Tuesday, March 19, 2024
black catscat artworkdaily sketchinkmarkermimimr. sunshine

Daily Sketch Reprise: Morning at the Window, 2013

ink and marker sketch of two cats and flowers
“Morning at the Window”, ink drawing pen and brush markers, 7.5″ x 5″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Mr. Sunshine and Mimi positioned themselves to sit behind the thin screen of winter geraniums and dwindling houseplants to watch the birds at the feeder, but soon Mimi felt compelled to bathe. It was just pretty, just a tiny bit colorful, just enough to be inspiring with two black cats quietly spending some time. I have to admit I unjustly added some padding to Mr. Sunshine, who is quite slender and lithe.

This was also a test of “where do I end the sketch?”. It’s easy to get all literal with a scene like this and add in the windowsill, the window itself, the rest of the cabinet the bookshelf…but I had decided, as I was looking at it earlier while they were eating, just to create a denseness of shapes that would create their own shape collected together.

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What else was I sketching on this date?

Two Girls At Dinner, 2012

"Two Girls Eating", colored pencil, 5" x 7" © Bernadette E. Kazmarski
“Two Girls at Dinner”, colored pencil, 5″ x 7″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Mimi and Kelly enjoy dinner on the cabinet while “the kids” eat on the floor.

I’ve been wanting to try this idea for a while. It’s every hue of colored pencil in the box following nearly the same lines, but with enough variation that you see full color and mixed color throughout the sketch. It tends to cover up all the little tweaks and trills I add to my sketches as my hand skips from place to place, but I like the strength of the shapes and the colors themselves, it makes me think of confetti and makes me happy.

I am determined not to pull up sad moments as I begin posting again, but I sketch what happens in life. While browsing photos over the week I saw one from two years ago of “the other big four”, four girls at dinner: Peaches, Cookie, Kelly and Mimi.

Then when I began sketching I was glad to catch one of my favorites, “Dinnertime”, featuring three girls at dinner: Kelly, Mimi and Cookie.

So here are Mimi and Kelly with the entire cabinet to themselves. Over the years I’ve seen a parade of cats on this cabinet, always reserved for the ones I need to observe a little more closely, or those who were uncomfortable eating in close proximity to too many cats. Or those who are just special, like Mimi, who is not older or ill and certainly enjoys the company of her children, but who has always felt it was appropriate that she get to eat on the cabinet eating special kitty food, as the seniors often get, like a special kitty should.

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Sunshine Kind of Napping, 2015

charcoal sketch of cat
“Mr. Sunshine Kind of Napping”, compressed charcoal pencil, 9″ x 6″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Mr. Sunshine had been watching something on the floor, began to meditate, then began to sag, soon he would be reclining on the edge of the table, fast asleep. Maybe. Usually he would be. I waited. And waited. And decided to sketch him as he was. And then he got up and left! I think he knew what I was waiting for.

One of the things I like about cat shapes is that their curves all interact and one leads to another, like a landscape; there is his head and his ear, and his elbow and back and hip, all one after the other.

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Fingerprint Cat, 2014
"Fingerpaint Cat", soft pastel dust on my fingers, 5.5" x 8.5" © Bernadette E. Kazmarski
“Fingerpaint Cat”, soft pastel dust on my fingers, 5.5″ x 8.5″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Working on my pastel paintings is often like fingerpainting for me—blend a lot of pastel onto the paper, then swirl it around with my fingers. Often each finger is responsible for its own color, coated and caked with a solid layer of pastel. So what do I do with the pastel on my fingers, and that’s dropped onto a piece of paper to catch the dust before it hits the floor? Giuseppe was conveniently sleeping in the doorway, I picked up my sketchpad in my very pastel-covered fingers and went to work. Tracing his shape with my fingertips was a unique and very deep experience in my connection with Giuseppe, unlike using a brush or pencil or pastel stick or anything else that creates even a bit of a distance between me and my subject.

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Watching, From Above, 2013
charcoal sketch of two cats on cream colored paper
“Watching, From Above”, charcoal pencil on cream laid-finish charcoal paper, 6″ x 8.5″ © B.E. Kazmarski

Mewsette and Giuseppe are actually watching Jelly Bean, who is doing nothing. Actually, Bean is sitting behind a small pile of crumpled packing paper on the landing, pretty certain no one can see him. His sister and brother are trying to disabuse him of his misconception. He is not invisible, they are looking right at him. The simple statement and response made via body language last long enough for me to sketch their shapes and outline the dark areas before they look away, look at me, greet each other, and go off to do something else, while I finish their sketch, mostly, from my outlines and visual notes.

Uncertain about the shadows on faces I’ve outlined, I need to try to coax Giuseppe into a similar position and see the white areas I’ve left open are actually the two black cat bald spots right in front of his ears. Mewsette will have none of modeling in the position I want, but she will swat playfully at my charcoal pencil and attempt to bite it while walking in little circles and waving her tail.

And that’s the way it is.

. . . . . . .

Encircled, 2013

brush marker sketch of two cats
“Encircled”, brush marker, 8.5″ x 5″ © B.E. Kazmarski

Giuseppe curves to fit the large fleece bed, leaving a perfectly warm and comfortable spot for Mama Mimi.

It’s drawn all in one continuous line though I had to repeat a few, but I wanted a fairly simple sketch to capture the two, simply sleeping.

. . . . . . .

Under the Kitty Keep-warm Lights, 2013

conte sketch of three cats
At My Computer, conté crayon © B.E. Kazmarski

They were immobile under the kitty keep-warm lamps at my computer. I couldn’t get any work done, all I could do was sketch them.

Jelly Bean watched me because my drawing things make neat little scratching noises on the paper. Mewsette simply napped.

Giuseppe couldn’t decide on his position, starting out crouching in front of me, then suddenly sitting up. I waited, sketched a basic sketch of him crouching, then worked on finishing it. Then he sat up, indicating he’d prefer being in that position. I did too, but he had decided against it and I sketched him crouching. He insisted. I told him I’d sketch him as one big black scribble and what would Mlle. Daisy Emerald Marguerite think of that? He immediately dropped back to a crouch.

Love, what it does to cats.

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Monster in the Bag, 2012
pencil sketch of cat in bag
“Monster in the Bag”, pencil, 6″ x 6″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Mr. Sunshine peers out from the darkness of a very well-used Macy’s bag. ‘Nuf said.


Click here to see other daily sketches.

For a gallery of the ones available for sale, visit Portraits of Animals in the “Daily Sketches” section.

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

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And don’t forget that each month’s Featured Artwork is also one of the free prints available on Portraits of Animals when you sign up for an account.

"Darling Clementine" desktop calendar, 1280 x 1024 for square and laptop monitors.
“Darling Clementine” desktop calendar, 1280 x 1024 for square and laptop monitors.

"Feline Style Sampler" book of sketches and portraits.

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 on Portraits of Animals.


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Copyright

All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals 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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© 2022 | 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!

 
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In over three years of daily sketches I created a little over 1,000. Most originals are still available, and prints are available from all of them, even greeting cards and note cards too. Visit my gallery of daily sketches to see what’s available.


© 2017 | 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!

PORTRAITS OF ANIMALS WEBSITE
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | 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.

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