Local watercolor artist illustrates best-selling book about cats

Artist Michelle Detering has illustrated book covers before, but never an entire book from start to finish — until the recently released “I’m Still Here: A Cat’s Purpose Forever” (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $19.99), written by Cathryn Michon.

“There were close to 80 illustrations that needed to be completed in a relatively short period of time. That meant that every day for months, I spent long hours in the studio painting. It was intense,” Detering said. 

Michelle Detering

The book is told from the point of view of a cat. It gently reminds grieving owners that the unique bond shared with a cat never fades, blending free-verse poetry with subtle humor regarding a cat’s “superior” view of the universe. 

“Cathryn contacted me after seeing my Instagram account and the cat portraits I’ve done in the past,” Detering said. “She reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in illustrating her sequel to ‘I’m Still Here: A Dog’s Purpose Forever.’ We had a Zoom call to discuss the details, and then another with the publisher, and I was hired!”

She really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot about illustration work.

“You have to be able to paint what the author’s vision is. This can be a challenge sometimes because what you think might be great for a particular page may not be what the author or editor thinks works. So, sometimes I would have to go back and do another version of an illustration, one that was closer to what Cathryn was thinking,” Detering explained. “Cathryn is a movie director as well, so she was very helpful with describing through storyboards what she wanted each page to look like. Basically, I would read the text and look at her storyboards and paint how I thought the illustration should look. Sometimes there would be changes or redos that needed to be done, and sometimes they were perfect on the first pass.” 

For six months, Detering and Michon communicated on a daily basis via phone calls, texts, emails and Zoom meetings.    

“Cathryn and I had a lot of interaction — I think more than many illustrators do with the author. She lives in Los Angeles, so I’ve never actually met her in person. We still continue to communicate on a semi-regular basis to this day,” Detering said. “I enjoy challenges, and each day presented itself with a new painting to work on, which brought with it the fun of painting something new and the challenge of trying to fit it in with the text and vision.”

The artist gave her perspective on what makes “I’m Still Here” stand out from other books about pets. 

“I think what’s different about it is that it’s an inclusive book for all ages, using poetic storytelling and rich illustrations to celebrate the connection we have with our cats, even after they’re gone,” she said. “This book is really beautifully made. It’s a book that you can pick up anytime to make you smile or shed a tear remembering the good times and love you shared with your cat. These things, I think, are what landed the book on the Los Angeles Times’ best-sellers list.”

Born in Lansing, Detering is the youngest of two. She lives in Holt with her husband of 23 years, Jeff Janowick, who’s a history professor at Lansing Community College. After graduating from high school in the Lansing area, she earned both a bachelor’s degree in dietetics and a master’s degree in education from Michigan State University. She also completed coursework in art and design at LCC. 

“I’ve loved art and design since I was little. My mom was an artist and always encouraged me to be creative. I love expressing something in a pleasing and visual way — a language without words,” she said. “I did photography in high school and really enjoyed it. I love to travel and to be in nature. Photography allows me to capture those memories of a moment in time. Photography is capturing a moment, and painting is like reinterpreting that moment to say even more.”

Her love of watercolor began with a course she took at LCC. 

“I love the fluidity and transparency of watercolor,” she said. “It’s soft and ethereal, which I think helps capture a more otherworldly effect. I also like the challenge of not being able to correct mistakes in the same way you can with oil or acrylic because of its transparency. It requires a combination of creative thinking, skill from practice and a bit of magic.”

One highlight of Detering’s career is having her artwork appear in an issue of British Vogue with singer Taylor Swift gracing the cover. 

“The Vogue magazine appearance was the first time I had seen my work in print in a worldwide publication. It was kind of mind blowing to go to the bookstore and open a magazine to see my painting in there,” she said. 

Detering has been a full-time artist for 11 years. Previously, she was an academic advisor at LCC, although she created art on the side. 

“About 12 years ago, I received a billboard with my artwork through the Greater Lansing Arts Council. That sort of catapulted my career. People started to want to buy my work, and I was getting busier and busier with that. I thought to myself, ‘I could do this for a full-time job!’ she recalled. “I started an Etsy shop and began participating in summer art fairs. I realized that I could really do this, so I decided to leave my full-time job at LCC to try to make a living at it. I’ve loved every minute of it since.” 

Visit michelledeteringart.com and instagram.com/michelle_detering_art.