Featured Daily Sketch: Smokie in the Basket, 2014

October 16, 2025 Bernadette

brush pen sketch of kitten in basket — “Smokie in the Basket”, ink brush pen, 7.5″ x 4″, 12/16/2014 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Smokie is cute no matter what he does, and especially when his furs and feathers are draped over the edges of a basket. Kind of the epilogue of today’s basket adventure with Mr. Sunshine.

From 2025: Smokie is, of course, Basil. He’s five months old and he really grew in those four months from the little wisp he was when he came here at 14 weeks! And that posture—the slouch, the paw draped over the side and the tail that won’t fit in the basket were lifelong features of a relaxed Basil in a basket.

This is actually from December instead of October, but aside from the kitteny daily sketches I’ve featured I don’t have any others of Basil. I had created daily sketches at least five days per week for all of 2012, 2013 and 2014. At that point Hamlet and Ophelia had joined us and then a long list of TNR projects and feral fosters which took quite a bit of time but very much worth the effort for the next five years. I also had self-employed work and family things to take care of. I had created nearly 1,000 sketches and through 2015 and 2016 I did occasional daily sketches, when time permitted me to follow the inspiration, but I also created more paintings, inspired with new confidence and skills and experience in far more media by those three years of of daily sketches. One of my new activities that grew out of this time of daily sketches was my annual art exhibit at Rock the Quarry, featuring my artwork of the Panhandle Trail and the surrounding woods, which I continue to today, much of it en plein air after all the practice of those daily sketches of my cats from life.

We’ll see what I do next, but I’m so glad that Basil, and Bella, overlapped with that exciting time of the daily sketches so I could catch them in action.

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

Feline Artwork on Portraits of Animals

This sketch is still available, framed, for $75.00. I have too many to list all of them so I just mention them here when I can. Please get in touch if you’re interested! Email bernadette @ bernadette-k (dot) com.

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.