Featured Daily Sketch: Blending, 2013

January 1, 2026 Bernadette

watercolor of cat looking out window — “Blending”, watercolor, 6″ x 9″, 12/27/2013 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

From 2013: Jelly Bean watches out the upstairs window, streaming with winter morning sun. The white light glares and introduces all sorts of colors where they don’t normally appear, blending in Jelly Bean’s black fur, on the pine tabletop, in the lace curtain.

I’m really happy with how the lace curtain turned out in this—it’s so easy to overdo it. And those loose brush strokes…I can’t wait to get back to artwork every day!

Today: And hey, who said black cats had to be black? Here, Jelly Bean is literally blending into the light. I so wanted to capture that sense of glare in the warm morning sun when the tips of their ears soften and fade, their silhouette loses some edges and shadows have so much color. I also wanted to capture the nature of that old lace curtain, its translucence deepening into shadows in the folds, somehow capture the pattern of the lace without painting each little tendril in the pattern. I used the pattern of the paper, the pattern of the brush, layers, directional strokes, and when I stood back and looked at it I was quite pleased that it worked pretty much as I had hoped.

Where to find this artwork

watercolor of cat — “Blending”, watercolor.

The shape of this painting doesn’t accommodate many of the typical gift items I make, most of which are oriented horizontally or square, like keepsake boxes and tote bags and accessory bags. But I have some ideas.

I do have this artwork available in many different print forms—on paper and canvas and as a highest-quality giclee both smaller and larger than the original, and I also offer a framed print as I had framed the original, seen at left, and as a greeting and note card. I think it would make a nice “thoughtful” card for sympathy, support, or thinking of you. All of my cards aside from specific holidays are blank inside for you to add your message.

Click this link to find all the various prints of this artwork I have in stock in my gallery on Portraits of Animals, and simply search the title, “Blending” to find anything else I might have on hand at the moment.

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.

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*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

I sold the original but I have plenty of prints—and considering a gift item or two. Read more and purchase.

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.