Featured Artwork: Calico Cat Mysteries Book 19, “The Good, The Bad and Olivia”

In this story two things happen with Olivia, total opposites. “In the story we have both lovely things happening–where Olivia does bring joy to elderly people, but there are also scenes where she finds a dead body–there’s been a murder,” Patricia wrote, describing finding a boot and leg with the rest of the body obscured by some brush and a sparkle in the dirt that would indicate the diamond necklace that’s in the story. She would continue working on the idea.

I have no qualms drawing a boot on a dead body, in fact I’ve already done so on two of Patricia’s Klepto Cat covers featuring Rags, books 54 Claws and Order and 61 Meow for Murder. But I was really hoping for the personal care home for something a little different.

Then she got back to me and things had changed, including the title—to this current title. And…

I’m thinking of a more glamorous cover design. Maybe Olivia wearing an exquisite diamond necklace and sitting on a lap or maybe sprawled across a couple of old folks’ laps. Any thoughts? The necklace, I may have told you, is a fabulous diamond necklace–1950s or 60s vintage. It’s been in the old women’s collection for years. Laps would be from people in assisted living home–men and women. Some in wheelchairs, some more mobile. It’s winter in CA, but inside–so old-women cardigan sweaters and house-dress, maybe.

Now there was something different from other covers! She also sent some possible photos of Olivia.

I responded that my mother wore jogging suits and other types of fleece when she lived in a personal care home, and cardigans. “But we’re not going to see too much of these ladies if we’re going to be focusing on Olivia. I can picture those flowered dresses that come down over their knees and cardigans above, nice pastel colors as a background for Olivia, and just their hands petting her. I can picture a necklace, but if she’s lying down on their laps, how much of the necklace will we see? There are already so many patterns there that the necklace itself might get lost.” After visualizing it for a bit, I suggested we have Olivia sitting up on the one woman’s lap while the other woman is dangling the diamond necklace for Olivia to swat at it.

So you can see how this worked out! Though I did want to use my mother on this cover I didn’t have a photo of her that would work because she used a walker and it’s in nearly every photo. Nor did I have any photos of other ladies in a personal care home that I could use. I did, however, have a photo of a magnificent crystal necklace that was patterned after a magnificent diamond necklace that I’d photographed for a customer. I found a stock photo of two ladies in cardigans that were purrfect, and they happened to be knitting and comparing what they were working on, so that worked for the one on the left holding the necklace and the one on the right petting Olivia, with a little adjustment of their fingers.

Here’s the synopsis of The Good, The Bad, and Olivia:

You can find The Good, The Bad and Olivia on Patricia’s website and 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 100 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.