“Compositions in Black and Green” 2013 Desk or Wall Calendar Features Black Cats

Desk and journal calendars for 2013, “In the Kitchen with Cookie” and “Compositions in Green and Black”

Love black cats? Need a little more tortie in your life? I still have calendars available for 2013, one featuring Cookie and one featuring the Fantastic Five. I designed them using photos you’ve seen here in a compact size that won’t take up too much space on your wall or your desk. Read here about “Compositions in Black and Green” and click here to read about “In the Kitchen With Cookie” calendar with select recipes.

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Compositions in Black and Green 2013 Calendar

Compositions in Black and Green, journal and wall style.

Well, this is a natural for me, isn’t it?! I’ve been planning a calendar celebrating the beauty of black cats especially since Mimi and the Fantastic Four joined my life, only hesitating because I have SO MANY images and ideas that I can’t settle on one. But I find it imperative to create something that will also benefit the adoption of black cats because they are often left behind in the shelter. These five wonderful black cats will show the world that everyone needs to have at least one black kitty in their life, and, at least in my house, the more the merrier! I chose this theme for one of these small calendars because it’s a collection including silly, cute and artful photos in equal measure, just the thing to show others what black cats can bring to your life.

Compositions in Black and Green, journal and wall style, two spreads.

The calendar is a 5.5″ x 8.5″ spiral-bound calendar printed on 100# matte-finish text paper so it’s easy to write on but the art still looks bright and crisp.

Each month includes one main photo which was likely taken during that particular month so the lighting is right. On the right a monthly calendar includes basic holidays, moon phases and room for notes at the bottom, and thumbnail photos of the Five from other activities in green and white decorate open areas on the calendar page.

Below is a list of images that appear in this calendar:

COVER: Composition in Black and Green (Jelly Bean)

TITLE PAGE: Manipulative (Jelly Bean)

JANUARY: God, I’m Cute (Jelly Bean), No One Will Notice Me (Mewsette), This Sink Matches My Eyes (Mewsette)

FEBRUARY: Family Portrait Before the Tub (Mewsette, Jelly Bean, Mr. Sunshine), Everybody in the Pool! (all Five), I Hear Voices in the Drain… (Jelly Bean)

MARCH: May I See Some ID? (Mr. Sunshine, Jelly Bean, Giuseppe), Door Cat in Training (a baby Mr. Sunshine), Mr. Sunshine, Twice as Cute (Mr. Sunshine), This Sink Doesn’t Match My Eyes (Mr. Sunshine)

APRIL: Droplets Flying (Giuseppe, Mr. Sunshine, Jelly Bean), Have a Drink With Friends (Giuseppe, Jelly Bean, Mr. Sunshine, Mewsette), Having a Drink at the Sink (Mr. Sunshine)

MAY: Good to the Last Drop ((Jelly Bean), Well Disguised (Mewsette), Composition in Black and Green 2 (Giuseppe)

JUNE: I See You (Giuseppe, Mr. Sunshine), Through the Looking Glass, and What Mimi Found There (Mimi), Only the Shadows Know (Giuseppe, Jelly Bean), Mewsette Mixed Whiskers (Mewsette)

JULY: Green Leaves, Green Eyes (Mimi), Mimi This Morning (Mimi), Living With Your Grown Up Children on Mother’s Day (Mewsette, Mimi)

AUGUST: Three (Mr. Sunshine, Mewsette, Mimi), What’s This? (Fantastic Four)

SEPTEMBER: I See London, I See France, I See Someone’s Underpants (Jelly Bean, mostly), Can We Get Some Service in Here? (Giuseppe, Jelly Bean), You Wanted to Use the Sink? (Giuseppe)

OCTOBER: Pretty Pleeeeeze? (Mr. Sunshine, Jelly Bean), As If One Bean Isn’t Cute Enough (Jelly Bean), I’ll Hold Her Tail, You Get Away? (Jelly Bean, Mewsette, Giuseppe)

NOVEMBER: Toe Cleaning in Green and Black (Jelly Bean), Remembering (Giuseppe, Mr. Sunshine), Sculptural (Jelly Bean)

DECEMBER: Lost in the Shadows (Mimi), We’re Keeping Out of This! (Giuseppe, Jelly Bean, Mewsette, Giuseppe)

Compositions in Green and Black back cover.

BACK COVER: Giuseppe’s Morning

The convenient size is either coil-bound across the top so that it hangs like a wall calendar, or down the left so that it opens like a journal. I have both variations available for sale, so be sure to choose Wall Calendar or Journal Style when you purchase.

As a complement to the calendar, I am also designing from the images in this calendar a number of products such as placemats, decorative trays and wood-mounted artwork, and any image can be ordered as a print. You’ll see them throughout 2013. Sign up for my e-newsletter on The Creative Cat to be sure you don’t miss any special offers.

Visit my Calendars page on The Creative Cat to “flip through the pages” in a convenient slideshow and purchase directly from me, from my Etsy shop or from Amazon.com. And even though the giveaways are over, read reviews of this calendar on The Conscious Cat and Cat Wisdom 101.

 

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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 or Fine Art America profile 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.

Valentine Preview!

Linoleum block-printed Valentine cards inspired by Valentine Candy hearts!

I usually print these little linocuts in earth tones or “tabby colors”, but I’ve been itching to use brights and pastels and all sorts of combinations with them. I decided they made cute valentines and that’s a great reason to create hand-printed cards in magenta on pink, violet, magenta and red card stock, embellished with magenta or purple stamp ink, just saturated with color for Valentine’s Day!

This set of 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ note cards features two designs combining my hand-cut block prints with commercial rubber stamps on smooth uncoated 70 lb. cover stock.

I offer them as singles, in sets by color and design, and in sets of four and eight that include all four colors.

Magenta on pink set.

PINK, VIOLET AND MAGENTA CARDS
A single kitty entitled “Sunshine and Flowers” printed in magenta says “MEOW!” stamped in magenta with a commercial rubber stamp. Inside “You’re PURRRFECT” is stamped in magenta with a commercial rubber stamp.

