Featured Daily Sketch: On the Rag Rug, 2012

August 4, 2025 Bernadette

marker sketch of cat on striped rug — On the Rag Rug, brush markers © B.E. Kazmarski

Yes, you might have to look twice to figure this out with the brilliant sun and deep shadow on Jelly Bean. I did when I looked down at him on the floor under my easel, and then between the colors and the contrasting highlights and shadows in his fur, plus his graceful position, all the lights came on for me.

I keep a cheap old rag rug there to catch the pastel dust and spills while I’m working. It tends to get a little bunched up but that’s no problem for a kitty. Here, the sun flashes out the color on a portion of it, the same spill of sun that highlight’s Bean’s mahogany and the cooler blue-white highlight on the top of his head.

I know this sketch is difficult to visually understand, but it love it for its color and near abstraction.

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

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Feline Artwork, Originals and Prints

black cat on colorful afghan — “Mewsette on the Afghan”, marker, cropped.

I’ll admit, this took a little longer than the usual 15 minutes maximum. I’ve been holding off the sketches with this afghan just because I knew they’d be time-consuming for part of the charm is the detail of all the colors. Today I could not pass up pretty Mewsette quietly napping on the afghan, especially when she opened her big yellow eyes. I drew the basic sketch in black, then later filled in the colors with every marker I have in the house. 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.