A “Back-to-School” Garden Flag

“Stanley With Apple” for back to school!

Last August when my felines and me watched the neighbor kids running for their bus in the morning on the first days of school I remembered this sketch of Stanley from the previous June. It not only had an apple, the universal symbol for “school”, but the background looks like one of those green chalkboards with chalk dust all over it! It’s time for Back to School!

Stanley With Apple.

The original sketch was the daily sketch for June 22, 2012 and I reprised it in June 2014; on the same day in June 2012 I posted the original photo I used for this sketch, taken on film in 1990 or so. You can see the sketch below and the photo at right or click on any of the links to read more about the images and Stanley.

I originally took that photo as a reference for a future painting, and like so many others the photo remained packed in my boxes of photos for years, unseen, except that the image itself stayed with me.

In 2012 when I’d reorganized my photos I’d dug past it in one of the boxes and remembered it. When I decided I needed to post it here as a vintage photo I knew exactly where it was, and then later that day decided to use it for my daily sketch. It’s tiny, 5″ x 7″, and the paper is rough so the details are loose but I think it captures the composition; there are things I would change, there are always things I’d change, and perhaps someday I’ll do the larger painting where I can capture all the details and those things I would change.

But for now, I’m very happy to see this as a sketch. To think I took that photo nearly 24 years ago, before I had done most of what I have today. 24 years ago my rendering would have been quite different, or 10 years ago or last year or even yesterday, literally and metaphorically colored by my experiences in life and as an artist, and even the quality of sunlight coming in the window.

And 24 years ago Stanley was about 9 years old, not even halfway through his 25 years.

 

Stanley With Apple, pastel, 5″ x 7″ © B.E. Kazmarski

. . . . . . .

“Impressionist Cats” Garden Flag

“Impressionist Cats”

You may recognize this sketch as one of my garden flags, the set I call “Impressionist Cats”.

“Stanley With Apple” is on one side and “White Cat Reflecting” is on the other side, so you can show Stanley with his apple for early autumn, then change it out with another flag for October and winter holidays, then next spring put it out again with “White Cat Reflecting”.

About the garden flags

These “garden flags” are digitally printed on both sides of a heavyweight, durable indoor/outdoor woven printable fabric, and I finish by adding the rod pocket. (Bracket is not included.)

Each flag has a design on both sides unless otherwise noted.

Flags are 11” wide x 15” tall and fit the most common garden flag bracket available, sold in most hardware and home renovation stores with a garden area.

My garden flags are designed with images of my feline artwork, from the quick colorful sketches I create each day to my detailed fine art paintings. They are made locally to me and I can work closely with the printer and have smaller quantities made, and therefore offer more designs. I sew the pocket into the top, and as you can see from these photos I have tested them all in my own yard.

Where to find this garden flag and other garden flags I make

You can find the Impressionists Cats garden flag in my Etsy shop as well as other feline-themed garden flags.

. . . . . . .

See more “Kitty Things”, feline-themed things I’ve made or with which I decorate my home, or which I’ve seen elsewhere. Also read other articles about my garden flags.

---

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.

Once a week on Thursday I feature something new in “portraits of animals 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.

---

Subscribe to My E-newsletter

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

---

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.

---

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

---

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

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My Feline- and Nature-themed Stuff at “The Outlet Barn”

Display from the other side.

So who would think a drafty old unheated honest-to-God barn from a long-time farm would be a hot spot for unique art and decorative items?

The Outlet Barn Garden and Art Center has been in business in this very same old barn for the past 20 years, with a list of loyal customers and new people stopping every day. They close on Christmas Eve and reopen on April 1, weather permitting. I’ve had a display of greeting cards and art there since 2011 when the Agway closed, but at that time I was the only artist. This year they’ve set up an area for many artists to display in this open and rustic setting, so I have a nice space with an antique entryway piece and and wall space to hang things.

Display from one side.

Because the barn is just that—an old wooden and unheated barn—I have chosen things that can be easily dusted or cleaned, or are in packaging. That makes it perfect for my handmade keepsake boxes and wall art, trivets and garden flags as well as a selection of framed and packaged prints of feline, flowers and nature photos. I’m excited to be expanding my selection of floral and landscape gift items in addition to my feline gift items. I will have a small selection of note cards and greeting cards, but because the place is open I often have difficulty with the envelopes sealing shut, even in packaging.

Gift items.

I began visiting there because the place looked like the sort of place I’d like to check out, not carefully coiffed or neatly arranged, but artfully arranged and colorful outside, and inside just crowded enough in the semi-darkness of the old barn that I could take my time to peruse without feeling overwhelmed.

