Featured Artwork: Calico Cat Mysteries Book 15, “Love, Light and Olivia”

And now flowers, and a horse! As flower-girl-cat in a wedding and more Olivia is spreading a lot of love around the place.

It’s an outdoor garden wedding and of course, Olivia is in it, along with her friend, Ginger–the horse who’s head she road around on in Book 8. I wonder if we can have a rose arbor in the background with Olivia on the horse’s head like before, but with flowers woven into the horse’s mane and around her in some way, if possible–a lei effect?

Sure, why not? But how to arrange all those things so Olivia isn’t lost in all the patterns and colors?

I suggested, instead of riding on Ginger’s head as she did on the cover of Book 8, we could position Ginger from the side and looking around to Olivia, who is on Ginger’s back. Both of them could wear matching flower crowns. The arbor, I’d think about that. Might be too many flowers, and the flower crowns might get lost in all the flowers.

First, I positioned Olivia on Ginger, then I went through my photos to look for flower crowns and arbors. These aren’t unusual. People get married outside all summer long and at some of the nature-themed places I go I’ll see a wedding. If I can I’ll get a few shots of decorations or food tables or things so I’ll have them on hand. I found one at an angle I could use, above Olivia’s back.

Then flower crowns, not so numerous, except that I saw one in a bakery of all places! The flowers were fabric flowers but looked convincing to me. I sized a flower crown for both Olivia and Ginger, then used the same flowers on the arch.

But then the bottom of the painting looked kind of unfinished with mostly Ginger’s coat color and…no flowers. So I did add some to her mane, as Patricia had suggested.

Background? Grass, trees and sky, as simple as possible with all that detail in the rest of the cover!

I painted this cover in early July 2023 so I’m finally catching up. I am currently working on Klepto Cat number 71.

And this was one of the series of covers I painted in 2023 that I recently earned a Certificate of Excellence in Series Illustration (books 12-17) in the Cat Writers’ Association Communications Contest.

Here’s the synopsis of Love, Light and Olivia:

Olivia puts her best paw forward.

Olivia has been invited to be a flower-cat in a wedding and becomes the center of attention. But first she has a job to do—find some lost kittens. Along the way she helps rescue a puppy from clueless, abusive people; she encounters a man from her past who reveals a secret about Olivia that even Parker didn’t know. She brings help to a horse in trouble, thwarts an attack on a newborn calf, and she establishes order among a gaggle of geese. In this story Olivia meets some of the most fascinating characters. Does she ultimately find the lost kittens? Read the book. You’ll be glad you did.

You can find Love, Light and 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.

Calico Cat Mysteries Book Covers

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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, 2023

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.