Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Daily Sketch Reprise: Swirling Bath, 2014

pastel sektch of cat bathing
“Swirling Bath”, pastel, 7″ x 10″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Well, this wasn’t at all what I’d set out to do, but then I’d set out with kind of a loose idea to begin with, “sketch Mr. Sunshine on my desk”. I started out with the toned paper and charcoal seeing Sunshine with his glossy black fur, but suddenly discarded that in favor of my pastels and a half-formed idea of blended color areas on paper with a black outline sketch on top to give them definition. He is so graceful, especially when he turned to wash his side with his tail curling around to the front. So, here it is. It’s a little darker than I’d have liked it had I planned it, but overall I like it. Below, I cropped it so that it didn’t have the white edges. Often the white edge dilutes the colors, which is why I sometimes crop the colorful ones to eliminate that influence. The colors look a little more intense this way.

pastel sketch of cat bathing
“Swirling Bath” cropped.

I donated this original sketch, framed, to the Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center’s annual Paws & Prints Benefit in 2014.

. . . . . . .

What else was I sketching on this date?

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Daily Sketch Reprise: Black is the Color…2012
marker sketch of cat looking out window
Giuseppe looks out the big north window toward the land of Kings by the Great River where lives his love.

Black is the color of my true love’s hair,

Her lips are like a rose so fair—

The sweetest face, and the gentlest hands

I love the ground whereon she stands…

I sing for my love in Kingston for she has moved with her mama to a new apartment and I have not heard word for nearly forever.

I look to the northwest through the green leaves of spring to the blue sky above, knowing that we share the same sky and the same sun.

I love my love and well she knows:

I love the ground whereon she goes,

I wish the day it soon would come

When she and I would be as one…

She of the wondrous hair.

And so I sing through the open window into the springtime and hope my song reaches my sweet precious sleek black belle femme Mademoiselle Daisy Emerald Marguerite from the Canadian town named for kings next to the great river. Somehow I know, though she be surrounded by eligible black cats who actually enter her home as guests, that she wants me to be her love!

I know that soon I will have a reply…

Well, that was last year, and this year Mlle. Daisy Emerald Marguerite is moving back to the country! Giuseppe is very pleased and feels she will be much safer and happier there.

. . . . . . .

Read about Mlle. Daisy Emerald and the long-distance affaire between the mature French-Canadian feline lady and the young American opera star.

. . . . . . .

The lyrics to “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair” are traditional, arising from the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky and first transcribed by John Jacob Niles in 1915, though the song form and the mention of the river Clyde likely refer back to Scotland, though there is no known form of the song in Scotland prior to the mid-twentieth century.

A few links to this song for those who asked.

The first version I ever heard, by Joan Baez, still my favorite.

The melody is different in the European version, here by Salmon’s Leap. Although the song was “discovered” in Kentucky by John Jacob Niles, it references Scottish towns and rivers and no doubt came from there originally. European singers didn’t care for the American melody either…

And the Nina Simone version—a great melody can be owned by everyone.


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 Three Years of Daily Sketches, Awards and Collections.

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

"Kelly on the Windowsill" desktop calendar 2560 x 1440 for HD and wide screens.
“Kelly on the Windowsill” desktop calendar 2560 x 1440 for HD and wide screens.

"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 in my Etsy shop and on Amazon.com.


Gifts featuring cats you know! Portraits of Animals on Etsy.

AfterDinnerNap-Etsy


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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 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.


© 2015 | 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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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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