Featured Daily Sketch: Lazy Saturday Afternoon, June 12, 2012

June 15, 2026 Bernadette

watercolor of three cats — “Lazy Saturday Afternoon”, watercolor, 9″ x 12″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

From 2012: It’s Giuseppe in the front in teal, Mewsette draped off the edge in green, and Jelly Bean in purple. Rather than use the colors I associate with each of them, these colors came about because of the reflections on each of them from the window light, the mirror behind them and the walls. I hadn’t intended to do them in different colors though! This time I actually wanted them to be purple, maybe, with tints of other colors, but here we are again, following a new idea.

No watercolor pencils this time, no pencil lines, no outlines at all, just the colors and a brush and three cats having a really good afternoon nap on top of the wardrobe—so good they stayed still long enough for me to paint the basics before they moved. This is a first for me (not them, they nap all the time)—I have never been able to watercolor without an underlying pencil sketch. I’ve never put the brush to paper and felt I had enough control to just paint in watercolors. I have to credit all the daily experience of my daily sketches with giving me this confidence and control. My goal was this loose quality, though, just enough to indicate their shapes and positions, no more.

I have also set up an all-in-one scanner/printer etc. in my studio with much better scan and print quality than the cheap thing I have downstairs. A friend “donated” it to me when they went wireless, and all the better for me! Aside from a little shadowing and distortion from the slightly rippled watercolor paper it’s spot-on for color. The scanner bed is a little small, but I’ll be happy to quit complaining about how bad my scanner is and apologizing for inaccurate color!

I spent more time than I’d planned in playing around with the new printer and haven’t downloaded today’s photos…I’ll have to make up for it tomorrow. That and Giuseppe rolling around all over my work table, and of course I couldn’t move him, so not as much got done as I’d have liked. But I got a nice painting.

From 2026: Wow, I’d be thrilled to do this today! Fourteen years later I am still surprised that I was able to do this so soon—six months—into my daily sketches. Before this I still felt awkward with watercolor, unprepared, and even though I’d worked loose I always needed an outline.

And to remember this moment with the three of them, which I do to a certain extent looking at the painting, because I remember looking up at them and studying them, at that time just an everyday moment for them while it was momentous for me, is so precious for me now. I will always be grateful for their inspiration.

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Lazy Saturday Afternoon, matted and framed watercolor © B.E. Kazmarski

Where to find this artwork

The original has been sold, seen at right in its frame, but I can frame a print with the same mats and a whitewashed or white frame, of another frame.

I also offer this print in other styles—archival-quality digital, canvas and gicleé prints of “Lazy Saturday Afternoon” are available.

And of course I have gift items with this image, like place mats and keepsakes, and who knows what else I’ll create. Handmade goods are one of a kind and availability changes all the time. You can find all that is available by searching for “Lazy Saturday Afternoon” on Portraits of Animals.

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

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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.