For Jelly Bean, the Unexpected Inspiration

For all his silly cuteness, Jelly Bean was also quite the serious meowdel for both photos and artwork. I was immediately hooked on the black cats in the green and white bathroom when I had it remodeled after water damage in January 2009, and the totally lucky candid photo of him admiring himself in the mirror (above) got me started on photo-based greeting cards and selling prints of my cat photos.

Everyone hung out on the green sink, and they all drank out of the faucet, but JB spent the most time there because the sun shone in, especially in winter, for a couple of hours in the afternoon. But it was one particular pose from Bean that was the inspiration for the whole “Compositions in Black and Green” theme and the two calendars I published.

This whole composition brought to mind photos of quiet moments, light and shadow, contemplation that I’d admired for years, and here Jelly Bean is the purrfect subject for a photo in that realm. And another photo of him in the sink that I’ve always admired for its abstraction, reflected light and colors.

And then this candid photo I’d used when I posted about him, curiously reaching for my paintbrushes soaking in water on the windowsill, looking eagerly creative. I always called it “A Sudden Inspiration,” something that happens to me too, and I know he had an idea about something he could do with those brushes.

And several of my favorite paintings, ones that I feel I achieved a technique or a higher ability in pastel and watercolor and oil pastel that I’d not achieved before:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because of the renovations here I haven’t had the time to sit down and focus on the series of posts I’ll write. I messaged so much with a few veterinarians and other people that pulling the information together is a little beyond me until I can do that. I am finally ready to write about Bean and I will give Jelly Bean his time as I did Mewsette, so for now I’ll just share what an inspiration he was every day, and that’s just the visual, that’s not his sweetness and purrsonality, what an incredible foster brother he was to both kittens and adult cats, how he loved all people, and the special bond he and I had.

I look forward to sharing all of that with you as well as the same process of grieving I shared after we lost Mewsette. Each grief experience is different, even with one person and two cats who were siblings and very much alike. I’ll collect them all in the category “Remembering Jelly Bean” and I’m using the image at the top of this post in the sidebar for an easy click to find all the articles.

And I’m hoping that this week, with the tail end of the renovations as they finish the bathroom, I’ll be able to return to regularly posting. I think the renovations and the time away, overall, were good for us, especially me. We certainly weren’t left to stew in our grief in an unchanged and unchanging circumstance so that the loss is constantly present and fresh, but then we did lose so many little places that held memories of last moments and many other moments through the years. But I am ready for my long days of deep focus and creative work!

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Jelly Bean inspired a lot of original ideas, photos and art. I will always be grateful for his gentle and good-natured guidance. Read more and purchase.

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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.

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Weekly schedule of features:

Sunday: Essays, Pet Loss, Poetry, The Artist’s Life

Monday: Adoptable Cats, TNR & Shelters

Tuesday: Rescue Stories

Wednesday: Commissioned Portrait or Featured Artwork

Thursday: New Merchandise

Friday: Book Review, Health and Welfare, Advocacy

Saturday: Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Living Green With Pets, Creating With Cats

And sometimes, I just throw my hands in the air and have fun!

 

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