Daily Sketch Reprise: Colorful Kitties, 2015
I’m not so sure this was worth all the time it took, but it surely was fun to do, and a challenge. I’ve been visualizing something like this for a while, the semi-transparent paper allowing the overlaps to create new shapes and colors, but knowing it would take time, in short supply lately, I kept holding myself off from starting. Unfortunately for me that often means I can’t visualize other sketches because a current idea is very strong, and so it was here despite keeping my sketch materials near. I decided to give in this evening—or should I say “last evening” because it is now “this morning”, after midnight.
The cat figures are cut from colored tissue paper used for wrapping, which was the best material I had on hand for the semi-transparent substance. I cut the figures freehand as if I was drawing the outlines with a pencil or pen, doing my best to visualize each one as I worked. I began with an idea of several colors, but initially all the cats were to be standing in the same position and the same size but randomly placed. I realized that would be difficult to cut in freehand and remembered some of the brush pen sketches I’d done of the Four in action, each in a different color and overlapping like “Everyone’s On My Desk” and “Four Cats Bathing” and knew that was simply more interesting.
So I cut out each one starting with the big blue kitty and let each successive kitty appear to me in color and posture and position in relation to the others. I arranged them on a page in my sketch book, while Mewsette and Mr. Sunshine supervised.
While it was apparent I didn’t have the level of transparency I wanted, I still liked what I saw. And though the tissue paper was difficult to cut without ripping, even with a fresh new Xacto blade, I let them be a little rough. Mr. Sunshine inspects my work when it’s near done.
while I was considering that it was not yet done, and what to do next, Mr. Sunshine had a message for me. And while he knows humans can be slow in understanding the meaning of feline body language, he made his point fairly obvious by wearing his thoughts outside himself, literally.
Ah, yes, I need a yellow kitty, like Mr. Sunshine himself.
Mr. Sunshine approves. What would I do without my feline supervision and guidance?
After I finished arranging the colorful kitties and the work met with Mr. Sunshine’s approval, I decided against gluing the shapes down. The tissue paper would become a disaster, and a glue stick might as well. So I took a few photos before looking for some sheet protectors, carefully slipping the whole thing inside and scanning it. That is where it is now, and I’ll look for other possible materials for this, colored plastic film perhaps.
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Find this art on note cards
I shared this artwork an immediately people asked if it was available on note cards, and so I designed and printed a few dozen. This design just lends itself to a variety of themes—friendship, thank you, thinking of you, even an invitation to an event. The card is an A-2, 5.5″ x 4.25″, and printed on 100# acid-free uncoated cover stock, blank inside.
They come with 70 lb. opaque acid-free envelopes that are inkjet/laser compatible in your choice of envelope color. Bella helped me choose them and set them up
I have these notecards available in singles, two, half dozen or dozen in my Portraits of Animals Shop on Etsy.
Click here to see other daily sketches.
For a gallery of the ones available for sale, visit my Etsy shop in the “Cat Art and Prints” section.
Read about the reason for the daily sketches in Two Years of Daily Sketches.
And download your free desktop wallpaper calendar for computer or mobile, usually based on a daily sketch.
A collection of 34 images of feline artwork
Feline Style Sampler
Daily sketches, illustrations, commissioned portraits all in a small coil-bound gift book.
Click here or on the image to read more
or find this book in my Etsy shop.
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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.
© 2016 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski
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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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