Friday, March 29, 2024
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“The Sunny Upstairs Window”, a Favorite

framed pastel painting of two cats at window
“The Sunny Upstairs Window”, pastel © B.E. Kazmarski

This little painting has always been one of my favorites, from the moment I finished it. Then I framed it with a molding and matboard I just happened to have on hand, and it was purr-fect. I’ve sold digital and gicleé prints of it, and carried the little framed original with me to just about every event I’ve been to for the past two years, but it always came back with me, and hung in a spot right next to that window in the sketch.

This special little piece finally sold at the FosterCat dinner weekend before last. Of course, anyone who comes to that event is going to love cats, and I’ve found many cat art lovers there as well. I am so happy the woman who chose to purchase it, purchased something smaller and then decided she had to have that too, told me a little about her lifetime of cats, how she loved cat art and only bought originals. It would hang in her kitchen where she could see it all the time, and it would match perfectly. As I always say, finding a loving home for one of my paintings is as important as finding a loving home for one of my foster cats. And the sale helped to support FosterCat as well!

Below is the full sketch and a little more about it, and below that is the framed version of the original. I’ll still be offering framed prints of this one, just like the original.

pastel sketch of two cats by window
“The Sunny Upstairs Window”, 6″ x 8″, pastel © B.E. Kazmarski

If you’ve been following my sketches for any length of time, you’ve probably seen gradual changes that begin with a particular sketch—adding new media, using a new color palette, finding a new style, even using a new and different paper. In my everyday life as an artist I took the time to experiment far lest often, in part because I did less art, and because my visualization and aesthetic senses moved more slowly. With this daily practice everything happens faster, and with more daring I’ll add.

Up to this point I’d done most of my sketches away from my studio, with my toy bag full of older, lower-quality and well-used pencils, pastels, charcoal, pens and even sketch pads. The sketches were just for practice after all, and I didn’t want to use “good” materials on what was basically a quick and temporary item.

But leading up to this with oil pastels and ink and watercolor, this particular morning I picked up my imported pastel paper and my really good pastels and quickly came up with this sketch, and it was truly inspired and enhanced by using the better materials. The two girls have such dimension and interest all over their tiny figures, the light streams in and changes tone and color just as natural light tends to do, and even the shadows have dimension. Let that be a lesson to me.

Mimi and Mewsette enjoy the morning sunshine in front of the sunniest window in the house.

Friday morning was the first of several completely sunny mornings after a row of somewhat dark and rainy ones. All the cats were gravitating to the back of the house, facing east, as the sun streamed in the back door into the kitchen, and in the windows at the top of the stairs and in the bathroom.

I also recently took all the geraniums outside, so this top level of the wardrobe is now accessible, and a perfect spot to enjoy a sunny morning.

In my studio for part of the morning, I used the very Italianate Fabriano Tiziano Pastello drawing paper and a small set of my Sennelier pastels. Typically, what I have easily available downstairs in my toybox of art materials is not this quality of stuff, but in my studio I can play around with other things.

. . . . . . .

framed pastel painting of two cats at window
“The Sunny Upstairs Window”, pastel © B.E. Kazmarski

Purchase a framed or unframed print

Digital, gicleé and canvas prints of this sketch, framed and unframed, is available for sale in my Etsy shop along with a variety of digital, giclee and canvas prints.

I found a solid wood frame with a soft blue finish that pulls exactly from one of the shades of blue in the sketch, and used my favorite shade of purple mat board as an accent. These two soft, dark colors frame the tiny sketch and let it glow from the frame.

I may have to frame up a print of it for myself.

Ordering prints and custom art, and buying originals

First, check my Etsy shop in the category “Cat Art and Prints” to see if one you like is already available. If it’s not there:

  1. Find the print by searching daily sketches.
  2. Go to the post where it appears and leave a comment letting me know you are interested and I will respond privately, or
  3. You can email me the link to the post, or
  4. You can send me an email, just remember the name of the artwork and even the date because titles, styles and media can be similar and we can be discussing two entirely different prints and not know it.

Sending a link to the sketch is best in an email.

I can also offer sketches on custom products or in custom sizes such as a set of note cards or, within reason, a print that is a different size from the original. You can also order just about any other artwork you see here including prints of my portraits and other paintings, and also any of my photographs. Visit “Ordering Custom Artwork’ for details of products and prices and how to order.

And don’t forget, your custom order helps me choose what’s popular and what I can offer in any of my selling profiles from here on The Creative Cat and my Etsy shop. Despite all the complications of having prints made it’s worth it for the outcome, and just as when I’m a vendor in a show or festival I enjoy being able to talk to my customers.


black cat with artwork
Mr. Sunshine appraises my painting.

Marketplace

Take a look at other new merchandise and featured artwork.

Once a week on Thursday I feature something new in my “shop”, whether that’s here on The Creative Cat, in my Etsy shop, on my main website or even at one of the bricks and mortar shops that carry my work.

Read about creating custom items

Find out more about creating custom items for your own home using the images you see here. Visit the “Ordering Custom Art” page to see samples and read bout how to order.

 Find out about events and festivals where you can find me and my work.

Sign up for my e-newsletter (below), check the widget on the sidebar on my home page, or sign up to receive posts on Portraits of Animals Marketplace. I plan on plenty of events this coming summer in the Pittsburgh area.

It’s all done under the close and careful supervision of my studio cats!




Or click here to open a sign up form in a new window (which seems to work better).


All images used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission. Please ask if you are interested in using one in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of this image or a product including this image, check my Etsy shop 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.


© 2014 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

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: Bok 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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Bernadette

From health and welfare to rescue and adoption stories, advocacy and art, factual articles and fictional stories, "The Creative Cat" offers both visual and verbal education and entertainment about cats for people who love cats, pets and animals of all species.

One thought on ““The Sunny Upstairs Window”, a Favorite

  • guys…tell mom B thiz iz a grate piece…all most like 3 dee and we dinna even knead glasses !!! 🙂

    heerz two a mooneye & mackerull kinda week oh end ♥

    Reply

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