All Stacked Up - Colored Pencil On Ampersand Pastelboard 16 X 12

 

"All Stacked Up" 16 X 12 - Colored Pencil On Ampersand Pastelbord is finally complete.  The Teapot shown here is one we inherited from my sweet husband's Grandma Treida and the various teacups came from my mother, and mother in law.  The blue glass creamer is from my Nana.  And no proper tea party would be complete without sugar cubes (or so my Granddaughters think).   

This CP Painting will be waiting for delivery to my Nov. /Dec. One Woman Show at Uptown Gallery, Richmond, VA in late Oct.   I'm still tossing around titles for my show so if anyone has ideas let me know.  I'm hoping to convey all the possible surfaces and subjects that Colored Pencil Paintings can be presented in.   

This summer has been a time of change, new beginnings and creations both here at home, in the studio and in my life.  And after a bout with Lyme's disease I'm finally feeling like I can make some real decisions in my life and art.  The best thing is we are expecting a new grandchild via my youngest son David and his lovely wife Angela in Jan.  2016.  I love babies and miss that sweet baby smell.  

I have been working on the details of my Colored Pencil Workshop for the Old Dominion Decorative Painters Assoc. here in Richmond for Sept.,  as well as taking a workshop in Oils which I will post about next.   Don't get me wrong I'm not abandoning colored pencil, just adding a little something new to shake things up.  As much as I love the pencil point and detail I'm missing the ability to spread paint about with a brush.  So not to worry I will still be working like crazy in CP since I have my show coming up in Nov.  

My studio mate, Bacio wants to say Hi ;)) and he's given his approval on the completion of the above piece.  Which usually means he looks at me and then the piece I'm showing him and then proceeds to jump into my lap.  Saying, "OK your done now, pet me!"  I admit it's a little self serving on his part, but sometimes I need someone else to say "Back away and quit fiddling, it's done."  
                                                                                                        Oh, he wants you to know he's just celebrated his First Birthday!

My Last Studio Piece for 2014 "Backlit Watermelons"

             Backlit Watermelons - 10" X 20" Colored Pencil On Ampersand Pastelboard

My last studio piece for 2014, is finally photographed and on my website.  The only thing that says December about it is the red and green subject matter.  This is the seventh piece in my Backlit Series and is currently waiting for my show in April "Artful Healing"  a fundraiser that benefits the World Pediatric Project.  The funny thing is I was temped to make holiday cards out of it! LOL  

Instead I photographed my new puppy "Bacio" in his holiday get up.  He's sort of become my new studio pal.  As he learns his studio manners I'm learning to lighten up a little and have a bit more fun.  Who can resist that face!

As 2014 sinks into the sunset I have a few other plein air pieces yet to scan or photo so a few more pieces are yet to come from 2014.  And while I'm anxious to start my new studio piece there is always so much art business to catch up on.  Do you get bogged down with the business side of art?  An artist is just like many sole proprietors, there is always so much marketing and office stuff to do than the creation side of the business we all love.  

Before the year ended I made my LIST OF GOALS FOR 2015, and try as I might to keep it concise, it's a long list.  I think setting goals for your art business is the best way to stay on track as the year progresses.  Although my tendency when I review my list from the previous year, if for my eye to go straight to the things I didn't get done,  I'm always pleased when I get to check off the items I did get done.  I do this the old fashioned way, writing it down in a notebook/journal.  I know it is the visual side of me that likes keeping the lists manually instead of digitally.  How about you?

Top on the Goals List is to say "no" to some of the art volunteer work I do.  And I am ahead of that item.  This leads straight to the the top line item on my list which is to complete more work in 2015, monthly.  My goal in 2014 was to work out a system and increase my speed in plein air work with colored pencil.  And this was the main reason I completed a higher number of works last year.  

While smaller than my studio work, the plein air pieces have helped my work in so many ways.  Observation and actually seeing is so much more hightened when working en plein air.  And this comes into play even when I am photographing a still life for a studio piece.  As time frees up this year I plan on completing more sketches of my setup for each new still life work while things are still fresh.   

Colored pencil painting's slow process of many, many layers hinders the ability to keep things fresh long enough to complete a larger studio piece entirely.  But color studies and sketches can help your minds eye remember, as it sort of writes itself into ones memory as you sketch.  

Of course my blog entries were on my list of Goals for 2015, I have hopes to create a video and some demos for the blog this year as well as post more frequently.  So please if your reading my blog leave a comment, ask a question, or just plain let me know what you want to see.  I'd like to make this a meatier place to find colored pencil information.  

What are your goals for 2015?

Gloria  Callahan