Garden flags.

I ended up moving things into there because the former manager of the Agway I had been selling at was friends with Kathy, The Outlet Barn’s owner, and simply went to her and said I’d be over with my things, she’d like them and me. Life should be filled with such friends. Kathy herself is the one who artfully arranges things in a way that makes people passing on the road find it hard to resist, and is also a master with ribbon and grapevines and such and creates all the wreaths and swags sold throughout the year, often custom-making them for long-time customers. She also makes beaded jewelry for sale in the shop.

Packaged, matted and framed prints.

She also holds events with local musicians playing jazz and folk and alternative in among the gargoyles and gazing globes, or out back in one of the sample gazebos or on the deck.

Canvas prints.

And I can’t forget the enthusiastic rescued chocolate lab named Irish Malarkey, named so because his eyes were green when he was a puppy, who rides in with his human every day. He carefully checked each of my boxes for treats, in between trotting around the place with that huge destructive lab tail without overturning as much as a small terra cotta flowerpot.

Irish Malarkey.

Supporting a local small business is important from both standpoints, from buying and selling, so in addition to placing my things there on consignment, I also promote the places where my things are consigned. I’ll share notices of events, which will be of greatest interest to local friends, and also of things I find there that you might enjoy—feline-themed of course But there plenty of animal-themed things about the place, plus really cool gargoyles.

Feline-themed planting pots.

I have a love-hate relationship with retail. I love to create my artwork and even to create the derivative items from it like cards and notepads and prints, and the best way to get my artwork known is to create and sell these things, but it takes time to drive around and visit shops, introduce myself, deliver the goods and maintain a display; if I seem to have disappeared now and then, this is why—calling and driving around, following up suggestions from friends to visit and introducing myself and showing a few representative pieces of what I have for sale. The actual sales from this might break even for expenses and time, but the real benefit is in finding new customers and making new friends, and just sharing my inspirations. Finding a shop where I also have other reasons to visit just makes it better.

And there’s another constant—animals and animal rescue. One door closes and another one opens as our friends share us with their friends. It is not a loss and a gain, but simply a change.

Where to find The Outlet Barn

The Outlet Barn

The Outlet Barn Garden Center

4577 Campbells Run Rd Pittsburgh, PA 15205

outletbarn@gmail.com – Phone: 412-494-5190

If you see merchandise pictured here, whether it’s mine or not, that you are interested in, please follow the link to The Outlet Barn website or let me know. The website is not an online store for things in the shop because there’s just too much, but Kathy will be glad to give you a few details and ship something to you if purchase it with the possible exception of a concrete gargoyle.

Handmade furniture and ceramic gift items.

Below is a gallery of things in the barn, and another slideshow of other artisans’ items.

The Outlet Barn

Vintage tools.

Ceramics and wood

All sizes of terra cotta pots

Lots of ceramic planters

Feline-themed planting pots.

Wire baskets with liners

Animal ceramics.

Handmade furniture and ceramic gift items.

Welcome

Here are a few of the artisans’ displays.

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Basil inspects all the new goods.

Marketplace

Mimi scolds me for not letting the blocks dry properly.

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!

---

Subscribe to My E-newsletter

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

---

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.

---

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

---

© 2015 | www.TheCreativeCat.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

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Awakening Block Print, Hand-colored

“Awakening” is a linoleum block print, 16″ in diameter, printed in soy-based ink on handmade white rice paper and hand-colored in bright autumn colors with watercolors.

I offer the print “Awakening” printed in black on white rice paper, but designed it for a versatility of presentation. The two cats in question were indeed one black and one white, and the yin and yang form they mimic is typically black and white also, but I enjoy the use of pattern as a design element and decided to incorporate several rounds of detail when I designed this. That way, I’d have the versatility of leaving it in black and white or adding color.

Each one is as unique as the print itself because I use different media, styles and color combinations. In this case I used watercolor. Other times I’ve used colored pencil, gouache, marker, even pastel rubbed into the surface of the paper.

Most of the time I’ll use a variety of bright colors, but I’ve also colored them in all earthy tones—brown, tan, red earth, sand—as well as shades of green from the summer woods, light pastels, bright primaries, jewel tones and monochromatic themes, blue or purple, and it looks striking with touches red.

Below is just the image with color.

The hand-colored art only.

Quote reads: “‘Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.’–Anatole France. Dedicated to my prince and princess and all those since who’ve awakened their part of my soul.”

