Category Archives: pet portraits

A Great Rescue and Commissioned Portrait: I’ll Be Seeing You

"Cooper", 1996, pastel, 22” x 17” © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

CAN THE SUBJECT of a painting communicate through his image? One of the dearest stories from any of my portraits is the one of Cooper, a “first cat” who turned his people into rescuers but who left far too young though he was never far from the memories of his people and the other rescued […]

Peaches and Peonies, a Celebration of Spring Flowers and Sunlight, and a Certain Calico Cat

Peaches and Peonies, pastel, 23" x 16" © 2008 Bernadette E. Kazmarski

My old-fashioned pink peonies are fervently blooming this year, since we’ve lost a tree and they finally have enough light to really show off. Those aren’t the peonies in this painting, but any time I see peonies I think of Peaches and the moment I saw her bathing on the table in that sweet spring […]

A Great Rescue and Commissioned Portrait: “Sooty”

SOMETIMES IT DOESN’T MATTER how much sentiment is attached to adopting a cat, how much people pay for a cat, or how beautiful or sweet it is, that cat is out the door when they no longer want it; sometimes, like Sooty, it is actually headed for its loving forever home and the people who […]

Keep Track of Dates and Events With “Great Rescues Day Book”

I’ve used a day book for over 20 years and have all the arrivals and, sadly, departures of each of my cats along with my friends’ weddings, my nieces’ births and the births of their children, the day I first registered my business name, all that sort of stuff, conveniently included in one place. In […]

Commissioned Portrait Specials for Mothers, Fathers and More

"The Washburn Trio", pastel, a Mothers' Day gift, 1998.

In everyone’s life is at least one special person who shared a love of animals, and in that person’s life there is often an animal companion who is or was very special to them. Read about Shadow, Casey and Ralph and a special Mother’s Day gift from 2006. Mother’s Day is in two weeks, on […]

Commissioned Portrait: Tommy

This was originally published on The Creative Cat and refers to several articles published there, which are linked. Tommy was another portrait from 2016, and he and his family were very special customers. I’ve known his person, Melanie for several years as a rescuer, corresponded with her and assisted her efforts as much as I […]

Feline Portraits and Rescue Stories in a Book You Can Use Every Day

In 2011 I published Great Rescues Calendar and Gift Book, a 16-month desk calendar that included a commissioned portrait of a rescued cat or cats for each month, plus more about the portraits, cats and rescuers in the back and information on cat care. But calendars go out of date and I knew these stories […]

Namir and His Conversation With a Daisy

It’s daisy time, and July is also the time I remember Namir, so it’s time to feature this little sketch, “Conversation With a Daisy”. About the artwork, and Namir The original sketch of Conversation With a Daisy, Pencil, is sold but a variety of prints and a note card are available. The original sketch was […]

A Great Rescue and Commissioned Portrait: I’ll Be Seeing You

Commissioned Portrait: “Annie”

Meet Annie, a boxer mix whose portrait I recently finished. Her person won a portrait certificate I donated to Advocates 4 Animals in Xenia, Ohio, so though I only met Annie through photos and emails she looks so beguiling there on her rug and was a joy to paint I feel like I know her. […]