Featured Daily Sketch: Two Yellow Cats, 2012

July 10, 2025 Bernadette

marker sketch of two cats — Two Yellow Cats, brush marker, 5″ x 7″, 2012 © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

“Even if it’s too hot to cuddle, I still love my sister.”

That’s Jelly Bean and Mewsette enjoying a quiet moment looking out the basement door. Actually, Jelly Bean was trying to get Mewsette to give him a little bath on the head, knowing that if he leaned in at just the right angle and just the right moment, Mewsette will turn and lick him without even thinking about it. It didn’t work, but it was okay.

Why yellow? Why not? As I said all the years I sketched these housepanthers that very black silhouette freed me from representational color and I could make them any color I felt was appropriate in the moment. In this case, the yellow described both the sun coming in the basement door, and the heat of the day.

. . . . . . .

This daily sketch quickly went on to become a product—a greeting card! As an artist I turn to my surroundings for creative output, and you may recognize many of the photos and art I’ve posted here on the products I later offer for sale. My cats have no choice but to be models, especially “if they like to eat” as I always tell them when they roll their eyes. And I’m not sure if they like being yellow with a black outline but I haven’t yet heard a complaint.

As soon as I had sketched the two cats I knew they were going to be…something. The view from behind, the leaning in, the abstraction, it all came together into something that could be universally appreciated for many purposes. Most of my sketches in this style do not have any background objects or indications at all, and this sketch did not initially have the line underneath, but I felt I should place it there to complete a “scene”, in it went, and I saw a greeting card right away, as a “thank you” or for friendship or just a hello.

greeting card with two yellow cats — “Two Yellow Cats” everyday card.

I didn’t finish it up until I was preparing my new Valentine card designs in late 2012 and decided to introduce it then. With red or white envelope—or yellow when I have them in stock—this card has also become part of my set of sympathy cards for a less formal, gently whimsical message.

But I decided it needed a bit of red for Valentine’s Day, and drew a bunch of little hearts in a similar line style to the rest of the illustration, chose one, and filled it with red marker. I scanned it and dropped it into the design.

valentine cards — “Two Yellow Cats”, Valentine card based on a daily sketch!

Unlike most others these cards have a message inside. The message inside is “…purrrr….purrrrr…purrrrr…” in my own handwriting in an attempt to simulate the kitty purring on my lap at the time, a message that can be given to a friend or to someone who is a little more than a friend!

text inside card — Text inside “Two Yellow Cats”, both design versions.

Both design options are available all year round so you can send your chosen greeting any time of the year. These cards are 5″ x 7″ and are printed on 12 pt. matte cover, uncoated inside. Orders of a half dozen or more are packed in a greeting card box or clear bag. Each card comes with choice of red, white or yellow—just for fun— acid-free envelopes which are inkjet/laser compatible. I sell them individually and as a set of six on Portraits of Animals.

“Two Yellow Cats” also finished out my set of six different Valentine greeting cards. As always, inspired by and based on images of my household of felines!

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.

Read about the reason for the daily sketches in Three Years of Daily Sketches.

A collection of 34 images of feline artwork

**The award-winning* Feline Style Sampler**

Now in its third printing, and its fifth anniversary!

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

Gifts Featuring Cats You Know!

Fine Art • Photography • Gifts • Greeting Cards • Books • Commissioned Portraits & Artwork

Feline Greeting Cards on Portraits of Animals

You can find the greeting cards on Portraits of Animals, singly, in half and full dozens, or any quantity you’d like. You can mix both designs and envelope colors by adding a note to your order.

This sketch is still available, if you’re interested, please contact me. I have too many daily sketches to list them all on my website but many of them are still available. Visit “Daily Sketches” on Portraits of Animals to find other daily sketches that I have listed.

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.