Thursday, March 28, 2024
black catscat artworkcharcoalconte crayondaily sketchfeline artworkjelly beanpastel

Daily Sketch: Energetic Bath

"Energetic Bath", Nupastel, conté, charcoal pencil, 8" x 11" © B.E. Kazmarski
“Energetic Bath”, Nupastel, conté, charcoal pencil, 8″ x 11″ © B.E. Kazmarski

So much light in all different colors! I began this in conté in four basic colors, black, white, sanguine and red earth because Bean is very mahogany in in both the warm light from inside and the cool light from the window those colors are work just fine. But then I started to see blues and greens in the background and yellow on the pine wardrobe and then I saw purple and blue and green in Bean, and then I couldn’t unsee them. As usual, my model was not only washing another area of his body but long gone to another activity before I was done adding highlights and lowlights.

. . . . . . .

What was I sketching last year on this day?

Washing, 2013
charcoal sketch of cat on tinted paper
“Washing”, black and white charcoal on gray flecked paper, 7″ x 4″ © B.E Kazmarski

I admit I kind of staged this one. I had the pile of sheets on the bed, and I love the contrast of the black cats and the light-colored sheets, just picturing a rich black shape in the middle of all those fun wrinkles, and I really wanted to sketch it on the mid-tone paper.

The only problem was that the cats weren’t at all interested in the pile of sheets.

That was because I wasn’t either. At least, not until that moment. I went in my bedroom and acted as if I was to start making up the bed. One by one, cats followed me in and took a decided interest in the sheets. First Mewsette kneaded on the sheets and walked around softly talking, but she isn’t a sheet nestler; I needed one of the boys, namely…Mr. Sunshine, who came in and hopped up on the bed with a concerned expression, knowing he’d missed something.

Instead of settling on the sheets, he settled next to them, on the other side. I decided to sketch him bathing since it might be my only chance, and I like it even if it wasn’t what I’d planned—it was what was.

As I was sketching Jelly Bean came softly meowing and bumping on my legs. He jumped up and found a spot as Mewsette joined Mr. Sunshine, all finished their baths, and began a serious nap.

Begin again? Another sketch? No, I had finished my idea and, as nice as they were, they would go unsketched.

The title refers to both what Mr. Sunshine is doing and our habit of making nouns of verbs.

. . . . . . .

Cats on the Edge, 2012
sketch of two cats on top of box
Cats on the Edge, charcoal © B.E. Kazmarski

Jelly Bean and Mimi curl up on the top of the highest box on the stacks in my office. But they could curl up in the center of it, they don’t have to hang on the edge. Both of them like it that way too—Mimi is always on the corner, even when she’s up there alone.

Yes, the box is as beat-up as it looks, and it’s also listing along with the ones underneath it; I like sketching objects now and then. And they will all be moving to other areas in the house this weekend. The kids will miss these boxes—cats love heights, and while they have two other perching places in this room each of which can fit two of them at a time, one up near the ceiling, these boxes are: 1) new; 2) higher than me, and; 3) right behind me, so they can really look down on me and even jump down onto my shoulder.


Click here to find out how you can help homeless cats and get a gift certificate!

Treats For Homeless Cats And Caretakers


Click here to see other daily sketches.

For a gallery of the ones available for sale, visit my Etsy shop in the “Cat Art and Prints” section.

Read about the reason for the daily sketches in Two Years of Daily Sketches.

And download your free desktop wallpaper calendar for computer or mobile, usually based on a daily sketch.

"Are You Looking At Me" Desktop Calendar for March 2014.
“Are You Looking At Me” Desktop Calendar for March 2014.

"Feline Style Sampler" book of sketches and portraits.
“Feline Style Sampler” cover.

 

A collection of 34 images of feline artwork

Feline Style Sampler

Daily sketches, illustrations, commissioned portraits all in a small coil-bound gift book.

Click here or on the image to read more

or find this book in my Etsy shop.


Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

FinnBaxter-ad


Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

 


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.


© 2014 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

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!

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | ETSY SHOP | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | STUMBLEUPON | GOOGLE+ | EMAIL

HOME


Bernadette

From health and welfare to rescue and adoption stories, advocacy and art, factual articles and fictional stories, "The Creative Cat" offers both visual and verbal education and entertainment about cats for people who love cats, pets and animals of all species.

Leave a Reply

%d bloggers like this:
Verified by ExactMetrics