Featured Artwork: Calico Cat Mysteries Book 25, “Olivia Goes to Mexico”

Olivia does travel, and though it looks like she’s sitting in an open window here, she’s actually inside. Don’t want her getting lost in another country!

Olivia is there to help rescue cats that were displaced in a storm and help them find their way back home–however, someone with an ulterior motive is hampering their efforts. Cats are disappearing from the colony where they’re being temporarily cared for and some of them return. It comes to light that someone could be selling the cats–some of the to people who may be using them for unimaginable purposes. It becomes a war between those truly wanting to help the cats and those interfering with their good efforts and the cats safety and well-being.

Can you imagine a cover showing both sides–cats being protected and someone running off with cats to exploit them in some way?…Maybe simply cats appearing scared or worried among some items that represent Mexico–sombreros. A colorful scene might be in an outdoor market of some sort showing Mexican print skirts, sombreros, etc. and cats sort of in between the items with Olivia and Archie in the foreground watching them.

Yes, this did change a bit from the original idea to save it from too much detail and to accommodate the feral cats too.

I actually started out working through a friend in Texas who knows a woman who works with feral cats and colonies in northern Mexico to see what would be authentic for the place. I didn’t see any images that I could use, but it gave me a good idea of what was appropriate for a resort/town in Mexico and how community cats are fed. I wasn’t happy with any of the photos of Mexican places I had in my stock photo collection so I searched my photo subscriptions.

Community cats might be at a market, but I thought the best way to show them being cared for was either including cat shelters or feeding areas or stations and you wouldn’t find either of those in a market, or any open public place. And it turns out people feed community cats in Mexico the same as they do up here, in a sheltered, quiet place with dishes on the ground. I chose this narrow courtyard because it fit well on the vertical cover and it had just enough detail to make it look interesting. I did change the some of the plants to have more color and texture differences because when they were basically all green plants the depth of the space diminished.

I used a photo of Olivia from the back that Patricia had sent me. She’s sitting inside on a windowsill with the light coming into that vertical space so she’s lit from above. Her colors and patterns add to the colorful, festive look.

Then I pulled photos of some of my favorite community cats enjoying their dinners of my neighbors’ colonies and tucked them into spaces where they’d be most likely to be fed in an area like this. I wanted to have a number of cats on the cover without them ending up too small. The three cats at the one bowl are siblings and they fit purrfectly into the layout for just enough cats. This shows the cats being cared for in a quiet, neat and clean space where they obviously feel comfortable.

If you look way down at the end of the row of plants on the right you’ll see a human peering around the plants eyeing those cats as they’re eating. That’s the threat to them.

He’s the guy looking at the computer in this really old (note the 1980s hair on them all) photo from my stock collection. They com in handy as photo references though!

Olivia sees it all. I did sharpen my pastel pencils and enjoy the details in this one!

Here’s the synopsis:

You can find this book 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.