Monday, March 18, 2024
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Featured Artwork: The Perfect Camouflage

“The Perfect Camouflage”, pastel on Canson Mi Tientes, 11″ x 16″, 1994 © B.E. Kazmarski
“The Perfect Camouflage”, pastel on Canson Mi Tientes, 11″ x 16″, 1994 © B.E. Kazmarski

This was something I thought all cat companions could relate to, human and feline. Sophie really thought I couldn’t see her because she thought she blended right in with the flowers. She almost had me fooled until I saw one of the flowers looking back at me and I knew I had to investigate. Her ulterior motive was to eat the flowers, something I hate to clean up after. This picture was intended to be one of a pair, because in the next picture she was delicately biting a leaf.

Early on in my painting career I always worked from photos. After my success with “Waiting for Mom” from a photo I’d taken just because Fawn was cute I began taking photos more intentionally, planning paintings. Naturally, this was what made a photographer out of me, but it also made me aware of how early in the process the visualization actually began.

I know I took the photo in late summer, though it may have been later than now. But either a storm knocked down a bunch of my zinnias or I decided to cut them back when they developed mildew, as the often did in my damp little back yard. I’d get much more enjoyment out of them in a vase in the house, and who knew, I might actually decide to paint a still life.

I still remember deciding to photograph the flowers for just that reason, and looking at them, then surprised to see Sophie looking back at me when she sat up a little taller. Of course, the subject of the proposed painting changed from the flowers to Sophie.

Photo reference for The Perfect Camouflage
Photo reference for The Perfect Camouflage

I painted this loose little painting in 1994, just a few years after we’d moved into this house. I never did the second painting because I thought I should change more of the painting than just Sophie for it to be interesting independent of the first. But that’s okay because I really like this one, and it’s all I really needed to share about the moment.

Today I would probably spell the title with “Purrfect”, but I named this one before I started adding anything remotely cat related into the titles of my works. And I already have that title in use and it might be confusing to change it mid-stream. This also means I can use the Purrfect title on something else.

I sold the original at my exhibit, “Everything is Beautiful” at a local Borders Bookstore in June 2001, which had no theme but was kind of a kitchen sink exhibit, everything I had at the time. Sales were good, and it was fun.

I have always offered this image as a greeting card. I had actually wanted to catch up with the purchaser of the original so that I could give it a good scan instead of using a photo of the painting and a scan I felt was inferior. But I have better editing tools now than I did previously and it looks surprisingly good after a few updates to that scan of the photo, so now I can offer prints as well.

Purchase a print or greeting card

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 it a 5 x 7 greeting card with a white envelope.



You can find  this art and more on Portraits of Animals. You can search the site for “The Perfect Camouflage” to find all the gift items I have in stock as well.


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 ArtPhotographyGiftsGreeting CardsBooksCommissioned 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.

One thought on “Featured Artwork: The Perfect Camouflage

  • Wonderful painting! You captured profoundly cat behavior. Love it!

    I host a link party that runs Thursday through Friday called Creative Compulsions. I’d like to invite you to link up your art.

    Reply

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