday: Essays, Pet Loss, Poetry, The Artist’s Life
Monday: Adoptable Cats, TNR & Shelters
Tuesday: Rescue Stories
Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork
Thursday: New Merchandise
Friday: Book Review, Health and Welfare, Advocacy
Saturday: Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Living Green With Pets, Creating With Cats
And sometimes, I just throw my hands in the air and have fun!

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