Two kitties cuddling for a bath say “You’re PURRRFECT” stamped in magenta with a commercial rubber stamp. Inside “MEOW!” is stamped in magenta with a commercial rubber stamp.

Magenta on red with purple stamp ink.

RED CARDS
A single kitty entitled “Sunshine and Flowers” printed in magenta says “MEOW!” stamped in purple with a commercial rubber stamp. Inside “You’re PURRRFECT” is stamped in purple with a commercial rubber stamp.

Two kitties cuddling for a bath say “You’re PURRRFECT” stamped in purple with a commercial rubber stamp. Inside “MEOW!” is stamped in purple with a commercial rubber stamp.

Violet cards printed in magenta.

On the back of all the cards I’ve stamped in purple ink the name of the series of block prints, my logo and my name and contact information.

Each set comes with Soft Pink 70 lb. text weight acid-free envelopes which are inkjet/laser compatible. The set of six, including three each of the two designs, are packed in a clear-top vinyl greeting card box.

Because these are handmade, I have a limited quantity of each card!

Meet my quality control team: Mewsette, Giuseppe and Jelly Bean inspect each card.

About the art: Tabbies Linoleum Block Prints

The stripes made me do it! No, we have not always been a household of solid-color cats. The clarity of tabby cat stripes as they outline a cat’s features and define its shape has always been an inspiration for more graphic designs beginning with Fawn, Stanley and Allegro.

These cards were block printed, a technique wherein the artist carves the surface of a piece of linoleum, leaving raised areas which will become the image. Ink is rolled onto these raised areas, then a piece of paper is pressed against the block and when it’s lifted away the ink remains, leaving the image on the paper.

These two designs are from a set of four, and have always had a sweet and cuddly feel to me. I’d always printed these in natural earth tones but have been planning to print them in bright colors on brightly-colored paper as well.

Please explore my greeting card collections in my shop on Etsy to see all the designs and others too.

“These cats are all covered with funny markings,” say the three perfect black cats. They are very serious about their job.

I photographed the process as I printed these—of course, with feline supervision—and I’ll be posting my article soon to explain how block prints are made.

Find singles, in sets by color and design, and in sets of four and eight that include all four colors in this display in my Etsy shop or click the convenient links below:

Full set of 8 notecards, one each of each color and each design.

Set of 4 notecards, one each of four colors, choose from “Meow!” or “Purrrfect!”

Set of 6 notecards, all in one color, two each of each design, choose your color.

Single cards, choose your color and design.

My newest design, offered as both a Valentine and as an everyday greeting card. Click the image to find out more.

Other Valentine merchandise

I also offer 5″ x 7″ Valentine  greeting cards—browse the rest of my Valentine cards when you visit, and I’ll also have special Valentine merchandise and sales on “things that are red”!

At left is my newest design using one of my daily sketches from July 2012. I added the heart to make it a Valentine or a “love” card, but I also offer it without the heart so it can be used as an everyday greeting card for friendship, sympathy or just a bright and cheery “hello”! Read more about the design.

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Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

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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 or Fine Art America profile 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. Visit The Creative Cat for daily photos and sketches, news and articles of feline health and welfare, stories, poetry and more.

More Wood-mounted Artwork, Photos and Prints

Giuseppe takes a shift guarding the new stuff as it dries.

I’m working my way through the ideas everyone suggested and the ones I’d collected for these wood-mounted prints. The last group were mostly art and daily sketches, and this next group is mostly favorite photographs.

A Tangle of Torties 6″ x 8″ wood-mounted print

These wood blocks are also new, made in Canada with non-imported woods and non-toxic adhesives which I much prefer to the others that were made in China. They also come in a much larger variety of sizes and also the depth of the cradling on the back, either a little under 1″ or a generous and attractive 1.5″ (can you tell I like that style?) so they accommodate a greater number of images.

Out of necessity, I need to create these in groups of roughly as many as I can fit on my table. Below, I have them all laid out with their coat of paint drying, each with its own paint jar or tape roll beneath so they dry evenly without touching anything. It may look like wood blocks to you, but to Bean it looks like a table covered with kitty-sized pedestals and he really really really wants to get up there and sit on one!

He tried, and when it fell over he fled. No one was hurt, but I thought I’d let him learn his own lesson—I certainly wasn’t convincing him!

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What does this look like to you?

But what do they look like to Jelly Bean? A bunch of kitty-sized pedestals!

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That brush contains glue! But Mimi is mightily unhappy she is not permitted on the table when I’m working.

First they are sanded then painted. When that dries I adhere the art, let it dry and trim to the exact edges of the block. Then a coat of clear matte finish and it sits for a day to make sure it’s dried completely.

This means that a prime feline hangout is off limits while I’m making these…just imagine the mix of paints and glues and finishes…and black cat hair. But you can be sure they manage to tiptoe among them. All has worked out well so far.

Here is a gallery of the new images–click on one to go to Etsy and read more about it.

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Tortie Girls wood-mounted hand-colored 9″ x 12″print set.

 

The Roundest Eyes wood-mounted hand-colored 9″ x 12″print.

 

The Roundest Eyes wood-mounted hand-colored 9″ x 12″print

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A Tangle of Torties 6″ x 8″ wood-mounted print.

 

Kelly in the Cat Library 8″ x 10″ wood-mounted print.

 

“Being Used As a Fort” cartoon 6″ x 8″ wood-mounted print.

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Five at the Door “8″ x 10″ wood-mounted print

Five Black Cats in a Line black and white “8″ x 10″ wood-mounted print.

 

Five Black Cats in a Line color “8″ x 10″ wood-mounted print

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A stern Mimi tells me to get to work.

Mimi has been a pretty stern taskmaster, sitting in my studio and indicating that I should stop fooling around and photographing her children or whatever other frivolous activity I’ve indulged in until I come in and get to work.

Once again, Mimi upstages my art and I have to change plans.

But there are times when she thinks she should have all the attention, as when she upstages my photography as she’s done before. Mimi is famous for her photobombs, but I also know she enjoys my company when I’m working.

