Can you believe it? It’s already time to talk about the studio news for August 2023.
Studio News for August 2023
CP Magic!
The September issue of the magazine came together pretty much without difficulty, and is ready and waiting for you here. Kim Keys is the featured artist and she provided a great, beginner’s tutorial using a reptile heating pad to soften and blend colored pencils.
If you’re looking for some inspiration (not be mention top notch eye candy), take a look at September’s online Reader Gallery here.
I also worked a little bit on every issue from October through December, and scheduled several months for 2024, and one month in 2025!
Reader Gallery Critiques
I did Reader Gallery critiques again in August. There weren’t quite as many Reader Gallery submissions for the September gallery, and only two artists requested critiques. A lot of us must have been busy doing something other than making art!
Even so, it was a pleasure to be able to analyze those two pieces and give the artists advice that hopefully helps and encourages them.
I’m offering critiques again for the next issue, and I hope to see one of your pieces for the October Reader Gallery.
House Work
Or maybe I should say, yard work. Actually, tree work is a better description.
While I was puttering around outside at mid-month, I heard a loud cracking noise and turned around to see a large limb coming down from the top of one of our elm trees. It didn’t hit the ground because it got hung up in the maple tree in the neighbor’s yard. That also kept it from doing damage. The Maple is dark green in this photo. The light green branches are the fallen elm.
It didn’t look like much trouble, so Neal assembled his pole saw and started trimming branches. I dragged them to the brush pile.
But after getting most of the leafy branches removed, he discovered that the main limb was resting on a limb of the maple tree. It was too big a job for us, so we had someone come in and remove the remainder of the branch.
It looked big while propped up in the tree, but not as big as it looked coming down out of the tree. That’s a lot of lumber to come tumbling out of the top of a tall tree!
Fortunately, we were able to get help from Elevated Tree Services. The two-man crew took about an hour to get the limb down and saw it into manageable sections. It was quite interesting to watch. I learned a lot about how to remove a limb in a controlled fashion!
Current Works in Progress
Other than three little sketches, which I described in a previous post, I didn’t get very much drawing done.
The only portrait I worked on was this portrait of Thomas. But the work went well, and I’m starting to think it’s going to be finished this month. Sometimes, I think all it really needs are a few whiskers and those long hairs in the ear and it will be done. What do you think?
Actually, I did work on another portrait, but all I did with that was the preliminary reference photo work. Several photos were provided, so I sorted through them and chose the best one, then prepared the selected photo to be printed. This one doesn’t have a due date, which may turn out to be more of a hindrance than a help, even if it does take some of the pressure off.
Looking to the Future
CP Magic! for 2024
As I mentioned above, I was able to schedule several months for 2024. In fact, the only months still open are March, September, November and December.
I still have artists to contact, but if you have a favorite artist you’d like to see featured in CP Magic!, drop me an email.
New Artist’s Journal Advanced Tutorials in the Works
The Faithful Lucy Tutorial and Artist’s Journal is just about ready to publish. I’m hoping to publish it sometime this month!
One older tutorial that I’ve been updating is also in the proofreading phase. I don’t know if the update will be published in September or not, but my goal is launch both it and Faithful Lucy at the same time. We’ll see how that goes.
So stay tuned for those. I’m hoping to publish at least two before the end of the year. Hopefully more!
Plein Air Gallery in the October Issue
It’s my hope to include a gallery of plein air reader sketches and drawings in the October issue of the magazine. It would be great if there were a couple of pages for that gallery, and I’d love to see one of your plein air sketches or drawings!
That’s the Studio News for August 2023
All told, a good month. I hope you had a good month, too.
Want to read more posts like this? Sign up for Carrie’s free weekly newsletter and be among the first to know when she publishes new articles.
WOW! It was good that the limb got hung up in the maple tree. I love your portrait of Thomas. Such a handsome guy. I have Rascal George and he’s also handsome. I liked your news brief and look forward to the next one.
It was very good that the limb got hung up in the Maple.
Thank you also for your kind words on the portrait of Thomas. It’s either finished or close to being finished. I haven’t decided yet.
And thank you also for your compliments on these little news briefs! I’m glad you like them.
Trees can wreck havoc on fences, good thing you got it safely cut away. We had one wreck the goat fence but the goats loved munching on it. The portrait of Thomas id FABULOUS!!!!
Peggy,
Yes, trees can wreak havoc on fences and other things. As close as our neighbors are, that branch came down with Providential care!
Thank you for your compliments on the portrait of Thomas. It has definitely been a challenge and a learning experience.
Sending warm thoughts and sympathy for the loss of your handsome Thomas.
The portrait of him is beautiful. Maybe you’ll like it better with the addition of his whiskers?
Susan,
Thank you.
I think I’ll like it better with the passage of time. I often find that the older artwork gets, the better it often looks! I guess I get stuck into the process too much!
Carrie, I haven’t been to your page for sometime. I’m glad I checked it out. Your portrait of Thomas is amazing!
Someone in my Bouvier group posted a that she was just taking up art again and is working on a pencil drawing of her Bouv. I posted the beautiful portrait you did of Katy for us and directed her to your website. I am sure she could learn a lot from you.
Blessings, Karen Hayes
Thank you, Karen! It’s great to hear from you.
Thank you also for your comments on the portrait of Thomas, and for taking the time to leave a comment.