Featured Artwork: Klepto Cat Book 72, “In the Purr of a Moment”

January 24, 2026 Bernadette

I just finished cover 77 for the Klepto Cat series and I really want to catch up faster! So for the next few weeks I’m going to double up on covers, featuring one of each Klepto Cat and Calico Cst mysteries.

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This one was right up my alley, as it were—trying to trap a community cat. Plenty of reference materials for the cat, the trap and even the orchard they are in, one clear idea, just had to find the photos and it was practically done.

Patricia described the story and her idea:

In this story, Rags is helping Savannah and Margaret trap cats that are living in an old orchard about to be bulldozed down for construction. It happens all the time in Southern CA. I’m thinking about Rags sitting with a couple (or more) of traps with cats in them–maybe Rags could be touching noses with a kind of scrawny cat. If you think it works, there could be a bulldozer in the background. Let me know what you think.

I responded:

Cats in traps! Got plenty of reference photos. You really can’t see cats in traps very well unless you’re right on them because the grid is pretty tight, and he wouldn’t be able to touch noses with one through the grid, plus the most humane thing is to immediately cover the trap with something so they aren’t traumatized, feral or friendly. How about if we have an open trap with either a cat looking into it and Rags watching, or an open trap between Rags and a cat looking at each other over the trap? Or they could be interacting next to a trap that has a cat in it?

Here are the reference photos for the cat, the trap and the background. The cat is Brownie, a friendly owned cat who did not need to be trapped, but his backyard buddy did. Brownie has his eye on that food in the back, always a risk when trapping with other cats around. Brownie was a good boy and left it alone. You see the back of the trap, but it’s open in the front just waiting for a tux cat to walk in.

The photo of the blooming pear trees are in a local cemetery and do I head up there in all sorts of colorful seasons to photograph the tree-lined roads. I have included the full photo with the small area I used for the cover in the white rectangle. When Patricia mentioned the orchard, I knew I had some photos of an orchard but couldn’t find them so they were likely on film. I remembered photos from this cemetery knowing at least the trees were in rows and started culling through them, finally finding just this one that had the right arrangement of trees in this small portion.

Here’s the synopsis:

Rags takes on many roles in this dynamic story.

It’s not smooth sailing for the Ivey family as they make their way home after a vacation in Colorado. But Rags leaves his mark at every turn. He discovers clues to a most disturbing ring of terror, and he resolves a mystery that holds locals locked in fear. Once back home he helps Savannah and Margaret deal with a convoluted cat situation. Along the way, he speaks for a woman who couldn’t, and he gets her the medical help she needs. He mentors therapy cats at a transition house for the homeless, and he leads authorities to the criminal who left the scene of a serious accident.

You can find this book on Patricia’s website and on Amazon.com.

About the materials for the cover illustration

I use 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 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 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 soft pastels and pastel pencils especially for details. Depending on textures I need in the art I sometimes similar weight drawing papers with different textures too.

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″ or larger.

Other illustration materials I’ve used

I don’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.

I use 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.

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.

About these book covers

I’ve illustrated over 100 covers for Patricia over two series of cat mysteries. You can see the Klepto Cat covers below and search “Klepto Cat” to find all the posts.

book cover design with cats and quilt undercover cat patricia fry

The final cover for "PAWtners in Crime" by Patricia Fry.

The final cover for "The Purrfect Lie" by Patricia Fry.

"A Picture Purrfect Christmas" klepto cat mystery by patricia fry

The finished cover for "Meow for the Money".

"Claws for a Cause" by Patricia Fry, cover illustration and design.

Cover illustration and design for "Cabin FURvor"

"The Amazing CATventure" cover, finished.

The finished cover for "Merriment, Mayhem and Meows".

"A Christmas to Purr About" Klepto Cat Mysteries No. 22"A Christmas to Purr About" Klepto Cat Mysteries No. 22

FURever Bound cover illustration and design.

Cats Don't Squeal cover illustration and design

illustrated book cover for cozy cat mystery

cover illustration for klepto cat book cats of a feather

book cover illustration and design klepto cat mystery

cozy cat mystery book cover patricia fry

Klepto Cat Book Covers

CWA 2018 and 2022 Muse Medallion AND Certificate of Excellence for “Illustration: Series”

Patricia publishes nearly a dozen books each year and I’ve entered the covers since 2015. I’ve won a Certificate of Excellence each year for either or both the Klepto Cat Mysteries and the Calico Cat Mysteries, and often won a MUSE™ Medallion too.

2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022

Click the links above to see the other awards.

Bookmarks for Patricia L. Fry's books. — Bookmarks for Patricia L. Fry’s books.

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.

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.

Custom Commissioned Artwork and Illustrations from Portraits of Animals

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.

Copyright

All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.