painting of cat behind vase of flowers

The Purrfect Camouflage, Pastel

This is a pastel painting, “The Purrfect Camouflage”, pastel on Canson Mi Tientes, 11″ x 16″, 1994 © B.E. Kazmarski. The original is sold, but prints are available.



About the painting

This was something I thought all cat companions could relate to, human and feline. Sophie really thought I couldn’t see her because she thought she blended right in with the flowers. She almost had me fooled until I saw one of the flowers looking back at me and I knew I had to investigate. Her ulterior motive was to eat the flowers, something I hate to clean up after. This picture was intended to be one of a pair, because in the next picture she was delicately biting a leaf.

Early on in my painting career I always worked from photos. After my success with “Waiting for Mom” from a photo I’d taken just because Fawn was cute I began taking photos more intentionally, planning paintings. Naturally, this was what made a photographer out of me, but it also made me aware of how early in the process the visualization actually began.

I know I took the photo in late summer, though it may have been later than now. But either a storm knocked down a bunch of my zinnias or I decided to cut them back when they developed mildew, as the often did in my damp little back yard. I’d get much more enjoyment out of them in a vase in the house, and who knew, I might actually decide to paint a still life.

I still remember deciding to photograph the flowers for just that reason, and looking at them, then surprised to see Sophie looking back at me when she sat up a little taller. Of course, the subject of the proposed painting changed from the flowers to Sophie.

Photo reference for The Perfect Camouflage

Photo reference for The Perfect Camouflage

I painted this loose little painting in 1994, just a few years after we’d moved into this house. I never did the second painting because I thought I should change more of the painting than just Sophie for it to be interesting independent of the first. But that’s okay because I really like this one, and it’s all I really needed to share about the moment.

The title was originally spelled “Perfect” because I named this one before I started adding any cat-related spelling variants into my everyday word usage. Even last year I wanted to retain that spelling because it was so long established, and was thought it might be confusing to change it mid-stream. When I used this painting as my featured artwork and desktop calendar in August 2020, I decided otherwise and simply began using the word “Purrfect” everywhere I could find it.

I sold the original at my exhibit, “Everything is Beautiful” at a local Borders Bookstore in June 2001, which had no theme but was kind of a kitchen sink exhibit, everything I had at the time. Sales were good, and it was fun.

I have always offered this image as a greeting card. I had actually wanted to catch up with the purchaser of the original so that I could give it a good scan instead of using a photo of the painting and a scan I felt was inferior. But I have better editing tools now than I did previously and it looks surprisingly good after a few updates to that scan of the photo, so now I can offer prints as well.

Purchasing prints

SHIPPING

Shipping within the US is included in all the prices listed. All shipping is via Priority Mail. Prints are shipped flat in a rigid envelope. Canvases are shipped in a box to fit with padding. Since this original is small it is also shipped in a box with extra padding.

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.

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.

CANVAS PRINTS

I usually have at least one of the smaller sizes of canvases on hand, but order larger ones as they are ordered here because customers often want a custom size. 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 is black on the sides.

GREETING CARDS

Cards are printed on 12 pt. matte card stock, blank inside and come with matching envelope.

In addition, you’ll find this image on many gift items.

Other items with the same art or design To find all items on this site with the same art or design, use the search box for the name of the artwork and you'll find all that's available.

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© 2022 | www.PortraitsOfAnimals.net | Published by Bernadette E. Kazmarski

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 to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit “purchasing” for availability and terms.