Featured Artwork: Calico Cat Mysteries Book 13, “Olivia and the Mountain Cats”

I always use my own cat reference photos of my permanent household, fosters, ferals and more for Patricia’s covers so it’s especially exciting when I can use a bunch of them at once!

This story is about rescuing cats that have been dumped on a mountain and the interesting process of finding and rescuing them. I envision Olivia among chaparral and rocks with cats peering out at her from the chaparral and rocks…The mountains are in Southern CA–I envision Olivia right up against a mountain face–like a bluff with cats at different levels, peering out of a cave, sitting on rocks, boulders, peering out behind an area of shrubs. In the story, they spend a lot of time on a trail which is against a rock/dirt face with a small cave opening against it. No snow. The dirt in our mountains is a sort of ruddy tan–not deep colors like in Arizona. Can we have the entire cover, the closeup face of a mountainside with the cats here and there above Olivia–like goats? ha ha. In particular there is one sweet tabby cat with a distinct M on her forehead.

So, here you are! Years ago I visited a friend in California and we did some traveling around so I have photos from the area for the trail, the dirt, the chapparal, small caves, dessicated trees.

That kitty with the distinct M on her forehead? That’s my Stanley, sitting atop the cave, on the right! Ginger kitty Bert, often a meowdel on these covers, is peering out from the cave. The three other cats are from our community cat collection. Under the chapparal is gray-with-white-paws Perry, while in our neighborhood he was under an azalea, very convenient for position. Then behind him is our Ebby, and behind him is Moo Moo! Olivia looks intentionally a little surprised, but no worry, she takes care of things.

I painted this cover at the end of March 2023, but we just finished working on cover 21.  I’m getting closer!

Here’s the synopsis of Olivia and the Mountain Cats:

Olivia reaches new heights to rescue stranded cats.

An afternoon hike turns into a difficult cat rescue operation for Olivia, Archie and their people. Parker and Jag struggle to meet the unexpected challenges of a mountain rescue while striving to leave no cat behind. In this story Olivia reveals the identity of a killer, she helps a melancholy horse become reunited with a most unlikely friend, she saves someone from a poisonous snake, and she helps track down several lost and frightened cats. Along the way a young man learns to see the heart of a cat which becomes a life-changing moment for him and for a cat in desperate need of help.

You can find It’s All About Olivia on Patricia’s website with links to Amazon.com.

About the materials for the cover illustration

Now I use a slightly rough surface all-media paper, single ply but thick and very versatile for pastels. It’s not entirely opaque so I can put it on my light table and trace the details in place. I initially started out with a sketch in watercolor but I’ve been using my brush markers more often to block in the colors and especially the dark areas; the markers are alcohol based and don’t cause as much ripple in the paper and have cleaner edges than watercolors. Then I put it on my easel and finish it with my pastels, a mix of soft pastels and pastel pencils especially for details. I still keep all the other options on hand, though, and occasionally I’ll use one of them.

Getting all the details just right on an illustration like these book covers can be tricky when they are small. Depending on the detail in the illustration, I work them almost twice the final size of the cover—the cover is 5″ x 8″ and I work at 9″ x 12″.

Other illustration materials I’ve used

I didn’t use paper for most of these illustrations but chose Ampersand brand Pastelbord, which is a piece of Masonite with a very fine clay and marble-dust coating that has very little texture but holds layers of pastel so I can both do my finger-painting thing with blending softer pastels and sketch with harder pastels and pastel pencils, and it stands up well to multiple changes. I began the painting with soft pastels to cover the major areas with layers of color. I finished up the details and edges with pastel pencils.

But once I began working out the covers with all this Victorian detail like PAWSitively Sinister, I needed a little assistance in keeping the details in order so it didn’t take me until next year to do the painting. Especially when working with patterns it’s important nothing is out of place or it’s immediately noticeable. I start with a complete composite that I’ve built in Photoshop using all the photos and images and art so that Patricia can see just what it will look like, and I have all the details in place. It’s far more difficult to correct an illustration than a Photoshop composite, which I can adjust infinitely. That way, when I get to my actual painting, all the decisions have been made and I just need to paint.

For several years I used a self-prepared two-ply illustration board with a very fine surface texture to hold the pastel, and also be able to use other media. It’s not entirely opaque so I can put it on my light table and trace the details in place. I start out with a sketch in watercolor and even marker to block in the colors and especially the dark areas. Then I put it on my table and finish it with my pastels, first the soft pastels for coverage, then pastel pencils for details.

I took some time to tray a textured drawing paper because the texture can help hold details and layers of pastel. The texture was a little more pronounced than I wanted, though it did work well for a few covers where I could use the texture as part of soil or rock textures.

Now I use a slightly rough surface all-media paper, single ply but thick and very versatile for pastels. I still keep all the other options on hand, though, and occasionally I’ll use one of them.

Depending on the detail in the illustration, I work them sometimes twice the final size of the cover. Getting all the details just right on an illustration like these book covers can be tricky when they are small. The books are 5″ x 8″, but this illustration was 10″ x 16″, which helped me to paint in all the leaves and details of the bark.

About these book covers

I’ve illustrated over 90 covers to date for Patricia over two series of cat mysteries. Rather than list them all here, you can explore the category Book Cover.

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Klepto Cat Book Covers

CWA 2018, 2021, 2022 Muse Medallion AND Certificate of Excellence for “Illustration: Series”

Patricia publishes about six books each year and I’ve entered the covers since 2015. I’ve won a Certificate of Excellence each year, and often won a MUSE™ Medallion too.

2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022

Click the links above to see the other awards.

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All books are available in electronic format and most for print on Amazon.com as well as find the print versions on Patricia’s website. Reviews have been good, and a few reviewers have even mentioned the covers! I hope you enjoy these books, and Patricia and I are currently working on the next cover. That woman can write!

When we finished book 12 we also updated the two-sided bookmark that includes all twelve books so far which Patricia can hand out at book signings and book shows.

We’ve also printed several runs of note cards from multiple covers, including a Christmas series.

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Read more about book covers I’ve designed. Also, click here to read more about the Purrs of Wisdom cover and bookmarks, and also about books I’ve designed on my blog, What’s New?

Are you interested in illustrations or a book cover, or book design? Please contact me, I’ll be happy to discuss your project.

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Featured Artwork

Each week on Wednesday I feature a piece of artwork, sometimes a current or historic portrait, sometimes an illustration or an art project from years ago, usually cat-themed, but sometimes wildlife or even non-animal subjects, and even projects from my commercial art life. Read other Featured Artwork posts.

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Custom Commissioned Artwork and Illustrations from Portraits of Animals

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From Animal Portraits to Book Covers to Advertisements

In addition to creating commissioned portraits beloved animal companions for the past 25 years, I’ve also been a commercial artist since the 1980s both full-time and freelance and created many illustrations, book covers, advertisements, display signs and more. Visit my Commissioned Artwork pages to read more. They are not quite complete at the moment but there is still quite a bit to look at.