Daily Sketch: Beans

Bernadette August 15, 2023August 23, 2023 0 Comments black cat, black cats, cat art, cat artwork, cat sketches, cats, pastel sketch f black cat

pastel sketch of black cat — “Beans”, pastel on pastello paper, 10″ x 6″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Remembering Mewsette and Jelly Bean with Artwork

I decided I would share some of my favorite artwork inspired by Mewsette and Jelly Bean as a way of sharing their memory. My Daily Sketches were sketches from life and catch not only the best of the moment, but that visceral memory of studying them as I worked. It’s a very deep and special bond. Below is what I posted with this Daily Sketch on that day, and I love to read and reference my thoughts from then.

I actually did this sketch yesterday late afternoon, but at the end of the day of my outdoor extravaganza I simply ran out of time and energy too, so I left it for today.

It’s interesting to see what I would come up with after a day of art. Typically the daily sketch of one of my cats is the first piece of art-on-paper I do in a day, and often the only thing, but yesterday I looked at the weather and knew it was one of my Sunday art days, no matter what I “should” have been doing. I’d started out with my contrived trip to the grocery store knowing I’d pass several areas I’d want to sketch and photograph, so when I came back I’d been warmed up with landscapes and streetscapes, then saw Bean on the top shelf of the cat tree in the quiet corner of the kitchen where the shadows are very green from the trees outdoors and the light is blue reflected from the sky.

The original inspiration was Bean’s toes, oddly enough the clearest thing in the scene, matched with the subtleties of the light on his fur. I watched him settling for only a moment before getting the art bag I’d just put down and quickly roughing him in with the softer black pastel on the dark green paper and pulling the highlights with a few strokes of only three highlight colors. Then I blend with my fingers, one of the things I love best about drawing any animals in pastel but especially my cats, that as I use my fingers to blend the pastel into the paper and the colors into each other, the subject emerges, as if I’m petting them and they come to life.

And warmed up after a day of going about the business of art, photographing and painting and visualizing, this came about much more quickly and surely than it otherwise would have.

. . . . . . .

Though I actually did this sketch yesterday late afternoon, at the end of the day I also ran out of time to scan things last night, and energy to write about them too, so I left it for today. But there are no coincidences. I know the reason for the title and perhaps my even noticing Bean’s toes was the thought of another kitty and a conversation about the nickname “Bean” for her, and the name “Bean” turning up for several other cats at an auspicious time. We lost that little Bean today, another little black Bean, way too early. She was so beautiful, and made me think of Mimi. For my friends who are missing their Sabrina Bean tonight, this sketch is in her memory, whether I intended it or not.

Click here to see daily sketches, click here to see daily photographs

click here to see other artwork featured on The Creative Cat

or visit Feline Artwork on my main website.

If you are interested in a print of this image, check 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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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.