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Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy this Holiday Season.

Inspired by felines you know! Visit Portraits of Animals on Etsy!

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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 or Fine Art America profile 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.

Kelly’s Morning Bath Block Print, Framed or Mounted

Canvas-mounted pint of “Kelly’s Morning Bath II”

The Kelly’s Morning Bath duo was the first feline pictorial block print I designed, even before The Tortie Girls duo of block prints. I was literally inspired by Kelly’s daily morning bath in front of the big casement window, sketched it up and cut the block—twice, because I wasn’t sure I liked the first version. As it turns out I like both equally well, and since I’ve been printing them on gift bags and tote bags and other things, I’ve come to use version 1 as a framed and matted print because it has just the essential image, and version 2 as an imprint because it has the decorative border. Please read more about the genesis of the print in this post.

I’ve been enjoying wood-mounting artwork since I found a ready source for the wood blocks to be used, and after the first group was done I began looking at other art and images the block prints are idea as I’d mounted prints of The Tortie Girls on wooden trays and blocks, but the shape and size of Kelly’s Morning Bath isn’t readily available in wood blocks. However, I knew there was another resource and found it in stretched canvases in the perfect size as if they were made for this! They are actually deep enough to be able to stand up on a tabletop, as shown.

Kelly’s Morning Bath 1, linoleum block print, 4″ x 11″ © B.E. Kazmarski

Printing these two designs on unique papers was part of the design plan, and when I began finding handmade rice papers with leaves and flowers embedded I knew I’d found the best choices. This package of handmade, fair trade, eco-sensitive paper (could it be any better?) provided a dozen varieties of prints with a white and a cream background, and shades of green, rose and rust for spring, summer and fall.

Mimi was unhappy at all the attention the block was getting.

Block printing is a technique wherein the artist carves the surface of a piece of linoleum, leaving raised areas which will become the image. Ink is rolled onto these raised areas, then a piece of paper is pressed against the block and when it’s lifted away the ink remains, leaving the image on the paper. Because of this process, each print is slightly different and therefore unique. Kelly was indeed on my work table to supervise the printing of this block print inspired by her daily morning bath in front of our favorite window.

I am currently framing these as well as mounting them on the stretched canvases beginning with these two color variations.

And I was all set up to photograph all these pieces atop the wardrobe at the top of the stairs for the excellent light but as you can see Mimi put an end to that, a little piqued that she was not getting the attention she felt she deserved at that moment.

 

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Kelly’s Morning Bath II Mounted on Canvas

“Kelly’s Morning Bath I” block print in green tones.

Detail of depth and mounting.

This is the more decorative of the two prints so I’ve used it for the canvas mounting. The canvas blocks are 4″ x 12″ on the face and a little over 1″ deep. I wrap the front and sides of the canvas with the same paper as the print and glue it to the surface, then I trim the print to fit the face of the canvas and glue that on top of the paper. Both the paper and the prints have a few extra wrinkles after the adhesive swells and dries but it gives it that wonderful papery look and feel. Finally, I cover the entire surface with a coat of matte-finish Modge Podge so that the surface can be dusted or wiped with a mild cleaner.

“Kelly’s Morning Bath II” mounted on canvas, pink tones.

I don’t add a hanger to these because the back of the canvas is deep enough to safely hold onto whatever hanger you use on your wall. I do add bumper pads in the lower corners, though, to help the piece hang straight. You can find both of these in my Etsy shop.

 

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Kelly’s Morning Bath I Matted and Framed

“Kelly’s Morning Bath 1″ matted and framed, pink tones.

This is the plainer of the two prints and my original idea. In a freestanding presentation, with no border as it is with the mounted pieces, it has always looked unfinished to me, so I use various colors of black or color core mat and always a matte black frame to coordinate with the ink.

“Kelly’s Morning Bath I” framed block print, green tones.

The image size is 3″ x 10″, the frame size is 7″ x 14″. The mats are as shown, 1-1/2″, with a matte-finish black composite wood frame. You can find these two variations in my Etsy shop.

You can find these and more in my Etsy shop, as well as more views of each piece, as I work my way through all the variations on prints of these wonderful papers.

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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 or Fine Art America profile 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.

2013 Desk or Wall Calendars Featuring My Creative Cats

Desk and journal calendars for 2013, “In the Kitchen with Cookie” and “Compositions in Green and Black”

I finally have my calendars on their way after a bit of a delay—the paper I’d chosen simply wasn’t available as we began printing. The printer and I cast about for another similar stock with a matte-coated finish that would hold the image as clearly as a gloss coat but be much easier to write on, my preference for calendars and found two, choosing one from those and while the calendars are in production I have my proofs, shown above. The first bound copies are so exciting to look at!

In the Kitchen with Cookie

In the Kitchen With Cookie, journal and wall style.

If you’ve followed my daily photos on The Creative Cat you may be familiar with my photos of Cookie interacting with properly-warmed pasta bowls, enamel pots and glass salad bowls in the series called “In the Kitchen With Cookie”. I was lucky enough to catch her in the act through the years photographing a dozen amusing images of Cookie exploring alternate uses for these items.

A number of readers requested a calendar which sounds like a wonderful idea to me, especially as a tribute to a part of Cookie’s unforgettable curiosity that still makes me laugh. The calendar is a 5.5″ x 8″ spiral-bound calendar printed on 100# matte-finish text paper so it’s easy to write on but the art still looks bright and crisp.

Each page will include one main photo of Cookie caught in the act which was either taken during that particular month or is themed for that month plus the recipe that corresponds. Other photos of Cookie from the same and related explorations will decorate open areas on the calendar page.

A monthly calendar includes basic holidays, moon phases and a few other things and room for notes at the bottom.

In the Kitchen With Cookie, journal and wall style open to spreads.

A bit of the text from that day’s post on The Creative Cat and the will be in the back of the calendar with a thumbnail of the main image.

I decided on that size for the sake that it can be bound across the top so that it hangs like a wall calendar, or bound down the left so that it opens like a journal. I will have both variations available for sale, so be sure to choose Wall Calendar or Journal Style when you purchase. Wall Calendar is the default choice.