“Awakening” was inspired by my close companions Kublai and Sally who ran the household together for about 12 years and who actually slept curled like this. I enjoyed following the inspiration to combine the image of the two cats with the decorative border simply made of shapes and patterns that were both attractive and easy to cut in a block print.

I had seen the quote in a number of different places, and of all the quotes about how animals fill our souls this one, the concept of awakening, I found most moving. These two cats, especially Kublai, the black one, were a major part of my awakening not only to animals but to love in general.

Aside from the fact that they were both loving, friendly and social, they were complete opposites in the way they expressed this love and were as different in temperament as they were in color and texture as the loose reference to yin and yang illustrates.

In their own ways they nurtured about 30 foster cats of widely differing ages and social abilities, just as they nurtured me in the years they shared my life.

“Kublai” is somehow derived from the word for “prince” in Sanskrit, and “Sally” is derived from the word for “princess”—Sarah—in Hebrew.

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.

I also print this image on textiles, such as t-shirts, curtains, tablecloths, shawls and tote bags! Please check my apparel and housewares categories to see what’s currently available.

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.

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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.

Once a week on Thursday I feature something new in “portraits of animals 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.

---

Subscribe to My E-newsletter

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

---

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.

---

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

---

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

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | ETSY SHOP | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | STUMBLEUPON | GOOGLE+ | EMAIL

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A “Back-to-School” Garden Flag

“Stanley With Apple” for back to school!

Last August when my felines and me watched the neighbor kids running for their bus in the morning on the first days of school I remembered this sketch of Stanley from the previous June. It not only had an apple, the universal symbol for “school”, but the background looks like one of those green chalkboards with chalk dust all over it! It’s time for Back to School!

Stanley With Apple.

The original sketch was the daily sketch for June 22, 2012 and I reprised it in June 2014; on the same day in June 2012 I posted the original photo I used for this sketch, taken on film in 1990 or so. You can see the sketch below and the photo at right or click on any of the links to read more about the images and Stanley.

I originally took that photo as a reference for a future painting, and like so many others the photo remained packed in my boxes of photos for years, unseen, except that the image itself stayed with me.

In 2012 when I’d reorganized my photos I’d dug past it in one of the boxes and remembered it. When I decided I needed to post it here as a vintage photo I knew exactly where it was, and then later that day decided to use it for my daily sketch. It’s tiny, 5″ x 7″, and the paper is rough so the details are loose but I think it captures the composition; there are things I would change, there are always things I’d change, and perhaps someday I’ll do the larger painting where I can capture all the details and those things I would change.

But for now, I’m very happy to see this as a sketch. To think I took that photo nearly 24 years ago, before I had done most of what I have today. 24 years ago my rendering would have been quite different, or 10 years ago or last year or even yesterday, literally and metaphorically colored by my experiences in life and as an artist, and even the quality of sunlight coming in the window.

And 24 years ago Stanley was about 9 years old, not even halfway through his 25 years.

 

Stanley With Apple, pastel, 5″ x 7″ © B.E. Kazmarski

. . . . . . .

“Impressionist Cats” Garden Flag

“Impressionist Cats”

You may recognize this sketch as one of my garden flags, the set I call “Impressionist Cats”.

“Stanley With Apple” is on one side and “White Cat Reflecting” is on the other side, so you can show Stanley with his apple for early autumn, then change it out with another flag for October and winter holidays, then next spring put it out again with “White Cat Reflecting”.

About the garden flags

These “garden flags” are digitally printed on both sides of a heavyweight, durable indoor/outdoor woven printable fabric, and I finish by adding the rod pocket. (Bracket is not included.)

Each flag has a design on both sides unless otherwise noted.

Flags are 11” wide x 15” tall and fit the most common garden flag bracket available, sold in most hardware and home renovation stores with a garden area.

My garden flags are designed with images of my feline artwork, from the quick colorful sketches I create each day to my detailed fine art paintings. They are made locally to me and I can work closely with the printer and have smaller quantities made, and therefore offer more designs. I sew the pocket into the top, and as you can see from these photos I have tested them all in my own yard.

Where to find this garden flag and other garden flags I make

You can find the Impressionists Cats garden flag in my Etsy shop as well as other feline-themed garden flags.

. . . . . . .

See more “Kitty Things”, feline-themed things I’ve made or with which I decorate my home, or which I’ve seen elsewhere. Also read other articles about my garden flags.

---

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.

Once a week on Thursday I feature something new in “portraits of animals 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.

---

Subscribe to My E-newsletter

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

---

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.

---

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

---

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

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | ETSY SHOP | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | STUMBLEUPON | GOOGLE+ | EMAIL

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Upcoming Events: See You Around in June

Front of my tent at Sewickley Unleashed

June is looking like a pretty busy month for animal and other events!

