Crochet Testers Working Hard
Posted: September 21, 2011 Filed under: black cats, cat photographs, cats, cookie, daily photo, mimi, mr. sunshine, senior cats, tortoiseshell cats | Tags: black cats, cat photographs, cat photos, cats, crochet, feline photographs, pet photography, pets, photography, the creative cat, tortoiseshell cat 8 Comments
Professional Crochet Testers
Good thing I finished this top at just the right moment! My crochet testers were ready to get to work.
Mr. Sunshine isn’t a typical tester, but I think his mom is trying to soften his man-cat edge a little. Cookie is always ready to participate in anything I do, and at one point I was crocheting around her. Apparently it passed their rigorous testing because they slept on it for several hours.
Of course, Kelly, my lead crochet tester, gave it a test when I began the project. If it had not passed her test at that point I certainly would not have continued.
What is it about cats and crocheted things?! And people who crochet and cats?! We must be a natural combination.
All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used in any way 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.
Gathering Portraits and People: My Book Signing and Art Exhibit
Posted: September 21, 2011 Filed under: animal rescue, book signing, books about cats dogs and animals, cat artwork, cat painting, cat stories, commissioned portrait, feline artwork, pet portrait | Tags: book signing, cat book, cat calendar, cats, great rescues calendar and gift book, pet portraits, pets 4 Comments
Samantha, pastel © B. E. Kazmarski
Samantha’s portrait and Samantha’s mom will be there! I’m really looking forward to seeing some of my portraits and portrait families tomorrow night from 7 to 9 at Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall. Samantha’s mom is even bringing the photo I worked from, and she’ll be glad to talk about Samantha and her portrait. I am thrilled to be able to share this original portrait, so important to my career as an artist, with guests.
Detail of Christie's face.
Felix, detail of his face.
In addition to Samantha will be Felix and Christie and their mom and dad, as well as the other three portraits I’ve done for them. You can read more about these wonderful rescuers and their portraits in Big Kitty Love.
Milan and Felix
Buster
Milan and Felix‘s mom and dad won’t be able to attend, but I’ll be able to show the portrait of these two wonderful rescued friends.
But you will be able to see Buster’s portrait and the other one I did for the set of two, and his mom will be there as well.
Amaretto, Simon and Merlin
I’ll also show Amaretto, Simon and Merlin and the other portrait I did of Cassie and Tyler, this family’s two dogs, and portraits from friends who will visit who are not in this calendar.
I will also be showing my personal portraits and feline artwork, including Peaches and Peonies, Waiting for Mom, Are You Looking at Me, Warm Winter Sun, Afternoon Nap, The Little Sunflower, Interior with Cat, Sunbath, Sunday Morning, Winter Window, Sleeping Beauty, and perhaps even more if I can carry them all. Visit “My Cats” on my website to see these and more.
Details of the event are included below!
Join me Thursday, September 22, 2011 from 7 to 9 pm at Andrew Carnegie Free Library & Music Hall in Carnegie for a reception and book signing for Great Rescues Calendar and Gift Book.
Augie
For that night only, I will display several of the original portraits included in Great Rescues as well as other original portraits, including some of my own, in the Reception Hall.
Many of the people whose portraits and stories are featured in the book will be joining me.
I will be happy to dedicate your copy to your rescued pets, to a rescue organization or shelter or, if it is a gift, to a friend or relative who rescues animals.
Celebrating the stories of rescued cats and the people who rescued them, and the artwork of animal artist and writer Bernadette E. Kazmarski.
I’m pleased to present my first published work, truly a labor of love from creating the portraits within it to collecting the stories and designing, printing and publishing it.
Buster
Reviews
“Lovely to look at and read and hold in the hands, Great Rescues is an altogether ‘up’ experience, where people are compassionate and good, and however troubled their beginnings, all cat stories have happy endings.” Marion Lane, former editor of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) newsletter Animal Watch.
“Received my copy of Great Rescues, a most exquisite book/calendar jammed-packed with irresistible fine-art paintings of cats of all kinds, and wonderous stories about them, painted and penned by Bernadette E. Kazmarski…I highly recommend this book; give it 4 paws up.” Allia Zobel Nolan, author of more than 170 illustrated books and former children’s editor of Readers’ Digest Books.
Peaches
“This is one of the most beautiful cat calendars I’ve seen. The paintings are stunningly beautiful, and the stories are heart touching. And it’s so much more than just a calendar.” Ingrid King, author of Buckley’s Story: Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher.
“I knew it would be breathtaking – after all, the calendar creator is artist extraordinaire Bernadette Kazmarski! But I don’t know if I was prepared for how engaging this beautiful work of art turned out to be. I sat down and read it from cover to cover – I just couldn’t put it down!” Chris Davis, artist and author of For Every Cat An Angel, For Every Dog An Angel and several other illustrated animal books, and publisher at Lighthearted Press.
