Featured Daily Sketch: Peaceful Nap, 2014

April 23, 2026 Bernadette

pastel sketch of small black cat on pastel background — “Peaceful Nap”, pastel, 5″ x 7″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

From 2014: I’ve had this idea in mind for some time, but this drawing was encouraged by the art exhibits I saw on April 4, 2014 at several galleries I visited. What I had in mind was just a faintly colored backdrop with a fair amount of neutral, and a small black cat in the lower right corner doing something catlike. In my visualization, the cat was bathing. Here, she is curled to sleep but alert.

It is actually Mimi on my lap, and I’ve had the idea for these miniature sketches but I’ve also wanted to add the background of some sort.

And so, I did. I enjoyed creating those abstract backgrounds and planning the definite shape of a cat–as with “The Daily Chase” a few weeks ago, and there are a few more to come.

And below, from 2018…

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Handmade Gifts With This Design

It’s funny—I display these two together at vendor shows, and this past weekend I’d intended to photograph them together to do a post about them. So, here we are!

I liked the colors and silhouette for this sketch so much I decided to use it for two handmade products: Feline Photo Frames and Repurposed Jar Votives. I only made one of each so they are completely one of a kind.

Inspiring a New Product: My Upcycled Glass Jar Votives

My very first upcycled jar votives in August 2017.

This design and two others were the ones that originally inspired my votive jars, or jar lamps, and those were the first ones I made back in 2017 handpainted with alcohol inks.

For reference, visit The Daily Chase from a few weeks ago.

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

Originals and Prints inspired by rescued cats from Portraits of Animals!

pastel sketch of samall black cat on pastel background — “Peaceful Nap”, pastel, 5″ x 7″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

This sketch is still available, and also look for it on a note card soon.

If you’re interested, please let me know.

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.