As a complement to the calendar, I am also designing from the images in this calendar a number of complementary products such as placemats, decorative trays and wood-mounted artwork, and any image can be ordered as a print. Sign up for my e-newsletter at the bottom of this page to be sure you don’t miss any special offers.

Below is a detail of the cover and a detail of one of the interior pages, plus ordering information.

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In the Kitchen With Cookie 2013 Calendar.

A sample page from the calendar.

Click here to browse some of the images included in this calendar.

You can purchase this calendar directly from this page using the button directly below and they will soon be added to my Etsy shop if there are also things you’d like to purchase there.

Wall Calendar, bound across the top and drilled for a hook or nail.

Journal Calendar, bound on the left side to open like a book.

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Compositions in Black and Green

Compositions in Black and Green, journal and wall style.

Well, this is a natural for me, isn’t it?! I’ve been planning a calendar celebrating the beauty of black cats especially since Mimi and the Fantastic Four joined my life, only hesitating because I have SO MANY images and ideas that I can’t settle on one. But I find it imperative to create something that will also benefit the adoption of black cats because they are often left behind in the shelter. These five wonderful black cats will show the world that everyone needs to have at least one black kitty in their life, and, at least in my house, the more the merrier! I chose this theme for one of these small calendars because it’s a collection including silly, cute and artful photos in equal measure, just the thing to show others what black cats can bring to your life.

The calendar is a 5.5″ x 8″ spiral-bound calendar printed on 100# matte-finish text paper so it’s easy to write on but the art still looks bright and crisp.

Compositions in Black and Green, journal and wall style, two spreads.

I decided on that size for the sake that it can be bound across the top so that it hangs like a wall calendar, or bound down the left so that it opens like a journal. I will have both variations available for sale, so be sure to choose Wall Calendar or Journal Style when you purchase. Wall Calendar is the default choice.

Compositions in Green and Black back cover.

As a complement to the calendar, I am also designing from the images in this calendar a number of complementary products such as placemats, decorative trays and wood-mounted artwork, and any image can be ordered as a print. Sign up for my e-newsletter at the bottom of this page to be sure you don’t miss any special offers.

Below is a detail of the cover and a detail of one of the interior pages, plus ordering information.

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Compositions in Black and Green

Sample calendar page.

Click here to browse some of the images included in this calendar.

You can purchase this calendar directly from this page using the button directly below or soon in my Etsy shop if there are also things you’d like to purchase there.

Wall Calendar, bound across the top and drilled for a hook or nail.

Journal Calendar, bound on the left side to open like a book.

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Great Rescues Day Book

Great Rescues Day Book

I also offer the Great Rescues Day Book, and it’s more than a calendar so it has its own page.

Please also see “Great Rescues Day Book” for another calendar product.

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Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

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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 or Fine Art America profile 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.

Victoriana Cats Greeting Cards and Keepsakes

Victoriana Cats in dreamy semi-sepia tones

Though these photos may look antique and sepia-toned, they are neither. My cats are perfect models and knew to pose in the bright yellow morning sun in front of my round antique mirror and the narrow casement window with the lace curtain. I applied a few Photoshop filters to the original photos to make them consistent in tone and style.

Use them for all-purpose greeting cards, sympathy, thinking of you, friendship, or find some shabby chic frames for 5″ x 7″ images and frame them for your walls. Find these in my Etsy shop in sets of four or a dozen.

I also have this design available on a small set of keepsake boxes.

Victoriana Cats Keepsake Box Set

“Victoriana Cats” Keepsake Box Set

Papier-mâché boxes hand-painted in black and crackle-finish gold and cream with prints of three photos decoupaged to the lid. Lid and bottom are finished with matte-finish Modge Podge. Boxes measure 6″x4″, 5″x3″ and 4″x2.5″ in diameter x 3″ high.

Use for storage for small items, photos or special keepsakes, or use as gift boxes.

Black was a natural color for “Victoriana Cats”, and I’ve been waiting to try a new crackle-finish glaze–this was the perfect subject. The base color is a pale antique gold, pulling mid-range highlights in the sepia-look photos, with a natural white top coat nicely crackled. I paint each box, then print my artwork on acid-free matte-finish paper with archival waterproof inks and adhere the print to the lid. I finish the bottom and lid of the box with matte-finish Modge Podge. Box insides are unfinished.

This set is available on Etsy, and scroll down to see the greeting card set.

Discounts in honor of Black Cat Friday

Support small home-based black cats and small home-based businesses, conserve air quality, save money, shop in your jammies and pet your kitties all at the same time. Friday, November 23 through Monday, November 26, The Creative Cat is offering 25% off all black cat-themed items already available and custom-made—and a few things I’m working on right now!

I find it imperative to create things that will benefit the adoption of black cats, so often left behind in the shelter by using the five wonderful black cats who live with me. They’ll show the world that everyone needs to have at least one black kitty in their life, and, at least in my house, the more the merrier! I strive to include silly, cute and artful photos and sketches in equal measure, just the thing to show others what black cats can bring to your life.

In preparation for Black Cat Friday (and Saturday and Sunday and Monday) browse my black cat-themed items on Etsy, and a few easy suggestions I have below for things you’ll find there and here on The Creative Cat.

Getting Ready for Black Cat Friday Specials!

All five waiting in line for their dinner.

Support small home-based black cats and small home-based businesses, conserve air quality, save money, shop in your jammies and pet your kitties all at the same time. Friday, November 23 through Monday, November 26, The Creative Cat is offering 25% off all black cat-themed items already available and custom-made—and a few things I’m working on right now!

A Dozen Shades of Gray, matted and framed © B.E. Kazmarski

I find it imperative to create things that will benefit the adoption of black cats, so often left behind in the shelter by using the five wonderful black cats who live with me. They’ll show the world that everyone needs to have at least one black kitty in their life, and, at least in my house, the more the merrier! I strive to include silly, cute and artful photos and sketches in equal measure, just the thing to show others what black cats can bring to your life.

