Studio News for July 2023

Time to talk about the studio news for July 2023.

July was a hot and humid month here in Kansas. Heat we can take. After all, it is summer and it is Kansas.

But the humidity…. That was another thing altogether. I discovered that I’m not twenty anymore and that the weather affects me more these days than in the past. On most days when the temperature was over 100, I was physically and mentally weary by the time the sun set (about nine o’clock or later at this time of year.)

Since some of my most creative hours are in the evening, that made getting anything done in the evening a serious challenge.

But there was progress in a few areas.

Studio News for July 2023

August 2023 CP Magic!

One of the things I find it easy to do (most of the time) is work on the magazine. The August issue presented a few challenges, but it’s now available and waiting for you here. It’s a good issue and was a lot of fun to put together, despite a few missteps.

You can also see the collection of work by artists from around the world here.

I also worked on the September and October issues.

Reader Gallery Critiques

July was the second month I offered critiques to artists who submitted work to the CP Magic! Reader Gallery. So far, it’s going well. Giving critiques upon request cuts into drawing time, but I enjoy helping other artists reach their artistic goals.

So far, all the artists who have responded to the critiques have responded positively. I’m offering critiques again for the next issue.

House Work

Since the work on the house is now exterior, work has been seriously hampered by the weather.

There was one bright spot, however. A civil engineer, and a basement and foundation consultant evaluated the house in late July. Their reports are still forthcoming, but their verbal assessments confirmed our thoughts on the project.

Cats

One of the original members of the 2018 Kitten Posse, Bing, needed vet attention in July. A hematoma developed in his right ear and required surgery to drain. A week later, he was back at the vet’s office because the ear swelled again. After that, however, he healed up perfectly.

He now is a flop-eared cat because of tissue damage from the hematoma, but that just gives him character.

Current Works in Progress

House Lion

I worked on this drawing a couple of times during the month. I’m pleased to say I finished the base layers early in the month. Since then, I’ve done nothing but look at the drawing and think about it. Why? I don’t know what to do next!

Collecting Cloud Photos

I also continued photographing the sky. I didn’t mention it above, but the hot humid weather produced more than one day of wild weather. One of those storms presented a sky unlike anything I remember seeing before. The greens in the clouds were positively vivid. And the cloud formations and movement was also awe-inspiring. As cool as the photographs are, they’re nothing compared to the real thing.

The following week, another storm came through with high winds and stunning clouds. A cloud watcher’s delight, to say the least.

I have to admit that the idea of using a full sheet of Pastelmat to draw one of these skies is very appealing!

Looking to the Future

CP Magic for 2024

The year is now half over, so I’m in the process of contacting artists for 2024. So far, only three months are filled for next year. Given the fact that it’s now August, that’s about 50% of where I’d like to be in scheduling.

I have a short list of artists to contact, but I’m always willing to take recommendations. Do 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

I mentioned last month that I was writing a tutorial based on Faithful Lucy. That is still in progress.

I also began work on a couple of other artist’s journal tutorials. One of them is just an update, but I’m rewriting a couple of old tutorials as Artist’s Journal tutorials. Why bother with something like this?

One reason is to update information that is no longer valid.

But what I’m really hoping to do is give you more information and better value. Some of the tutorials I’m updating and upgrading are among the first I did. My graphic skills and tutorial writing skills have improved so much since then that it makes sense to update and upgrade.

So stay tuned for those. I’m hoping to publish at least two before the end of the year. Hopefully more!

That’s the studio news for July 2023. Here’s hoping you had a good month, too.

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