Featured Artwork: Calico Cat Mysteries Book 28, “Olivia’s Cat Cafe Caper”

 

Cats and books? No problem This cover went through a few ideas and has an interesting back story.

I envision a lovely scene showing cats at a cat cafe. Parker and Olivia are there to do a book signing for Parker’s first book—featuring Olivia, of course. Parker does a bit about cats crossing their paws, so I’d like to show Olivia in a crossed paws pose.

I’m thinking about having Olivia sitting on a table with a stack or smattering of books around her–Can you just use a photo of her from one of her books on the covers of the books with her name across the top or something? Could we show the backs of a few people sitting on overstuffed chairs or a sofa looking at Olivia (who is on the table with the books) and I’d like a few other cats around–lounging on the back of a sofa, climbing up onto the shoulder of someone in the audience. In other words, the audience is in a casual environment listening to Parker talk about her book. I want to have Olivia front and center, a table displaying books, a sense of there being several people listening to Parker speak (looking at Olivia) and I want some of the cat cafe cats in the picture–maybe on a wall shelf, tall cat tree, as I suggested, looking toward the camera over the shoulder of someone who is holding the cat.

That was a great idea to start with, but it turned out too busy and Olivia couldn’t be big enough. So we took out the two people in the chairs (seen from the back) at the bottom of the cover, and Parker and all the books in the background. Then we made Olivia bigger and added more cats!

The back story

When we changed to this idea I wasn’t sure how to organize a lot of cats in the space we had while still giving Olivia and the book priority. I needed a way to organize them and looked through my photos of the rescues and cat rooms in shelters, cat events and friends’ homes I had photographed but nothing really worked for this.

I remembered a few photos my friend Mary, who died last November, had sent to me. She lived alone with cats and worked at home as I do and I have our archived five-year conversation in Facebook Messenger where we would send messages almost every day, usually with photos of our cats. I could picture two photos right away that would work here, and with that I could visualize the layout and image.

All the cats here are hers and are grouped as they were in photos she sent me, all but three on the object they were on in her photos.

In 2024 my neighbor moved and left me with two cat trees they just couldn’t fit in the moving truck, and I gave the one here to Mary. She sent me that photo of her cats on it the day after she’d set it up for them. They made good use of it! And the purrfect photo to start off the background of this cover. The orange cat in the cubby in the center of the cat tree was a photo I took on one of my visits, and Lucky really brightens things up where a dark tabby could barely be seen. The calico and tux on the top two levels of the cat tree were from her photos, I added them there because I had the space.

The three cats lined up on the couch were…lined up on her couch! But not this couch, I substituted another because I needed the lower part of the couch too. The two in the top shelf in front of the window were on the top shelf of another cat tree; I tossed the window in there because it needed something to brighten up the background.

She would be over the moon to see her cats on a book cover. Maybe she can see this.

Here’s the synopsis:

Olivia steals the show and reveals some meowy secrets.

In this story Olivia makes friends with a variety of cats living in cat cafés, and she uses her intuitive abilities to improve their quality of life and safety. Olivia ferrets out the origin of the explosions that leave one group of cats shaking. She locates where cats are escaping from the safety of their cat café. And she points her paw at the awful truth hidden behind the guise of a cat café. You won’t believe what these cats are being conditioned to do and all because of greed and ignorance.

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.éé