In preparation for Black Cat Friday (and Saturday and Sunday and Monday) browse my black cat-themed items on Etsy, and a few easy suggestions I have below for things you’ll find there and here on The Creative Cat.

Or use your imagination to create a special gift—a piece of original art which I can custom frame like “A Dozen Shades of Gray”, at right, with a molding that matched the customer’s pressed tin ceiling which had been painted white. Or create a custom print, set of greeting cards, or other totally unique, handmade gift item from an image you find here. Visit the page “Ordering Custom Artwork” to get an idea of what you’d like, then start looking for images.

Browse for black cat images here on The Creative Cat in daily sketches, daily photos, or to see sketches or photos of the Fantastic Four all together search Fantastic Four and also Mimi, or search their individual names in the categories. I have created items from many of these images and review a few popular ones here.

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Compositions in Black and Green

Compositions in Black  and Green

Shop for sets of items beginning with “Compositions in Black and Green 2013 Calendar” and related items such as keepsake boxes, coasters, mounted images for wall or tabletop, and greeting cards for an all-around gift.

The calendar features 12 popular images of the Fantastic Four and their Mama Mimi in the mint green and white bathroom. Each calendar page also features other smaller images as well, so it’s a feast of black cats containing about four dozen images.

The calendar is a 5.5″ x 8″ spiral-bound and is bound two ways: across the top so that it hangs like a wall calendar, or  down the left so that it opens like a journal.

“God, I’m Cute” greeting card set.

Click here to browse some of the images included in this calendar. To order, please visit the Calendars page on The Creative Cat.

You can also choose from the set of cards featuring four of the images that inspired this set on Etsy or you can just find the most popular image, “God, I’m Cute”, also on Etsy.

Some of the things I’m—oops!—still making are the individual and sets of keepsake boxes, coasters, and 5″ x 7″ images mounted on plain wood blocks for wall or tabletop.

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Victoriana Cats

Victoriana Cats in dreamy semi-sepia tones

Though these photos may look antique and sepia-toned, they are neither. My cats are perfect models and knew to pose in the bright yellow morning sun in front of my round antique mirror and the narrow casement window with the lace curtain. I applied a few Photoshop filters to the original photos to make them consistent in tone and style.

Use them for all-purpose greeting cards, sympathy, thinking of you, friendship, or find some shabby chic frames for 5″ x 7″ images and frame them for your walls. Find these in my Etsy shop in sets of four or a dozen.

And following this theme I am also designing from the images in this calendar keepsake boxes, coasters and trays for wall or tabletop.

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Black Cats with Yellow Round Keepsake Box Set

Black Cats with Yellow Keepsake Box Set

I hand-painted these papier-mâché boxes in yellow with black trim, with prints of three daily sketches decoupaged to the lid.

For these keepsake boxes I choose a color that coordinates with the artwork and paint each box, then print my artwork on acid-free matte-finish paper with archival waterproof inks and adhere the print to the lid. I finish the bottom and lid of the box with matte-finish Modge Podge. Box insides are unfinished.

In the order above the names of the sketches are: “Looking Closely “, “In Afternoon Sun”, and “Mimi en Silhouette”, all done in brush pen with marker and watercolor embellishment.

Find this set and others on Etsy.

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Your 25% Discount

Click on the image to download your coupon.

BUY FRESH, BUY LOCAL, BUY HANDMADE!

I honestly believe in supporting local businesses, small businesses, and people who offer unique, handmade goods, and I encourage all shoppers to do the same. Meet the person who made what you’ve bought knowing that what they do isn’t just a job, it’s their life, a life they love, and know where your money is going—and which cats it’s going to feed!

If you are shopping on Etsy, use the code BLACKCATFRIDAY at checkout—and remember that you can use Etsy’s Direct Checkout with your credit card and not if you don’t care for PayPal. Just choose Etsy when it asks how you’ll pay.

If you’re shopping on The Creative Cat or requesting a custom item, click on the coupon at left and download it to your computer. You can e-mail it to me or just mention it when you order.

Happy shopping!

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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 or Fine Art America profile 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.

Tortie Girls Trays Are Here!

Tortie Girls wooden trays!

I’ve found another place to show off my tortie girls! As another selection of designs in the keepsake items I’m creating with my artwork, I found wooden trays that fit these prints perfectly.

I can only work on so many items at a time in my studio, so I decided to create all the smaller keepsakes first, then laid out all my materials for these trays. I prefer to photograph outdoors and waited for the time on a sunny day to photograph them in natural lighting to capture the vibrance of the orange and yellow, and enough direct and reflected light to show the details in the black areas.

Today when I stepped out to feed the birds it reminded me so much of the mornings I had spent out there with Cookie and even this year with Kelly, and I knew this was the time and place. I held off feeding the birds, got my stuff before the sun moved any higher, and was especially gratified when, in photographing the trays together, a little chickadee joined us, perching on the deck railing to be a part of the photo.

And what a way to honor the memory of my two senior girls during Adopt a Senior Pet Month.

About the trays

These are lightweight 10″ x 13″ pine wood trays each with a hand-colored and signed block print of my tortie girls, “The Goddess” and “The Roundest Eyes”, decoupaged in the bottom. Inside of the tray is painted pure white, outside and upper edge is painted pure black with a matte finish on the entire tray.

Hand-coloring prints with lots of feline supervision.

I usually print about a half-dozen of each block print in acrylic ink on rice paper, allow them to dry, and hand color each one individually with watercolors so I have them on hand. Of course, I am carefully observed in this operation by my feline studio supervisors. I sign each print when the embellishment is complete and store them in an acid-free sketchbook for framing or whatever else I may use them.

Pawprints, paint and white object.

Then I give each tray a light sanding and paint each tray with acrylic paint. Sometimes kitties add their marks to this process, as you see at left.

I trimmed down the finished, colored print to fit inside the tray and decoupage it into the bottom of the tray and let it dry, then put two coats of finish on the entire tray, inside and out.