You can read the full reviews from these reviewers as well as more reviews and comments and the continuing stories of the cats and their rescuers at www.greatrescuescalendar.com.
Waiting for Mom, pastel painting © B. E. Kazmarski
Great Rescues is a 16-month desk calendar and gift book featuring 15 portraits of rescued cats I’ve been commissioned to paint in the 20 years I’ve been an animal portrait artist, plus the portrait of my own which I consider my first.
While the portraits are lovely and I’m proud of my body of work, the stories of these cats, and the people who rescued them, is what compels me to share them with you. Each of the stories tells of cats from shelters and cats abandoned and saved, cats found inside car engines and cats reluctantly surrendered by people who could no longer care for them, but each one has a happy ending as a cherished companion in a loving home.
Christie
And while each cat has an individual story, each rescuer has a story as well of reaching out to an animal in need to bring it in from the streets. In many cases they helped heal physical and emotional wounds and gave that cat a lifetime of love, in return receiving love and devotion; often those humans received some healing in return they weren’t aware they needed.
About the Calendar
Great Rescues is spiral-bound and measures 8″ x 8″ to easily fit on your desk or in a purse, briefcase or backpack. It has a die-cut cover with the title stamped in gold foil and each spread features a portrait and the stories of the rescue and calendar pages including every pet day, week, and month currently celebrated listed in each month of the calendar.
"22 Cats" Notepaper
Following the calendar section is a section of stories of the rescuers and their feline families today, notes on the design and rendering of each of the portraits, a mini cat-care book illustrated with my drawings and “22 Cats” decorative notepaper with a collage of all the portraits.
Visit the Great Rescues Calendar website to learn more and if you can’t join us on September 22 you can purchase one on the site.
www.greatrescuescalendar.com
If the calendar is a gift to someone, or you have a particular cat or cats in mind, I would be glad to add an inscription in the front of your calendar.
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All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used in any way 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.
Simon Says…
Posted: September 21, 2011 Filed under: adopting a cat, animal rescue, animal welfare, cat stories, cats, cats I know, great rescues calendar and gift book, great rescues families, rescue stories | Tags: cat photography, cats, disabled pets, less adoptable pets, pet photography, pets, photography, rescued cats, three-legged cat 3 Comments
Simon Says...
One day after mom had been gone all day she came home with pictures and stories about a kitty who looked like Namir but who didn’t have a leg! We weren’t so sure about that at first because we are all so perfect, but after we saw the photos and she explained that he’s really over the fact that he is missing a hind leg, we thought we’d like to meet him. He’s a hero cat! And his people hardly notice it anymore either. Anyone who would think that a cat missing a limb might take too much care or might not live as long or any other reason there might be to not adopt really needs to read about Simon and his people. ~the Fantastic Four
What are you looking at?
Simon is another incredible rescue I’ve met recently. He lives with the family of Cooper, one of the portrait subjects featured in Great Rescues, who have been rescuing cats for years.
Simon waves his tail.
Animals are amazingly adaptive when it comes to changes in their bodies. Simon was a stray being fed outside by this couple who live in a rural area next to a farm as they tried to determine if he belonged to someone. Unfortunately he came back one day dragging a trap on his leg.
“We were actually away at the time,” said Simon’s dad. “Our neighbor found him and ran him to our vet, figuring that’s what we’d want—he was right—but he would have done that for any animal, and we’re so glad he did.”
Simon spent a month in the veterinary hospital while the veterinarian valiantly tried to save the leg, but it just kept breaking again and again.
“Simon was in so much pain, though he never acted mean in any way, but we could tell, the last time the leg broke again, he was done with it,” his people agreed. “The veterinarian removed his leg the next day and Simon was awake and alert, eating and social just hours afterward. We could tell he was thanking us!”
He came home the day after the amputation surgery and walked around as if nothing had happened except that he now had a slightly altered gait. He also had no problem being an indoor cat after that experience.
“We don’t know where Simon came from,” his mom said. “He just showed up and was eating with the outdoor cats. We were trying to track down an owner if there was one before we decided we’d get him neutered, then this happened. I think he was meant to be ours anyway.”
No one knows where Simon came from, and it’s sad to think what would have happened to him had he not felt comfortable enough with the couple giving him food and shelter outdoors to drag himself back. But he’s got a loving home now and a long life ahead of him.
For Simon, missing a leg does not mean missing a heart—he is still loving and playful and even has a snit now and then while you’re petting him, just like any other cat. If you see a kitty in a shelter who’s had a little accident, don’t pass them by.
All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used in any way 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.
The Creative Cat 