The past month was a busy and eventful month, so let’s get started with the studio news for September 2024.
Studio News for September 2024
Things are going to be busy the rest of this year with two special classes in addition to all the “usual” activities.
Two Special Classes
On Saturday, October 5, I’ll be teaching a Jelly Bean class for Ann Kullberg. Top Tips for Drawing Horses draws on my decades of experience drawing horse portraits and horses in the landscape. I’ll be sharing some do’s and don’ts, general drawing, and composition tips. I’ll also show students what worked and didn’t work in some of my favorite oil paintings and colored pencil works.
But that’s not all.
Beginning Saturday, October 26, I’ll be leading a workshop, also for Ann Kullberg. This is a different sort of class for me, because I and the students will actually be drawing a beautiful Belgian colt. The process begins with a green under drawing, after which we’ll glaze color to create a luminous portrait.
We’ll meet every other Saturday through December. If you can’t make every class, there’s ample time to catch up between sessions. I will be available to answer questions during and between classes.
Sound like fun? You can find out more about the workshop and/or register here.
I’d love to have you in either class or both if you’re feeling ambitious!
CP Magic! News
Pauline Clay is the featured artist for October. She shares her tips for creating beautiful colored pencil work as well as her art journey, which is filled with mountaintop experiences as well as valleys. It sure to encourage you no matter what challenges you may be facing right now.
Her tutorial is fun-filled: a scrumptious composition featuring cheesecake and ice cream layered with chocolate and caramel syrup. Her step-by-step descriptions are easy to read and follow and you’ll enjoy completing it.
CP Magic! in Print?
You read right. Last month, I set up the September issue as a print-on-demand magazine. The October issue is also available in print.
Interested? You can get the September issue in print here, and the October issue in print format here.
The June special landscape edition is also available in print here.
My plan is to offer each new issue in print for the foreseeable future. I may also add back issues as time allows, so be watching for them. And if you have a special issue you’d like to have in print, let me know!
Personal Health
The early part of September was hampered by intermittent pain in my left shoulder, which I’d been dealing with since mid-August. A visit to the doctor led to a visit with a physical therapist. The search for the cause of the shoulder pain led to the most astounding discovery.
I slouch.
The treatment was a couple of exercises, which I’ve been doing, and better ways of doing the work I have to do. That has not been so easy.
I’ve tried several different ways to do art, including standing at an easel, standing at a drafting table, and working with a laptop drawing board. Some have worked better than others. Some haven’t worked at all. So although I haven’t yet found the perfect solution, I have found several options that aren’t for me.
Probably the most important thing I’ve done is be more aware of my posture, no matter what I’m doing. It’s amazing that I find myself slumping and slouching no matter what I’m doing. Working at the computer, reading, even walking! No, I can’t keep myself from slouching all the time, but I do straighten up every time I catch myself slouching. Let me tell you, it’s a lot of work!
This situation most likely means permanent changes in the way I do things for the simple reason that there’s no way to reverse aging. It happens to all of us.
But it’s also not the end of the road for the things I’ve been doing. I can continue to draw, write, and publish.
Current Works in Progress
A New Horse Portrait
I started work on a new horse portrait in September. This portrait is the result of a donation I made to TW Quarter Circle Ranch this spring. It’s been a long time since I last donated a custom portrait to any organization, so I’ll have to get back into that routine.
The line drawing was completed using the grid method and the final drawing sent to the client for approval.
Two Landscapes
I worked on both of my current landscapes in September, but didn’t finish either one. Part of the reason for that was the problems I had with my shoulder in late August and early September. The necessity of finding better ways to work and draw also slowed me down quite a bit.
But the biggest reason I didn’t finish either landscape was that the horse portrait I mentioned above took priority.
So did preparing for the Top Tips for Drawing Horses Jelly Bean class and the Beautiful Belgian workshop.
Flint Hills Haze, shown here, is the drawing I worked on most. This is how it looked at the end of September. I’m quite happy with it, especially that foreground hill. I didn’t intend to draw a shadow in the immediate foreground. There isn’t one in the reference photo, but I like it in the drawing. What do you think?
Despite all of the unexpected events in September and the feeling that I didn’t get much drawing done, I met the goal for the month. My goal was 21 hours of drawing time. I ended September with 22 hours and 21 minutes. Not too bad!
Looking to the Future
My plans for the future are vague right now because of the portrait, class, and workshop. I would like to finish the two landscapes I mentioned above, but I’m not sure I’ll be starting anything new for the rest of the year, other than the Belgian foal for the workshop. The work for the class is just about complete and that class will be behind me by the end of the day Saturday.
After that, I start final preparations for the workshop!
Given the fact that we’re entering the holiday season already and have the usual holiday-related activities to look forward too, my calendar is looking pretty full.
That’s the Studio News for September 2024
September was a busy month here and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down any. I hope you’ll join me as often as you can here on the blog, via the newsletter and magazine, and in the class and workshop later this year.
In the meantime, let’s keep drawing!
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Hi Carrie, I wish you all the best in your two horse classes. If I were doing horses now, I would definitely want to take those courses. I love your Flint Hills art and look forward to seeing it finished. Would also love to see a photo of the horse art you donated, if you care to share. What a neat thing to do!
Gail,
Thank you for the well-wishes. Odd as it sounds, I find the lead-up to new things to be more challenging than actually doing new things. Prep time can also be unnerving!
I won’t be able to share the new portrait until it’s been approved by the client unless I can get permission. I want to see if the client would allow me to write a blog post series showing progress. If that’s okay, then I will be able to write an “in-progress” tutorial. I haven’t done that in quite a long time!
Hi Carrie, I totally understand, and tutorials are always cool!
Yes. And it’s been waaay too long since I published a horse tutorial on this blog.
Looking forward to the Jellybean and Pajama classes Carrie. Thank you for the free horse tutorial information. I’ve never created a horse drawing but have wanted to for a long time. And am soooo intrigued by a green underpainting on a horse!!!
Also love the shadow in “Flint Hills Haze.”
Thank you, Crystal.
Horses are fun to draw once you get past the “fright factor”. I had the same feelings about doing landscapes. There’s so much in every landscape that I was afraid of giving it a try. But I found out they’re not as intimidating as they look!