The trays are good for decoration on a tabletop or wall, or to use to actually carry lightweight items but are not suitable as a hotpad or to carry heavy dishes or other items (though I am searching for an available and affordable wooden tray among woodworking friends and otherwise). If kept in direct sunlight the watercolors will fade in time but the inks and paints will not. They can be easily cleaned with mild detergent or diluted all-surface cleaner but not immerseed in water, even though all surfaces are covered with finish.

The trays are handmade and may vary slightly in size and shape or have slight imperfections.

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About the artwork

“The Goddess” wooden tray.

“The Goddess”

Well, everyone knows a fat cat who knows she’s beautiful, and Cookie would tell you that a woman with a round shape was once most desirable and an object of worship. That’s why I call her “The Goddess”.

I am unendingly inspired by my houseful of felines, especially those two tortoiseshell calicos. I print these by hand from a hand-cut linoleum block, then each individually is hand-painted in watercolor.

The Goddess tray on my table on the deck.

Block printing is a technique wherein the artist carves the surface of a piece of linoleum, leaving raised areas which will become the image. Ink is rolled onto these raised areas, then a piece of paper is pressed against the block and when it’s lifted away the ink remains, leaving the image on the paper.

“The Roundest Eyes” wooden tray.

Because of the nature of the medium, each print is unique and ink coverage is not always perfect. Most artists consider this random activity to be part of the process of creating an individualized print, and along with the hand-painting makes a unique work of art.

“The Roundest Eyes” trays on my table on the deck.

You may see some paper wrinkling in these prints in the trays; the rice paper tends to pucker up when the ink dries with printing, then again when I watercolor them. I actually iron them to stretch them, but they are never entirely flat. I had originally wanted the prints to look as if they were printed on the trays themselves though that is impossible with the block printing technique, but I think the paper wrinkles adds an interesting element of texture to the trays.

“The Roundest Eyes”
Sometimes when I look at Kelly the only feature I can distinguish in all those tortie markings is her extremely round eyes.

Where to find these trays available on Portraits of Animals on Etsy:

Set of two trays

“The Goddess” tray

“The Roundest” Eyes tray

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Pair them up with handmade, hand-printed, hand-painted Tortie Girls textiles

I’ve always offered my block print designs on a variety of textiles, from tees to tablecloths, one of the reasons I love that medium. I had wanted to find a washable alternative to the oil-based inks I’d been using, and the cold-set fabric dye I’d long used to paint the Tortie Girls designs was no longer available. Beginning last summer I experimented with various inks and fabric paints and came up with a combination of materials that are easy to use and washable, widely available and non-toxic and in addition to the tees I have a line of textiles.

Tortie Girls Tablecloths!

Tortie Girls Tablecloths and Runner

I keep a bolt of unbleached cotton muslin on hand for these little accent tablecloths. Each 36″ x 36″ tablecloth has the same image printed four times, one on each edge. The Roundest Eyes table runner is 11″ x 36″. Each is signed and dated below the design and has my handwritten “label” reading “handmade, hand-printed, hand-painted” and the year. Washing instructions are included on a separate tag. I have only one of each tablecloth and one table runner—for now!

“The Roundest Eyes” 36″ x 36″ tablecloth

“The Goddess” 36″ x 36″ tablecloth

“The Roundest Eyes” 11″ x 36″ table runner

My tortie girls Cookie and Kelly on canvas placemats!

Tortie Girls Placemats

I made these extra-large 15″ x 19″ placemats of sturdy cotton duck with the edges stay-stitched and fringed. Each is signed and dated below the design as any of my art is, so it’s art for your table! I have six of “The Goddess”, left, and four of “The Roundest Eyes”, right, and they are for sale in sets. You can find them in my shop on Etsy and see more detail shots of them as well.

“The Goddess” placemat, set of four

“The Goddess” placemat, set of two

“The Roundest Eyes” placemat, set of four

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And here’s the whole line of keepsakes and more

Keepsake boxes, coasters and trays.

I’ve long pictured my artwork and sketches on items I see in gift shops. I pursued ceramic coasters earlier this year to no avail for smaller quantities, but also began working out the details of creating keepsake boxes and other similar items. In the process I found wooden plaques, wooden trays, picture frames and more and got to work on the details.

Here is the whole line of things, each one-of-a-kind, though I can always create more than one item or more than one set for items that are popular, and I can also create custom items featuring other images of mine or even images of your own fine felines, other pets or loved ones.

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And Now For Your Discount

For your patronage and support of my business and my art, I’m offering a 10% discount on anything you order from me during the month of November. During the month of November 2012, take 10% off any item in the two shops listed above. In Etsy, use the coupon code FRIEND10 to automatically deduct 10% from your order before shipping. Click the coupon at left to download a PDF which you can print out or e-mail to bernadette@bernadette-k.com and I’ll send you a customized invoice for your payment or refund 10% after your purchase using PayPal.

If you order a custom product I will create your invoice to reflect that discount, and if you order directly from me in person I will discount at purchase.

I only have PayPal to use for credit card acceptance (you can use PayPal without having a PayPal account), and I also accept personal checks and cash. Also, local friends can let me know I don’t need to ship their order. I will deduct the shipping cost from their order and we’ll make arrangements for pick up or delivery. Feel free to contact me if you have any problems or questions.

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This month’s desktop calendar

“Kelly With Grapes and Apple” November 2012 downloadable wallpaper calendar.

I’ve been waiting for this one to come around—when I sketched this back in MayI thought it would make a nice piece of artwork for autumn. It started with the warm golds and oranges and creams in Kelly’s fur, and her contentment in one of her happy spots.

Click here or on the image to go to the link on The Creative Cat where you can download calendars for many different computer monitors and mobile devices.

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Mimi checks my arrangement and lighting.

Thank you

Mimi wants you to know that she has properly supervised all the activities in this creative process. She was with me every step of the way, all day and sometimes all night. I could not have done it without her.

And don’t forget that each purchase supports rescuing cats through my own personal efforts, through helping others and also my donations of goods to shelters and rescues for their benefit.

