2nd Annual Student Show and What's been happening in Jan.

I'm a little late in posting photos of my 2nd Annual Student show at Crossroads Art Center & Gallery on Jan. 16th - Feb. 17th, in my exhibit space.  We had a great turn out and lots of beautiful art.  Unfortunately I don't have a group picture of all those who are showing their work but I am so very proud of all of my Students.  they work very hard and I believe enjoy the process of Colored Pencil Painting.  This is by no means all of them but a short view of the show.  If your in Richmond go by Crossroads Art Center & Gallery before Feb. 17th to see the work for yourself!

The infamous "Bob" with his portrait by his lovely wife, Toni Brown. Dressed as he was in his portrait. This was her first portrait accomplished in my class. And it won an award in her local Fredricksburg Show. Great Job!

Jean Dickson with her first Rose accomplished in our Beginner's class this spring.  And she has moved on to more lovely work since.  A decorative Painter Jean has many talents.

Barbara Chadwick with her "Study in Red" her first piece accomplished in class and "Pumpkin" drawn in class and from life.  Barbara is a botanical artist who usually works in watercolor and enjoys working from life in that tradition.

Pauline and "Clyde"  in front of her first portrait of her handsome hubby.   Pauline's work in the show also included her piece from our shiny objects class,  Still Life With Strawberries.


Additional students in my show with work are Jan Ozolek and her "South African Lilac Breasted  Roller"-Bird Portrait seen to the left of Pauline in this picture.  And Brian Austin's lovely landscape view "Sister Bay Beauties" with Echinacea also in this view.

Rebecca Spangler's two landscapes: "Savannah Street Scene" and "Mabry Mill" are also part of the exhibit.  (pictures coming)  And Barbara George's "Ireland Green" butterfly-botanical piece.





Kathy Scott's "Provincial Cafe" is a lovely street scene from one of her many European vacations.


So as you can see my students have worked hard and deserve to have their paintings shown both here and on my exhibit walls at Crossroads Art Center and Gallery, Richmond, VA

They are already hard at work on new pieces in 2015 and I'm sure the show will grow and gain more interest for colored pencil painting!  I know my pride in showing their work keeps me teaching and encouraging new people to pick up this media.

Gloria

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         

Strokes Of Genius Vol. 6 : Value / Lights & Darks by North Light Books

I am so very honored and proud to have had one of my images placed in this book of wonderful drawings.  Colored Pencil, Pen & Ink, Pastel, Graphite and much more.  My work "Harley's Davidson"  Colored Pencil can be found on page 51, as seen below.

A link to the North Light Book is HERE.

Of the 1500 entries submitted there are 140 great images.  If you are into drawing this is a must see book.  I received my copy on Monday and now that classes are finished for the week I can't wait to drink in each and every drawing, along with a hot cup of coffee that is!

Happy scribbling everyone. 

Gloria Callahan

More 2014 Plein Air Colored Pencil Works

I promised you more Plein Air pieces and here they are:

"Pier 22 Annapolis Docks" a 8 X 6" Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard completed during a weekend workshop on location at the docks.  My BFF and fellow plein air junkie, Kathy Scott also worked at this view in her native oil paints.

In Sept. we attended a plein air workshop from Oil Painter - Barbara Nuss who's book on Composition we both own and hold in high regard.  Which can be purchased from her at her website HERE or at a Barnes and Nobles.

Now again most workshops I attend in plein air are for other media, not colored pencil.  But I always feel you can learn from other artists in their approach and palette.   I just translate in my head the colors they mix or demonstrate into my well known Prismacolor shades.  Black Grape, Moss green etc.

To the right is Kathy's 10 X 8" piece done in Oil "Dockside Bar"  Her piece was also finished in the studio afterwards.  To view more of Kathy's work her website can be viewed HERE You can see the differences two artists observe in the same view.  It is the artist's prerogative to add or remove elements they find distracting to their subject.

The view across from the main dock area was in constant motion.  The large sail boat Woodwind II from my piece, came and went in the 4 hours we painted in the sun.  A large bay charter boat came and went from slip 22 every hour and a half.  Blocking our view and making us move our set up spot initially.  But such are the perils of working in the fresh air!  

The above shown pieces were from our second day of the workshop, Sunday.   On the prior day, Saturday we watched a demo Barbara completed from the window of the Quiet Waters State Park in Annapolis, MD, while we waited for the rain to clear.  Then it was out to the South River view to take it on for ourselves.

So my "South River View" an 8 X 8" Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard came to be.  Now again, my colored pencil works are usually near 75% complete on location, with the build up of layers and saturation of color added afterward.

We concluded our trip to Maryland with a detour thru Chads Ford, PA to see the homes and studios of N. C. Wyeth and his son Andrew.  What a treat!

I do have a few more works yet to see the finishing touches from other 2014 plein air adventures in CP.

Stay tuned!
Gloria