"Black Cats Dreaming in Color", soft and hard pastel on Canons Mi-tientes, 11" x 9" © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

Black Cats Dreaming in Color, Pastel

Black Cats Dreaming in Color original pastel is sold but prints are available matted and framed. Prints are made in archival inks on Epson Velvet Art Paper, Cold Press Digital Giclee Paper or Artist Canvas.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

About the Artwork

Don’t ask me where this came from because I couldn’t tell you. I simply followed the visual ideal I had, not even a clear idea, and kept adding colors to this until it felt right.

The boys were all tucked onto Emeraude’s bed, which you might remember is covered with a blanket with pawprints in different colors; here is a recent photo and a sketch. I like it because it’s colorful and happy and provides a nice backdrop when I look at Emeraude. She seems to like it too, since when I change it around and that blanket ends up there she steps right onto it and purrs. It has happy connotations for me and, I presume, for her. Apparently it does for the boys as well since they curl up on it whenever Emeraude chooses to sleep elsewhere.

And so they were, and I did find they way they were tucked together interesting, highlights in their fur, shapes, abstract, but it was the colors too and pictured a soft sketch in black and gray pastel with blue and earthy highlights in soft pastel, but I didn’t want to stop there this time. I also wanted a toned background instead of plain white and went with a warm-toned flecked gray, the better to enhance the lighter colors. I saw the running outlines of color to distinguish them on top of the sketch, kind of like a sketch I’d done summer 2012 using harder sticks of Nupastel. That was fun, just following intuition and grabbing one pastel after another to draw and stop and picking up yet another. But that wasn’t enough, it wasn’t done yet.

So I continued on with a few extra outlines around the outside and knew I was following in the right direction. Then I went farther and farther and made confetti and finally it was done.

So there we are. It looks as if they are in a nest. Really, they are.

SHIPPING AND CHARGES

Shipping within the US is included in the cost of each print.

Prints up to 16″ x 20″ are shipped flat in a rigid envelope. Larger prints are shipped rolled in a mailing tube unless otherwise requested; flat shipping is an extra cost because it’s oversized.

GICLEE PRINTS

The giclees are printed on acid-free hot press art paper for a smooth matte finish using archival inks. Giclee is the highest quality print available because the technique uses a dozen or more ink ports to capture all the nuances of the original painting, including details of the texture, far more sensitive than any other printing medium. Sometimes my giclees look so much like my originals that even I have a difficult time telling them apart when they are in frames.

I don’t keep giclee prints in stock for most of my works. Usually I have giclees printed as they are ordered unless I have an exhibit where I’ll be selling a particular print so there is a wait of up to two weeks before receipt of your print to allow for time to print and ship.

I offer giclees of this painting in two different sizes: the full size of 31″ x 23″, a half-size of 16″ x 12.5″. The giclees have 2″ of white around the outside edges. All are countersigned by me.

DIGITAL PRINTS

Digital prints are made on acid-free matte-finish natural white 100# cover using archival digital inks. While digital prints are not the quality of a giclee in capturing every nuance and detail of color, texture and shading, I am still very pleased with the outcome and usually only I as the artist, could tell where detail and color were not as sharp as the original. Digital prints are only available up to 11″ x 17″ and some of the prints are cropped to fit standard mat and frame sizes.

Digital prints have at least 1/2″ around the edges depending on the size of the print. All are countersigned by me.

CANVAS PRINTS

Because the standard size canvas prints are not proportional to the original painting, canvas prints of this painting will have a portion cropped off.

I usually have at least one of the smaller sizes of canvases on hand, but order larger ones as they are ordered because I have limited storage space. Smaller canvases are a 3/4″ in depth, Canvases 12 x 16 and larger are 1-1/2″ in depth. I set them up so the image runs from edge to edge, then the sides are black or white or sometimes I slip in a color that coordinates with the painting. This canvas wraps around the sides.

FRAMED PRINTS

I do all my own framing and can custom frame a print for you. Please ask.

GREETING CARDS

  • Cards are blank inside but can be customized with your message for an extra charge.
  • Feline Fine Art Cards assort with all other 5″ x 7″ greeting cards (except custom printed cards) for a quantity discount.
  • Individual cards are shipped by first class mail.
  • Sets of six and twelve are packed in a clear-top stationery box. Price includes shipping via Priority Mail.