And this holiday season, consider at least one handmade gift or piece of original artwork from one of the thousands of artisans who stay up all night dreaming up and making by hand totally unique stuff. We can’t compete with the department stores, but they don’t do a happy dance when something sells. You’re also supporting a small business, and that’s important to all of us.

Back to work!

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Click here to subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

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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 or Fine Art America profile 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.

June Featured Artwork and Desktop Calendar

“Peaches and Peonies”, pastel, 23″ x 16″, 2008 © B.E. Kazmarski

It was at the beginning of June five years ago that I took the reference photos, and at the beginning of June in 2008 that I finished this painting of my little Peaches in her moment of glory.

There it is, that moment that turns on all the lights for me…one of my cats in the sun, the conditions that have inspired most of my portraits. Cats are creatures of habit, and Peaches chose this spot to have her after-dinner bath every day for a few weeks when the sun was right; I knew it was a keeper whether a photo or a painting, so I photographed it several times over a period of several days, knowing I’d use at least one photo or all the photos as reference to create one painted image. A painting this size and level of details is a significant investment of time, so I had to wait until my schedule allowed the night-after-night sessions with tiny sections of detail. It’s one of those paintings I still look at and can’t believe I painted; Peaches and Peonies hangs in my studio watching over my work and providing constant inspiration.

detail of painting

Senior Pet Adoption Donation Program through prints of “Peaches and Peonies”

I would make a big donation to the shelter or rescue of the person’s choice who chose to purchase the original of Peaches and Peonies, but I also have a Senior Pet Adoption Donation Program regarding the purchase of a giclee of this painting, and this also ties in to Adopt-a-Cat Month because you should always consider a senior kitty! Through the purchase of a full-size giclee of “Peaches and Peonies”, $25.00 of your purchase price will be donated to the senior pet adoption program in your name or the name of your choice.

detail of painting

About Peaches

Peaches came to my home at age 15, and despite my efforts to place her in a new home, she ended up staying with me. Most prospective adopters were concerned that Peaches was older and might not live long, but my point was that Peaches needed a home no matter what age she was. At the time this painting was done, she’d been with me three years, her petite prettiness, pleasant personality and simple friendliness providing much joy for me, and she was a big favorite of most visitors to my home. And then, she’s also the subject of not only this painting, but several other paintings and sketches as well as photographs, so in three years she provided a good bit of inspiration, not to mention wake-up duties and not-so-gentle reminders about it being dinnertime.

Peaches came to be homeless because her owner died; she was nearly euthanized because no one could figure out what to do with her, not wanting to take her to a shelter. Often, older pets come from situations like this, or where the owner has to enter the hospital or a care home, and no one can take the animal left behind. They are euthanized by the family or end up in shelters and are most often passed by, even though a “seasoned” pet usually makes the best companion.

Three years or three decades or three weeks, every adoptable animal like Peaches deserves a good and loving home. Especially now, during Adopt a Senior Pet Month, consider helping those who are most vulnerable.

detail of painting

Purchase a print and choose your senior pet adoption program

Giclée prints are printed on heavyweight acid-free archival paper using light-fast archival inks using a direct liquid printing process so fine that my prints are often indistinguishable from my originals. Each print is signed by me, the artist. I prefer this process not only because of its clarity and precision but also because I can order only one print at a time instead of ordering dozens or hundreds, and it costs the same per print no matter how many I get. For that reason, I order them from my printer as I receive orders

• Full-size, 23″ x 16″, $150.00
• Half-size, 13″ x 9″, $75.00 (see “framing” below)

You pay for the print and give me the name of the senior pet adoption program of your choice. I process your order and send a donation to the program in your name or the name of your choosing, and either ask them to send you an acknowledgement or send you one myself. I usually make the donations through PayPal since most shelters use it now, and I can send you a acknowledgement through PayPal.

Detail of painting

Shipping

I can ship the smaller prints flat for $10.95, but need to ship the full-size prints rolled for economy at $15.95 since the package is slightly oversized when shipping flat. However, I can ship flat for $25.95, or a surcharge of $10.00. I’m not fond of rolled prints, but I don’t like bent ones either.

Framing

Framing is often more expensive than the art itself. Custom framing is available for an estimate; I custom frame all my own things. To save a little bit on framing, I chose 13″ x 9″ for the the smaller print so that it would fit into a pre-made 16″ x 20″ frame that comes with an 11″ x 14″ mat leaving white space around the print, which is typical in framing a high-quality print. The larger will fit into a pre-made 24″ x 30″ frame, though you may need to purchase a mat since most larger frames don’t come with a mat.

Ordering

Visit the Portraits of Animals Marketplace on my website, choose “Cats” under “Original Art and Prints”, or click here to go directly to “Peaches and Peonies” in my Marketplace. In your PayPal shopping cart you’ll be able to give special instructions, and you can add that you’d like to donate through the program and give me the contact information for the shelter of your choice.

You can also visit my Etsy shop, and when you order through PayPal you’ll be able to enter instructions about your chosen donation program.

Download a desktop calendar featuring Peaches and Peonies

And to give you something inspiring and beautiful to look at for all the month of June, and to remind you how special senior kitties are and the importance of finding homes for all cats, I’ve designed a simple desktop wallpaper calendar featuring Peaches and Peonies. It’s too darned difficult to create one that fits everyone’s desktop, so I’ve created three basic shapes—full size, wide and square—that will probably adjust to fit most desktops; I can give you some help with this if it’s not working quite right.

1. Click on one of the images above to pull it up in a new page.
2. Click on the image on that page to pull up a full-size version of just the image.
3. Right-click on that image and choose “save as desktop wallpaper” or “save as background” or whichever option your operating system gives you to be able to do this.

Other New Products and Specials for Adopt-a-Cat Month

“The Sunny Upstairs Window”, pastel © B.E. Kazmarski

This month I have several of the daily sketches you liked best for sale and I’ve been busy with block prints for note cards and textiles, and I’ve compiled two new sets of greeting cards for you to choose from. I’m also experimenting with a monthly desktop calendar featuring one of my paintings for you to download!

