Featured Artwork: Calico Cat Mysteries Book 23, “Olivia and the Beach Cats”

There’s a colony of feral cats living along the beach in a sea wall and Olivia and Archie have to rescue them! Patricia had a few other ideas about the scene on the cover but in the end this was the most clear and interesting one, complete with colorful beach umbrellas.

In this story Olivia is helping remove feral and lost cats from a beach–the cats are hiding out in a boulder/rock seawall. So it could be a closeup of Olivia and Archie climbing on the rocks and there are cats peering out of the crevices between the large bounders here and there. The wall is butted up to a wall where there are outdoor eating decks for restaurants–so if it works, we could show at least part of a large umbrella up behind where the cats are–depending on how much of a closeup we do.

After some discussion of east coast (me) and west coast (Patricia) sea walls we settled on this one with larger, more rounded boulders than I see here in the east, but just right for kitties to poke out from between them. I combined a photo of a “lake” wall, on Lake Erie with the rocks from photos from California. There’s a road between the lower and upper walls with just enough space for rainbow beach umbrellas in the upper left corner, and some blue sky with puffy clouds.

I initially designed it with Archie on top of the wall, Olivia below on the actual beach, and four cats peering or emerging from the wall. Patricia suggested one more cat “to sort of widen the scope of the cat situation at the beach–Maybe even just stepping into or out of the picture at the left top,” So I added a cat who might be their mom.

I choose the “extras,” the cats who are in the story but not principal characters, from all my photos of community cats because often in the story they are community and sometimes the story just takes place outdoors. Usually I randomly choose them according to how their position fits into the layout, but I must have had the idea of a mom cat and her litter somewhere in the back of my head because this time I chose three of the four kittens in the Greenbriar rescue and their actual mom in the wall—she’s the calico down in the bottom right—but I left out the fourth kitten who was a longhaired tuxedo. The tuxedo cat I added at the top left is not him aged to adulthood, but a foster from 2015, Ernie, who would fit the bill as the mom of these kittens in fur type and pattern at least. Incidentally, the longhaired ginger Archie right in the middle atop the wall, and who we frequently see with Olivia, is Ernie’s brother, you guessed it, Bert, now Simon (read more about Bert and Ernie).

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

You can find Olivia Meows Up the Right Tree 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.