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“Kelly’s Morning Bath” Block Print on Handmade Papers

"Kelly's Morning Bath II", linoleum block print on handmade rice paper, 4" x 11", 2015 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski
“Kelly’s Morning Bath II”, linoleum block print on handmade rice paper, 4″ x 11″, 2015 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

You’re probably familiar with “The Roundest Eyes”, a block print inspired by Kelly that I featured in June along with “The Goddess”. In this week to remember little Kelly, I’m also featuring the other block print she inspired—the “Kelly’s Morning Bath” prints were the first feline pictorial block print I designed all the way back in 1998, even before The Tortie Girls duo of block prints.

Kelly bathed frequently and always had the habit of giving herself a complete bath every morning after breakfast in the sun on the table in front of the big casement window, which was then my studio, her every move full of purpose and industry. At some point in the bath sequence, she would always pause and look at me, having been so engrossed in her bath she’d forgotten I was there, one of the habits she maintained from her early life as a frightened stray kitty. I caught a number photos of her in the act, none of them very good, so I pieced it together with photos of the window and Kelly in various bath positions. The photo below will give you an idea of the leafy quality, the light and shadow, and Kelly’s little shape.

Kelly at the Window, Morning.
Kelly at the Window, Morning.

I sketched it up and cut the block—twice, because I wasn’t sure I liked the first version, which is the one below; the second version has an added border around each frame. As it turns out I like both equally well, and since I’ve been printing them on gift bags and tote bags and other things, I’ve come to use version 1 as a framed and matted print because it has just the essential image, and version 2 as an imprint because it has the decorative border, but both look equally good in a mat and frame. I have a little more information about designing the prints and about block printing, below.

"Kelly's Morning Bath I", linoleum block print on handmade rice paper, 3" x 10", 2015 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski
“Kelly’s Morning Bath I”, linoleum block print on handmade rice paper, 3″ x 10″, 2015 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

These prints capture sunny mornings as this window in my house faces my lilac and a number of trees which filter the sun, speckling the table with splashes of sun and shadow. They are printed on rice papers with leaves and flower petals imprinted, handmade, fair trade, eco-sensitive paper (could it be any better?) in a dozen varieties of prints with a white or a cream background, and shades of green, rose and rust for spring, summer and fall.

Ordering prints

Prints can be ordered in style—Kelly’s Morning Bath I or II—and I also offer them framed. Etsy listing variations are limited, so I have two separate listings for each design, I and II.

Each print is unique, and I have only one on each style of paper. You’ll see on the prints pictured here there is a number in the upper left—Etsy listings only permit five images, yet I have ten variations on each print, and then a framed image. Each listing has the individual prints presented two per image, with the numbers, so that you can order specifically the print you want.

The first image in each listing includes the framed sample so you can see the framing style.

Kelly’s Morning Bath I, Linoleum Block Print

"Kelly's Morning Bath I" listing variations.
“Kelly’s Morning Bath I” listing variations.

Kelly’s Morning Bath II, Linoleum Block Print

Kelly' Morning Bath II listing variations.
Kelly’ Morning Bath II listing variations.

About Block Printing

Block printing is a technique wherein the artist carves the surface of a piece of linoleum, leaving raised areas which will become the image. Ink is rolled onto these raised areas, then a piece of paper is pressed against the block and when it’s lifted away the ink remains, leaving the image on the paper. Because of this process, each print is slightly different and therefore unique. Kelly was indeed on my work table to supervise the printing of this block print inspired by her daily morning bath in front of our favorite window. You can see a little demonstration of block printing in this post about my hand-printed Valentines.

A morning like this reminds me of the original inspiration for this print. The photo above is from 2011 and the one below from 2012, but I really loved watching Kelly bathe enthusiastically every morning in front of this window where the morning sun shines through the leaves at a wonderful angle, silhouetting her and the window itself, visualizing a finished work as a block print to capture the stark dark and light and using various colored and patterned papers to capture the leafy shadows.

Kelly on the windowsill.
Kelly on the windowsill.

I did several sketches and had the idea I’d like to do a multi-frame image to capture her action as a process rather than a just one view; anyone who’s ever watched a cat bathe knows that just one view doesn’t capture the whole sense of the cat bath. I knew I wanted that lovely graceful curve and the silhouette of her looking at me in one frame, and I had to have a “leg in the air” frame of Kelly washing between her toes, and Kelly also has a sweet habit of pausing in the middle of a face wash as if she’s hit a point of meditation—this is the first frame.

Once I decided on the three frames I wanted to use I placed them in various orders, but there was only one sequence that I liked best. Here is my first design for Kelly’s Morning Bath.

"Kelly's Morning Bath I", a few more variations.
“Kelly’s Morning Bath I”, a few more variations.

That looked a little stark, though it was what I’d been visualizing. Then I cut one with a more decorative border, added more of the window and eliminated the shading across the middle keeping it stark black and white, and I liked that design too! They officially became Kelly’s Morning Bath 1 and 2.

"Kelly's Morning Bath II" listing variations.
“Kelly’s Morning Bath II” listing variations.

I print them both, and I’ll often print just one panel at a time on items such as gift bags or other small things.

Printing these two designs on unique papers wasn’t part of the design plan, but when I began finding handmade rice papers with leaves and flowers embedded I knew I’d found the best choices. This package of handmade, fair trade, eco-sensitive paper provided a dozen varieties of prints with a white and a cream background, and shades for spring, summer and fall, and I printed one of each print on each sheet.


Kelly is sleeping on the job of supervising me.
Kelly sleeping on the job of supervising me.

Marketplace

Kelly sleeping on the job of supervising me.

Take a look at other new merchandise and featured artwork.

Once a week on Thursday I feature something new in my “shop”, whether that’s here on The Creative Cat, in my Etsy shop, on my main website or even at one of the bricks and mortar shops that carry my work.

Read about creating custom items

Find out more about creating custom items for your own home using the images you see here. Visit the “Ordering Custom Art” page to see samples and read bout how to order.

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Sign up for my e-newsletter (below), check the widget on the sidebar on my home page, or sign up to receive posts on Portraits of Animals Marketplace. I plan on plenty of events this coming summer in the Pittsburgh area.

It’s all done under the close and careful supervision of my studio cats!

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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 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.


© 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.

3 thoughts on ““Kelly’s Morning Bath” Block Print on Handmade Papers

  • B….awesome work as always; I like 9…the rice paper “defines” your work and the second to last 3 & 4; the background is subtle, yet there ~~~~~~ ♥♥

    Reply
  • pilch92

    Those are beautiful.

    Reply
    • Thanks, Pilch92, it’s hard to believe they are from so long ago too!

      Reply

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