I firmly believe that looking at beautiful images fills our hearts with a special sort of peace, and also promotes love for the subject of the image, and so I always hope with every image I share that I am helping to promote a peaceful world in even a tiny way and a love of cats in all their beautiful shapes and colors and ways of being. Because June is Adopt-A-Cat month, I’ll be offering specials to help promote adopting cats from shelters—if you’re not convinced already, I hope this will!

Favorite Daily Sketches

At left is “The Sunny Upstairs Window” from May 11, 2012. The original is for sale in my Etsy shop along with many other original and prints of daily sketches in my Daily Sketches section.

You can also visit The Creative Cat in the category Daily Sketch to see more sketches and to read an article which displays and describes each one, or visit the Daily Sketches gallery in my Etsy shop to see which other sketches are available.

Handmade, hand-printed, hand-painted Tortie Girls textiles

My tortie girls Cookie and Kelly on canvas placemats!

Tortie Girls Tablecloths!

Hand-printed “Tabbies” Summer Notecards

Bright-colored card stock and bright-colored inks, I’ve been having fun experimenting with the “Tabbies” series in different styles and colors.

“Tabbies” handmade block-printed notecards for summer.

Compositions in Green and Black

Who knew that vintage mint green sink would photograph in such a rich tone, especially when filled with a black cat? From the time I installed the new bathroom, the black cats owned it and the contrast of their black fur with the mint green fixtures and white walls and floor has been stunning and created some of the most favorite photos in my cat collection.

Compositions in Green and Black

Victoriana Cats

Though these photos may look antique and sepia-toned, they are neither. My cats are perfect models and knew to pose in the bright yellow morning sun in front of my round antique mirror and the narrow casement window with the lace curtain. I applied a few Photoshop filters to the original photos to make them consistent in tone and style.

Victoriana Cats in dreamy semi-sepia tones

My studio cats are ready for a creative day.

Special orders and requests

If you see a daily sketch on The Creative Cat you’d like to have, please tell me. Likewise, if you have a custom item in mind contact me to describe it, or if an item is out of stock and you’d like to know when I’ll be making that item again, please ask!. Send me an e-mail.

I couldn’t do it without my studio cats!

My feline inspirations and I thank you for browsing and for purchasing handmade goods and supporting a small business! Click here or on the photo to read about the studio cats in the photo.

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Subscribe to The Creative Cat e-newsletter for specials on exclusively feline-themed art and merchandise.

Read about the reason for the daily sketches in The Artist’s Life: Daily Sketches.

And read about purchasing them and requesting them as a donation item for your shelter or rescue group in The Artist’s Life: Daily Sketches for Sale and Donation.

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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 purchasing one as a print, or to use in a print or internet publication.

Tortie Girls Block Prints in Black with Red

The Roundest Eyes, black ink in rice paper, red mat, black frame, 12" x 16"

What enchanted me first about block prints, and what I wanted most to see when I began creating with them, was the clarity of black ink on white rice paper. While I often use other colors and types and even prints of paper, the black on white is what I usually return to.

Even when the image is my tortie girls, usually also tinted with oranges and yellows and green for their eyes, pink for nose as I had designed. When I initially print them they are that familiar black on white, and all the cuts and trims I made on the surface of the block to create their image makes me smile as I remember designing the prints and cutting the blocks. The color completes the design, but I always save a few prints back to leave in black on white.

And when I was studying Japanese block prints and other similar styles of art from eastern countries a certain shade of red often seemed to accompany them, and it still seems appropriate, so I include that rich red mat with a black frame to complete the color scheme.

Each image is 8″ x 12″, signed and numbered, with acid-free rich red mat. Frame is 12″ x 16″ black matte-finish wood frame 3/4″ wide and 1-1/4″ deep, almost like a box with the print on the top.

“The Roundest Eyes” (at top)
Sometimes when I look at Kelly the only feature I can distinguish in all those tortie markings is her extremely round eyes. Find this print in my Etsy shop.

“The Goddess” (below)
Well, everyone knows a fat cat who knows she’s beautiful, and Cookie would tell you that a woman with a round shape was once most desirable and an object of worship. That’s why I call her “The Goddess”. Find this print in my Etsy shop.

The Goddess, black ink on rice paper, red mat, black frame, 12" x 16.

The Roundest Eyes, hand colored.

And the usual colors

You can also find the hand-colored prints in my Etsy shop, though they have different mats to coordinate with the hand-coloring, and a slightly larger frame. Find the girls in my Etsy shop under “Prints”.

I have also printed the girls on white t-shirts. You can also find these in my Etsy shop under T-shirts.

I also occasionally have other items, usually textiles, printed with the tortie girls. In the past I’ve had curtains, placemats, tablecloths and runners, and I’ve been working on those at the same time as these prints. You’ll see them soon.

Awakening, matted and framed, linoleum block print © B.E. Kazmarski

And another block print in black with a red mat

While I offer this print both black only and hand-colored, and in a variety of mat colors, I still like it best in black and white and it’s striking with the red mat. This combination was popular at Valentine’s Day so I’ve prepared a few more to have for any time of the year. Read about “Awakening” or find it on Etsy.

About Block Printing

I really enjoy working in this medium and I can free myself from the traditional media and a greater realism in rendering. Linoleum block printing is a technique wherein the artist carves the surface of a piece of artist’s linoleum, leaving raised areas which will become the image. Ink is rolled onto these raised areas, then a piece of paper is pressed against the block and when it’s lifted away the ink remains, leaving the image on the paper.

The resulting work isn’t a one-time thing, but meant to be printed multiple times–and I do, on just about anything I can think of. They all start out on paper, but they’ve been printed on t-shirts and dresses and aprons and curtains, to name a few things. I will sometimes add color to them with watercolor or dyes to give them extra interest. The resulting work, even though they are all printed from the same block, is a unique print, still handmade by the artist.

Because of the nature of the medium, each print is unique and ink coverage is not always perfect. Most artists consider this random activity to be part of the process of creating an individualized print, and along with the hand-painting makes a unique work of art.