Thursday, March 28, 2024
cat artworkdaily sketchinkkellywatercolor

Daily Sketch Reprise: Kelly With Grapes and Apple, 2012

ink and watercolor sketch of cat with still life
Kelly With Grapes and Apples, ink marker and watercolor pencil © B.E. Kazmarski

When the sun moves around to filter into this window, Kelly hops over to enjoy it and have a nice bath on the cabinet. In a rare moment of repose, she sits still and lets the sun warm her back, the light reflecting back from the pine wood cabinet warming the tones of her tortoiseshell fur.

This is not an easy image to paint as a quick sketch, and certainly I would never have considered it as such if I hadn’t watched Kelly at this activity nearly every day since late March. I have enough of the colors and shapes and details memorized just from frequently looking at it and photographing it, so actually doing a quick sketch wasn’t as difficult as it might have been.

I let Kelly bathe and find a comfortable spot, sketched her torso and tail and paws, then watched her as she moved her head to a position that worked well and quickly sketched the outline of her face and ears; I had wanted more sun on her face, but that was not to be.

While I waited for Kelly’s tail and face to find a moment of stillness for at least ten seconds, I began on the objects in the background, the mid-century brass and tempered glass raised fruit dish with its olive green glow cast on the table, the apple and green grapes which I’d kept replenishing to continue photographing and hoping to get time to sketch or paint, and the simple shapes of the curtains and shadows on the tabletop.

As usual, there are areas I am not happy with and would render differently, but visualizing, then actually diving into the subject and rendering it is the only process for finding out what does and doesn’t work.

Purchase a print, or a set

four framed ink and watercolor sketches
Four ink and watercolor sketches from April and May.

See also Mimi’s Sunbath and Kelly on the Windowsill and Top of the World for other examples of this style.

Prints of sketch, sketch alone or matted and framed, is available for sale on Portraits of Animals, as well as three others in the same style:

Kelly on the Windowsill

Mimi’s Sunbath

Top of the World

These are also available as a set; if you are interested in purchasing two or more, or purchasing a set of prints, please ask.


. . . . . . .

What else was I sketching on this date?

.

Morning at the Door, 2013
marker sketch of two cats in sun
“Morning at the Door”, brush marker, 8″ x 6″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Even though it was rather cold for a spring morning, Mimi enjoyed the sun on her front while Mewsette enjoyed the sun on her back by the door.

. . . . . . .

King of the Pile of Boxes, 2014
ink sketch of cat sitting on boxes
“King of the Pile of Boxes”, ink, 4″ x 9″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

I caught Mr. Sunshine looking a little disgusted at his throne today. How he would like a “real” place to display his splendor and survey his domain.

I admit, we do have piles of boxes much of the time, and that may continue for a while as I settle into show season for the summer. However, thanks to the quick posting of a person in the rescue group I managed to snag a really nice cat entertainment center at the curb waiting for trash pickup the next day. I was going that way and swung by to pick it up. It just needs to be scrubbed and have a few repairs. They have a smaller one next to the refrigerator, but that’s stuck in the corner and not optimal for observation or personal display. And it’s navy blue.

At first I thought I’d clean it up and donate it since I have no space for anything extra right now—or ever, really! Then I saw the perfect spot. It means a little sacrifice for me, but finally the household will have a real feline entertainment center.

. . . . . . .

Four Black Cats on a White Bed, 2013
ink sketch of four cats on bed
“Four Black Cats on a White Bed”, ink drawing pen, 9″ x 5″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

I was thinking in color today, but when I saw Mr. Sunshine, Mimi, Mewsette and Giuseppe curled up on the unmade bed, I saw the angles and wrinkles of the covers in simple, clear ink lines, and the silhouettes of the black cats against the white.

Their shapes had just the slightest amount of highlighted detail from the window light, just enough to see an ear or a nose, or to distinguish Mimi from Mewsette, and I had no idea how I would do that while still preserving their ink lines, which I love with this pen. The angled lines served to distinguish and describe their shapes, and just came naturally to my hand.

Jelly Bean was supervising me.

. . . . . . .

I’ll Take Three Lumps, 2012
charcoal sketch of three cats sleeping
Three Lumps, charcoal pencil © B.E. Kazmarski

Lumps of coal, or lumps of sugar? I was thinking lumps of sugar. The boys “occupied” my desk, as usual, Mr. Sunshine, Giuseppe and Jelly Bean, all about as inert as the lumps in this sketch. Tough Monday.

I had the kitty keep-warm lamps on at my desk, so of course they were cuddling underneath, and also absorbing all the extra light. The least they could do is be models, but they didn’t even awake to comment or object.


Click here to see other daily sketches.

For a gallery of the ones available for sale, visit Portraits of Animals in the “Daily Sketches” section.

Read about the reason for the daily sketches in Three Years of Daily Sketches.

Download your free desktop wallpaper calendar for computer or mobile, usually based on a daily sketch.

And don’t forget that each month’s Featured Artwork is also one of the free prints available on Portraits of Animals when you sign up for an account.

Desktop calendar, 1280 x 1024 for square and laptop monitors.
Desktop calendar, 1280 x 1024 for square and laptop monitors.

"Feline Style Sampler" book of sketches and portraits.

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 on Portraits of Animals.


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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.


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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.

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