June 1 is National Trails Day and many trail associations host benefit dog walks on the first weekend, plus it’s prime time for other festivals. I tend to stay with smaller ones because they are more manageable for me along with my community’s monthly business crawl. Here is where I’ll be in June.

. . . . . . .

Tails for Trails X, Saturday, June 7, 8:30 to noon

Since this is only four hours and primarily a dog event, I’ll be setting up with just my portrait information, a few sample portraits and a small display of handmade goods. It’s sponsored by Cecil Friends of the Montour Trail Tails for Trails, Kurnick (National) Access Area at 259 Cecil Henderson Road in Cecil Twp. Admission is free. Click here to read more.

. . . . . . .

The Carnegie Crawl, Friday June 13, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Even though I don’t have a business on Main Street the organizers asked me to participate, and I’ve set up inside other businesses who host me. This month I’ll be at 6 East Main Street, Carnegie PA 15106. I’ll have as much art and merchandise as I can possible fit into the space, including, of course, my paintings and photos of Carnegie as well as my feline and animal paintings and merchandise, a mix of original art, prints, canvases and handmade items such as my wood-mounted art and keepsake boxes, and of course my feline garden flags.

The Carnegie Crawl happens the second Friday of every month, May through September! This year the crawl goes from Black Lamb Consignments at 323 East Main Street (Corner of 50 and Main) to Carnegie Antiques at 423 West Main Street. Flyers with maps will be provided for “crawlers” to explore Carnegie and visit all the Crawl sites. Get your flyer stamped at each participating location and enter to win a great prize at the end of our Crawl season in September. I’ll update with this information as soon as I have it. Admission is free. Click here to read more.

. . . . . . .

11th Annual Pet Adoption and Care Fair, Saturday, June 21, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

This event is huge with about 40 participants ranging from shelters and rescues to businesses and individuals who provide services and merchandise for pets and their people. It’s sponsored by the Hearts and Paws Pet Ministries at Christ United Methodist Church. Admission is free. Click here to read more.

. . . . . . .

Steel City Pet Expo, Saturday, June 28, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

This annual pet expo will be held in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh with dozens of rescue groups with pets for adoption, discounted vaccinations, microchipping and heartworm & flea preventatives, prize giveaways and activities for people and pets, live entertainment, obedience demonstrations, author readings and book signings and more. Admission is free. www.SteelCityPetExpo.com

 

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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.

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.

---

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

---

Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

---

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.

---

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

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

---

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

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | ETSY SHOP | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | STUMBLEUPON | GOOGLE+ | EMAIL

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See you at the Carnegie Crawl, Friday, May 9

My display of goods from FosterCat

I’ll be participating in my community’s first 2014 business crawl this Friday evening from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Main Street. Even though I don’t have a business on Main Street the organizers asked me to participate so I hope to be a part of this event each month. They even found the a storefront to setup temporarily—I”ll be in the front of Terra Settlements this time at 110 East Main Street, right in the middle of everything! Above and below I have pictured some of the things I’ll have for sale.

My display of Carnegie artwork–I’ll have a good bit of this on Friday.

I’ll have as much art and merchandise as I can possible fit into the space, including, of course, my paintings and photos of Carnegie as well as my feline and animal paintings and merchandise, a mix of original art, prints, canvases and handmade items such as my wood-mounted art and keepsake boxes, and of course my feline garden flags.

The Carnegie Crawl happens the second Friday of every month, May through September! This year the crawl goes from Black Lamb Consignments at 323 East Main Street (Corner of 50 and Main) to Carnegie Antiques at 423 West Main Street.

Carnegie’s Main Street just last week!

Flyers with maps will be provided for “crawlers” to explore Carnegie and visit all the Crawl sites. Get your flyer stamped at each participating location and enter to win a great prize at the end of our Crawl season in September.

I’ll be at:

110 East Main Street

Carnegie PA 15106

5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

The Carnegie Crawl map for this event.

Free Parking!

Look for coupon insert with specials in:
• Post Gazette Saturday May 3
• Carnegie Signal-item Thursday May1
• Available at participating Crawl locations

Download the map by clicking the image at left or  http://carnegiepa.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Crawl-Map.jpg. Visit the Carnegie Community Development Corporation website at www.carnegiepa.net.

I hope to see you there!

---

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.

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.

---

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

---

Browse some rescued cats and kittens!

---

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.

---

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

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

---

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

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN | ETSY SHOP | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | STUMBLEUPON | GOOGLE+ | EMAIL

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Hand-printed “Tabbies” Summer Notecards

Set of five “Tabbies” Bright note cards.

