Congratulations to the Winner, and to Black Cat Rescue!

Congratulations to LB who will receive the signed giclée print, above! Look for an e-mail from Bernadette, and I’ll put you in touch with Black Cat Rescue.

You can still purchase a full-size or smaller giclee of this print in my Etsy shop. And I’ll continue my offer for free shipping in my Etsy shop through tomorrow in appreciation of black cats. See below for details and a few samples of what’s available in “black cat”.

About this portrait

Kublai was a very complex cat, we had been through quite a lot, and for years I could not decide what pose would be best to capture him, I could visualize him in so many ways and while I considered the idea of painting a series of portraits of him, I knew I just needed to wait, and it would come to me.

And it did one morning when I turned around and saw the winter sun shining brilliantly on the bare wooden floor and I remembered watching him rolling around there in the way he did, acting silly, often in apology for something he’d done that I didn’t particularly care for like opening the refrigerator and pulling food out. But I knew what I was remembering was a moment when he was acting as feline therapist, because I was having a bad day as I sometimes did and he knew it and was doing his best to get me past my dark mood, not just with being adorable and irresistible but also with letting the sun play across his fur, pulling all those wonderful mahogany and blue-purple shades from within it, his pale green eyes contrasting with the depth of his face, his velvety paws waving aimlessly, the shadows falling crisp in the sun and soft in light reflected off the doors and walls, pulling the details from the old wood boards, each one different.

Then, his expression, direct, “Are you looking at me?” Not only for attention for himself, but for my own distraction. It worked every time.

All the lights came on for me and I saw this portrait in that moment. I found the few reference photos I had and began immediately. Dark mood? He could still dispel it nearly ten years later.

Read more about Black Cat Rescue on their blog, and visit their page on Petfinder.

And free shipping all week for prints of this painting and all merchandise in my Etsy shop

Browse my Etsy shop for what’s currently available, and at checkout use the coupon code “BLACKCATS”. It will remain active until next Friday.

I have 11″ x 14″  and 8″ x 10″ giclées of this print as well as 8″ x 10″ digital prints, and because I also offer it as a greeting card it is included in my “Feline Greetings Art Cards” collection.

I tried to set this up for just black cat merchandise, but the Etsy search engine wasn’t cooperating, and I’m not terribly concerned if the art has a black cat, or if it has a cat at all. The sale of any art in my shop benefits my black cats, of course, and also the donations of art and merchandise I make to benefit animals. The more I sell, the more I can give.

Special orders don’t upset us

I can easily have prints made on canvas in various sizes, I can pack a special box of a half dozen or a full dozen cards from the selections you see above or in my Etsy shop, and I also offer custom framing, just send me a conversation on Etsy or an e-mail here.

In addition, if you see a piece of artwork on my website or here on The Creative Cat that you would like to purchase, please ask. See a few examples here. Orders taken during this week will be eligible for free shipping regardless when they are eventually shipped.

And remember, it all benefits black cats and all 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 purchasing one as a print, or to use in a print or internet publication.