Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Featured Artwork: “Mimi in the Formal Garden”, a Special Commission for CWA

The Thank You card design.
The Thank You card design.

I was very honored and excited when Deb Barnes, president of the Cat Writers’ Association, contacted me at the end of March with a very special commission.  She wanted to know if I could create the artwork for the thank you note that would be given by the organization to the many sponsors, donors and others who helped the conference be a success.

Wow, what an opportunity! To not only be able to create art to support the organization but which would also go into the hands of pet food and product manufacturers and services, sure, even though the conference was about two months away and the art had to be designed, finished and cards printed and delivered, I could do that. She asked for a few quotes, and I mentioned a printer I regularly use who she had used as well.

Then we talked about what she had in mind for the image, and she said she’d like a cat in a garden, maybe painting “thank you” on a canvas or something that brought the words into the image. She mentioned a few of my paintings in styles she liked, and when she said “a cat in a glorious English garden” I was ready. Who would know I’d been planning to start a series of paintings and sketches of Mimi and other of my cats in my gardens over the years? I started to visualize what it might look like, but I immediately knew I’d have Mimi on the bench that’s out in the back yard. From there I looked at paintings of English gardens, like Victorian interiors so full and colorful and detailed and always paths and such, and went from there. I decided to build it from sections of my own yard, and began pulling my favorite photos of flowers and bushes and groundcovers and started fitting them together like a puzzle. It turned out to be a spring theme because that happened to be when most of the bushes and trees bloomed. And then, the flagstone path curled around into the image and right up to Mimi on the bench.

The painting had to be small in order for me to get it finished in time, so it’s 8 x 10. I created a layout for it in Photoshop, just mashing all the things in the right place to show off a variety of colors and shapes and heights, and then I blocked it out with watercolor, and not washes but heavy coverage since that would help me along in completing it faster.

To include the words “thank you” I didn’t want Mimi painting but at first had a big “thank you” sign on the bench behind her. But when I started working in the wrough iron scrolls on the bench I thought how cool it might be if I made that form the words “thank you”…? I thought it might be a little too cute, but when I blocked it in, I liked the whimsy of it.

Not all the plants that are in it are in my yard now, but they were at one time. The list of plants that are in it, starting at the top center, are wild black cherry, dogwood, rhododendron, rudbeckia, lamium, ajuga, golden iris, multiflora rose, tangerine azalea, bishop’s weed, cranesbill geranium and clematis on the bench.

And a version of it for the rest of Mimi’s fans

The art print and greeting card design.
The art print and greeting card design.

Of course, I also decided I really wanted to use the art with Mimi as the first of hopefully several garden cat paintings. I created the “thank you” design for the Cat Writers’ Association, and I also made a print of the original and drew on top of it, replacing the words with the actual scroll work in the bench, so as a notecard or a print, you have the choice of design.

I offer prints as:

  • digital prints on matte-finish art paper
  • giclees on art paper
  • on canvas in standard sizes
  • as framed prints, as shown, and custom framing is available

I also offer both designs as a 5 x 7 greeting card with a white envelope.

You can find  this art and more on Portraits of Animals.

And you can bet that you’ll soon be seeing Mimi in the Formal Garden on a bunch of other gift items too!

I am honored

This painting was awarded a Certificate of Excellence in Fine Art by the Cat Writers’ Association in the 2019 Communications Contest. Click here to read more about the CWA, the contest and the awards.


Featured Artwork

I also feature artwork which has not been commissioned, especially my paintings of my own cats. If you’d like to read more about artwork as I develop it, about my current portraits and art assignments and even historic portraits and paintings, I feature commissioned portrait or other piece of artwork on Wednesday. Choose the categories featured artwork.


Gifts featuring cats you know! Visit Portraits of Animals

Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals!

Fine Art • Photography • Gifts • Greeting Cards • Books • Commissioned Portraits & Artwork



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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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.

9 thoughts on “Featured Artwork: “Mimi in the Formal Garden”, a Special Commission for CWA

  • Pingback: Muse Medallions in CWA 2019 Communications Contest ~ The Creative Cat

  • The moment I knew I wanted a thank you card created for the Cat Writers’ Association was also the moment I knew you’d be the perfect person to design the card. I had an idea in my head of what I wanted the card to look like and your design really captured the charming English cottage garden look I wanted. Thank you so much for this beautiful, keepsake work of art. Purrs from Deb Barnes, President of the Cat Writers’ Association.

    Reply
    • Deb, thank you so much for asking me to create this art, and for stopping here to let my readers know how much you liked it. It’s an honor I’ll be talking about for some time to come!

      Reply
  • Mollie Hunt

    Beautiful. I was so excited when I opened Deb’s email! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Thanks, Mollie! Maybe I’ll get to hear you present next year.

      Reply
  • That’s a wonderful way to thank our sponsors. I’m sure they all appreciate your artwork!

    Reply

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