As with last month, the studio news for July 2025 is going to be short and sweet.
There’s a simple reason for that. It’s August 5 as I write these words and I’m still dealing with the long-term results of the virus I had from June 17 to 21. The most significant result is that I’m still dealing with fatigue. It’s amazing how completely a five-day virus can knock a person out!
Studio News for July 2025
CP Magic! News
The good news is that despite weariness and other issues, I have been able to do enough to keep up on important things. The magazine is probably the most important thing I have to do right now, and the August issue published on time thanks to a bunch of people who helped.
This issue focuses on pets, pet portraits, and four of the artists who create them. Each artist answered my questions about the trials and triumphs of pet portraits, their challenges, special tools and techniques, and more. It turned out to be a great issue, if I say so myself.
Peggy Osborne also provided a tutorial for this issue; a small format study of a horse’s eye and the reflections seen in it.
The August issue is available in digital and print formats.
Artwork
Drawing Time for the Month
The goal for drawing time in July was 23 hours. Having lots of time when I felt like doing nothing but sitting in my comfy chair gave me lots of time to doodle on things. I drew for a total of nearly 32 hours in July. That’s the most drawing time for a single month in a long, long time.
What did I work on?
Coloring pages mostly, because they require very little thought unless I want to put the thought into them. They kept me busy with colored pencils and also gave me practice time with layering and the other necessary, basic skills required of a colored pencil artist. That’s never a bad thing; I finished four in July.
My favorite is the last one (lower right below). I put the most time into that and tried different strokes to apply color.
I finished one ACEO for the ACEO group challenge. The challenge for July was fireworks, and I did my best. The end result is interesting, but it doesn’t look much like fireworks to me. My husband persuaded me to submit it for the challenge anyway. He said it looked like a big explosion of some kind, so that’s what I ended up calling it. A Big Explosion.
I tried.
Sometimes that’s the best you can hope for!
I also worked on blog post illustrations, which have already published or will publish soon.
Looking to the Future
At present, looking to the future involves the next issues of CP Magic, and future blog posts.
However, one thing I have been able to do is get out and take photographs when the occasion arises.
And the occasion did arise on July 25, with some gorgeous evening clouds. Storms were building to the east of us as the sun sank in the west. The result was great color and dramatic clouds.
These are three of the best. Wouldn’t they make great subjects? I am looking forward to trying my hand at them, hopefully soon.
That’s the Studio News for July 2025
I hope if you’re going through something right now, you can find a way to keep it from getting you down. If all you do is a coloring page or two, or take a few photos, take heart. That’s better than doing nothing!
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