Featured Daily Sketch: Beans, 2013

June 16, 2026 Bernadette

pastel sketch of black cat — “Beans”, pastel on pastello paper, 10″ x 6″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

From 2013: I actually did this sketch yesterday late afternoon, but at the end of the day of my outdoor extravaganza I simply ran out of time and energy too, so I left it for today.

It’s interesting to see what I would come up with after a day of art. Typically the daily sketch of one of my cats is the first piece of art-on-paper I do in a day, and often the only thing, but yesterday I looked at the weather and knew it was one of my Sunday art days, no matter what I “should” have been doing. I’d started out with my contrived trip to the grocery store knowing I’d pass several areas I’d want to sketch and photograph, so when I came back I’d been warmed up with landscapes and streetscapes, then saw Bean on the top shelf of the cat tree in the quiet corner of the kitchen where the shadows are very green from the trees outdoors and the light is blue reflected from the sky.

The original inspiration was Bean’s toes, oddly enough the clearest thing in the scene, matched with the subtleties of the light on his fur. I watched him settling for only a moment before getting the art bag I’d just put down and quickly roughing him in with the softer black pastel on the dark green paper and pulling the highlights with a few strokes of only three highlight colors. Then I blend with my fingers, one of the things I love best about drawing any animals in pastel but especially my cats, that as I use my fingers to blend the pastel into the paper and the colors into each other, the subject emerges, as if I’m petting them and they come to life.

And warmed up after a day of going about the business of art, photographing and painting and visualizing, this came about much more quickly and surely than it otherwise would have.

. . . . . . .

Though I actually did this sketch yesterday late afternoon, at the end of the day I also ran out of time to scan things last night, and energy to write about them too, so I left it for today. But there are no coincidences. I know the reason for the title and perhaps my even noticing Bean’s toes was the thought of another kitty and a conversation about the nickname “Bean” for her, and the name “Bean” turning up for several other cats at an auspicious time. We lost that little Bean today, another little black Bean, way too early. She was so beautiful, and made me think of Mimi. For my friends who are missing their Sabrina Bean tonight, this sketch is in her memory, whether I intended it or not.

From 2026: I still love this sketch, an example of keeping it loose but still keeping the image. I grew comfortable with working loosely in all my years of pastel up to that point, but it was the daily sketches, working smaller and constraining myself to 15 minutes max that I really purrfected the quick blocking in and loose details that held together. What I describe above in watching Bean settle in and picking up my bag again after I’d just walked in from a day of art, I remember that day and that art, including the sketch I did right out on the front porch a few minutes before. Bean was on the blue cat tree in the corner of the kitchen by the dining room window, where that cat tree has spent its whole life in this house, since 1992. Bean wasn’t one who shifted around frequently at first like the others. He settled in and that was that, so he was easy.

In 2023 I lost Mewsette on June 11 and Jelly Bean on July 26, and was having renovations done on my house so that everything was moved around more than once and so many familiar places were different or missing. In August I started sharing artwork of those two to bring back some of those familiar places and times. This was what I said at that time:

Remembering Mewsette and Jelly Bean with Artwork

I decided I would share some of my favorite artwork inspired by Mewsette and Jelly Bean as a way of sharing their memory. My Daily Sketches were sketches from life and catch not only the best of the moment, but that visceral memory of studying them as I worked. It’s a very deep and special bond. Below is what I posted with this Daily Sketch on that day, and I love to read and reference my thoughts from then.

Daily Sketches 2011 to 2015

I think I accomplished what I'd set out to do three years ago today, a challenge to me and entertainment and enjoyment for you: to create a quick sketch of my cats each day as a way to practice and experiment, and present the sketch on that day with no editing, no waiting, no excuses, just to do the sketch and share it.

Read more about the reason for the daily sketches in Daily Sketches: the Idea, Most Popular, Awards.

Click here to see other daily sketches.

For a gallery of the ones available for sale, visit Portraits of Animals in the “Daily Sketches” section.

"Feline Style Sampler" book of sketches and portraits.

A collection of 34 images of feline artwork

**The award-winning* Feline Style Sampler**

Now in its third printing since 2013! Daily sketches, illustrations, commissioned portraits all in a small coil-bound gift book. Click here or on the image to read more or find this book on Portraits of Animals. *Certificate of Excellence, Cat Writers' Association 2014 Communications Contest

Gifts featuring cats you know! Visit Portraits of Animals

Fine Art • Photography • Gifts • Greeting Cards • Books • Commissioned Portraits & Artwork

The original is sold, but you can find prints and notecards available on Portraits of Animals.

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.