So what were Mewsette and I printing this weekend? A few more sets of my block-printed “Tabbies” notecards! Bright-colored card stock and bright-colored inks, I’ve been having fun experimenting with the “Tabbies” series in different styles and colors.

Above is the “Brights” set, 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ note cards printed on five different Astrobright flourescent paper colors, green, blue, pink, yellow and orange, and five different ink colors, magenta, green, blue, orange and purple; each set includes one card in each color paper stock, with design and ink color randomly chosen so each set is a surprise. Find the Brights sets here in my Etsy shop.

Below is the “Summery” set, 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ note cards printed on six different summery paper colors, yellow, pink orange, blue, green and violet, and five different ink colors, magenta, green, blue, orange and purple; each set includes one card in each color paper stock, with design and ink color randomly chosen so each set is a surprise. Find the Summery set here in my Etsy shop.

Set of six “Tabbies” Summer note cards.

Cards are stamped inside with “Meow” using a commercial stamp, and on the back with my information. Matching envelopes with fuzzy pawprints stamped in the lower right corner are included.

Inside and outside the cards

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Sample of Brights set, orange stock with red ink.

“Meow” printed inside each card!

The information stamped on the back of each card.

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Matching envelopes

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Coordinating Brights set envelopes.

Coordinating envelopes for Tabbies Summer set of notecards.

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ABOUT THE ART: TABBIES LINOLEUM BLOCK PRINTS

The stripes made me do it! 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.

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.

You can read more about block printing in this article on The Creative Cat, and find more block-printed merchandise on The Creative Cat, on  Portraits of Animals Marketplace and in my Etsy shop under both Linoleum Block Prints for framed art, Block Print Household for textiles and housewares, and Greeting Card Sets for these and other cards.

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

Spring Cleaning, prints of original pastel

MEDIUM: Pastel; IMAGE SIZE: 14″ x 20″; 2006

The backyard of an old farmhouse near me, I was drawn at first by the forsythia, which was right on the edge of the road as I drove past, then as I slowed down I saw the colorful hanging laundry, always a favorite subject. That hazy spring sunlight with long shadows on the grass, young leaves on the trees and the white-sided house all combined in a scene that could have been any year in the previous century when everyone hung their laundry outside and that first spring day warm enough to dry it left it smelling so fresh.

Here’s a detail of the laundry:

Detail of laundry area.

This is painted with chalk pastel from photos and from life. The image is 14″ x 20″ with a two-inch tan marble acid-free mat and a vintage antique gold frame with premium clear glass. The painting is wired on the back and ready to hang.

The original was sold and is happily living in Canada but I have prints of this painting.

Prints

Full-size giclee: $75.00
Half-size giclee: $45.00

Digital print, 16″ x 9.5″: $25.00

Full-size gallery-wrapped canvas print: $75.00

Find it here on Etsy.

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.

Wood Mounted Art and Photos

I love matting and framing my artwork, and even visualize a piece in mat and frame while I’m working, yet I’ve been finding ways to break free from the complications of mat, frame and glass for wall and display art for years—and I’m really happy with the way these wood blocks turned out!

The blocks, originally intended for painting, are 1/8″ birch wood panels “cradled” with 1″ x 1″ wood added to the back for strength and stability and, incidentally, ease of hanging. And because they have wide sides the smaller ones can even stand up on a tabletop or shelf. I’ve painted the sides either black or natural white and mounted a print edge to edge on the top surface, then covered it with acrylic finish. I love the clean lines and modern look, and can’t wait to work with other colors and sizes.

I began with several images from which I had plenty of feedback and which would also work in this medium. Because my daily sketches are often 5″ x 7″ or smaller, these blocks are ideal especially the smaller square format. I’ll be taking better photos of each of these and posting them on Etsy, but I couldn’t wait to get them out there. Most of the blocks are 4″ x 4″, in front you see “The Eye Model” and behind two small ink sketches, “Looking Out the Window” and “Three After Dinner Baths”. I’ve also included “Everyone’s On My Desk” and “Spooked on Halloween” in the small blocks.

And because “First Light” was so popular the other day I’ve included it on an 8″ x 10″ along with “A Sunny Room”, and “World Cat” on an 8″ x 8″ panel.

They range in price from $12.00 to $25.00 and come in a variety of sizes that will accommodate many photographs and sketches—including a 6″ x 8″ panel that will perfectly fit my cartoon “Being Used as a Fort”. See them all on Etsy. I can’t wait to make more!