Art tip #124 just went out, with the newsletter...
ART TIP #124--Exploring Dip PensLast time we played with a variety of fountain pens to see what they would do...this time we take a step back in time to versatile, inexpensive dip pens, and a bit about their history.
Join us for Part 2 of pen comparisons, as always in the Art Tips at upper left, here: http://cathyjohnson.info.
We've archived past entries to the right of every tip--you can find ideas on 124 subjects now!
Save them, print them out, keep them on your hard drive, share them with friends...that's what they're there for.
(They're also archived on inexpensive CDs and the NEW download form for your convenience--some people don't like to wait!)
* If you know someone who might be interested in ALL our offerings, feel free to share signup info for this newsletter or forward this email! The signup form's on my website, too...address in the sidebar at right.
Free Art Tip # 125, since we're on a drawing kick, will be on unusual drawing tools--watch for it!
And in other news...downloads!
We just jumped into the 21st Century, and ALL of our latest downloads are finally available, for those who prefer that format rather than ordering CDs--it's especially handy for our overseas art friends, but we're delighted with the wonderful response from people on THIS side of the pond, as well.
The Watercolor Pencil Workshop remains our most popular offering--that's a challenging medium! Click the link above to learn more about what's included. I'm happy to note that Keeping an Artist's Journal is a very close second, with the other workshops not far behind. THANK you all who have ordered from us!
We've also added downloadable versions for a couple of our little living history booklets from Graphics/Fine Arts Press--they've been in print for well over a decade now, and we're test-driving them as eBooks.
If you're as fascinated with pirates as many of us are, you might get a kick out of Pyrates in Petticoats, above!
Check out all our offerings--art books, living history, nature, in our book catalog: http://www.cathyjohnson.info/books.html.
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JETPENS BLOG
JETPENS featured my work on their blog this past week--thank you Lily and David and all! You can find the mini-interview here: http://blog.jetpens.com/2012/07/artist-highlight-cathy-johnson.html
I had no idea they had such an interesting blog, with interviews and features on a lot of artists worth checking out. You may want to bookmark the site, I did!
http://blog.jetpens.com/
If you haven't ordered from JetPens.com before, I'm happy to be able to tell you their customer service is LOVELY. Nice folks, fun offerings.
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URBAN SKETCHERS SHOW
...upcoming at the Ackland Museum at Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Correspondents of the Urban Sketchers blog have donated works to benefit the organization, help with future symposia and workshops, and generally advance the cause of urban sketching. I've donated three, myself!
The show opens August 10 and promises to be an exciting peek into urban sketches across the globe.
You can see one of my sketches here: http://urbansketchers-midwest.blogspot.com/2012/06/hoping-for-future.html
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LINKS WE LIKE
Jacqueline Newbold offers a free drawing tutorial on her blog--with excellent examples of measuring with your pencil. You'll find it here: http://djnewbold.blogspot.com/2012/07/drawing-lesson-part-i.html
Charles Reid, one of my all-time favorite watercolorists, is now on Facebook. You can browse his wonderful paintings and journals here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Charles-Reid-Watercolor/358463624182022
If that doesn't inspire you, nothing will!
Pamela Outersky Smith, a good friend of mine, was recently featured in the Best of Missouri Hands newsletter, and she DESERVES it. Beautiful work that shows her deep love of horses and nature. You can see the PDF here: http://www.bestofmissourihands.org/newsletter/BOMH_newsletter_2012-July.pdf
NEWS FROM the ARTIST'S JOURNAL WORKSHOP BLOG
You'll like some of the recent posts from our correspondents. If you've been considering binding your own sketchbooks, here's Vicky Williamson's latest entry--her journals always look so professional!
http://artistsjournalworkshop.blogspot.com/2012/07/new-handbound-sketchbooks.html
One of our recent interviews, Catriona Andrews, uses glorious inks--take a peek at her explorations here:
http://artistsjournalworkshop.blogspot.com/2012/06/indigo-blue.html
And remember, our poll is still open, in the sidebar at right...feel free to let us know what you'd like to see on the blog!
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If you're a journal keeper and you'd like to join us, we also have an active Facebook group and a Flick group--you'll find it here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/artists-journal-workshop/ --check them out!
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URBAN SKETCHERS-MIDWEST
We've had some wonderful additions to the group blog lately! Don't miss Don Gore's visit to Colonial Williamsburg (that's one of his sketches, above), Vicky Williamson's travels in Kansas, Marcia Milner-Brage's delicious backyard scenes done with NeoColor II crayons, and our recent sketchcrawl at Belvoir Winery in Liberty, MO.
You'll find Urban Sketchers Midwest here: http://urbansketchers-midwest.blogspot.com/--the blog is invitation only, but we're always looking for new members.
Check out the sidebar on the right on the blog--there are some wonderful opportunities for learning, including the 3rd International Urban Sketchers Symposium, in Santo Domingo, almost ready to begin, and a workshop in Portland, Oregon in August from Marc Taro Holmes of the wonderful Citizen Sketcher blog and Shari Blaukopf, whose "The Sketchbook" blog will surely inspire you.
(More information on the Symposium here: http://sdq2012.urbansketchers.org/)
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If you're an urban sketcher and you live in the Midwest, join us on Flickr, here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/urban-sketchers-midwest/ or on our Facebook page, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291703234226829/
MORE STUDIO CLEANING
More art supplies, CDs, and other goodies as I continue to follow Thoreau's advice and "Simplify, simplify"--the other day I took time to write a list of all the art supplies I use constantly and wouldn't ever want to be without. Everything else needs to go! (And sigh, yes, I do have more of the set shown above!)
Feel free to check them out at my eBay store, Kate's Treasures: http://stores.ebay.com/Kates-Treasures
AND AS ALWAYS, FEEDBACK IS WELCOME!
We appreciate your suggestions and impressions--on art tips, on classes, and on this newsletter. If you have ideas for future tips or requests, write me! I'll add them to the list. (Sorry for those who paint in oils--I can't, because of allergies, so I just try to pass along useful links to those who do...)
If you want to see something different in this newsletter, we want to know that too. THANK YOU!
You can reach me at kate.cathyjohnson@gmail.com.
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I've been doing more urban sketching, when I get the chance--it's HOT by afternoon! I hope you've had the chance to do likewise!
Best wishes
from Kate
Thanks for visiting! Feel free to forward this email to a friend...