X O Award of Excellence in Chicago

"X O" (pastel, 12x6 inches) $1250

I haven't had time to post much in December, but now that my local craft show (where I've done portrait sketches for the last several years) is over for the Holidays, I'll be back to posting more frequently again I hope!

I noticed that I had bragged about this award on Facebook but didn't blog it, so here it is! I'm thrilled to say that "X O", an offshoot of my Renaissance Portrait series, won the Award of Excellence (equivalent of Second in Show!) at the Chicago Pastel Painters 7th Biennial National Juried Exhibition, Pastels Chicago 2019.

Since my own personal subtitle for this one is "Biker Santa", I thought it made an appropriate post for this time of year... Santa's headed toward his leisure days after all his hard work last week. ;)

See some progress pics of X O on an earlier blog post here: http://ritakirkman.blogspot.com/2017/10/x-o-wins-award.html

"X O" has a New Award!

"X O" (pastel, 12x6 inches) $1350

I'm very excited to brag that my painting "X O" has won the Dakota Art Pastels Award at the Pastel Society of the West Coast Pastels USA 32nd Annual International Open Exhibition. That's $500 worth of pastels!! Whoo hoo!! I get a dream shopping spree!   :D

A huge thank you to show judge Lorenzo Chavez!

This is the second award for my biker Santa. Read about his first award and see some progress shots on his original post here!

.

"X O" Wins Award!

"X O" (pastel, 12x6 inches)

I'm thrilled to brag that my latest small figurative painting, X O, has won the CPS Memorial Award at the Connecticut Pastel Society's Renaissance in Pastel 24th Annual National Juried Exhibtion.
The show runs October 4 — November 5, 2017 at the Arts Center East in Vernon, CT.

Thank you to Jurors Maria Marino, Eileen Casey and Paul Leveille for selecting my work for inclusion, and much appreciation to Judges of Awards Jean Dalton and Jane McGraw Teubner for choosing my painting for this awesome award!

I was rather happy with this painting, as I intentionally placed the reflective sunglass lens smack dab in the middle of the image, yet there's an optical illusion (from the dark hat, the red X, and the white beard I think) that makes it at first appear to be slightly higher than center. Nope. Measure it! It's in the middle! I love breaking traditional rules of composition and getting away with it. My job is so fun!

Here are some progress shots:

Thanks for watching! Please share!

.

Pencil Portrait Commissions (and new site in the works!)

Grandparents (conte pencil and pastel pencil, 12x15 inches) sold

The Holidays are done, and the New Year under way with a vengeance! Where did the past two weeks go? Well, I for one have been catching up with my post-Christmas portrait orders, and playing with our new kitten.

Here are a couple more of this Season's portraits. I also have been working on an updated Drawings site for my pencil portraits, which will still be at RitaKirkmanDrawings.com, but will be new and improved! Check there in a couple days, or just wait and I'll share it when it's ready!

baby boy (conte pencil and pastel pencil, 10x8 inches)  sold

And... our new kitty! (Pete, aka Mewler, or Pete Mewler, Pretty Pete, Dude, Silly Cat, Pretty Kitty, Good Kitty, and sometimes Bad Kitty.)

(photo)

Portraits at the San Antonio Rodeo

Double quick-sketch portrait (conte pencil and pastel, 12x15)

I know!! I haven't posted in a LONG time!

Well, January was way too short a month to take "off", trying to catch up with paperwork and taxes (which I still haven't done, lol) and now it's the middle of February and the San Antonio Rodeo! Can you believe I've been sketching portraits there since 1994?! How time flies!

I especially wanted to post this portrait because I drew this girl four years ago, AND took a photo of it! I do get various people back to be drawn year after year, but it's memorable for me to get someone whom I felt I drew well enough to want to photograph the portrait...

quick-sketch portrait 2012

Now she's married and had her portrait with her husband. Here they are with their portrait from yesterday!

The rodeo continues through February 28. You can find me on the floor of the Freeman Coliseum, right down the stairs from the front entrance.

For more rodeo info, see their website at www.sarodeo.com.

Larry

"Larry" (oil, about 16x17 inches)

The New Braunfels Art League in my home town just started a portrait group again after several years going without one. I've decided this time I'm going to use it to improve my oil portraits (of which I've done approximately 4 in my life! ... Including this one!)

Each first Tuesday of the month (hopefully) I'll have a new oil portrait from life to share with you!

Here are some shots of my progress, and the group. We let the model break after 20 minute sittings, so these shots are at about 20 minute increments.

I don't consider it "finished", but then what painting is ever actually "finished"? I slapped in the yellow on the lit side of his face in the final moments of my last 20 minute allotment, after he got up, in a desperate attempt to add warmth to the light. (Had to leave early to pick up the kids.)

I do like the shirt, and the hat. Lol.

King's Guard is the BOS!

 "King's Guard" (pastel, 8x6 inches) $1150

I was floored last evening at the reception for this year's Austin Pastel Society Juried Member Exhibition when I saw the giant purple ribbon next to my very own artwork! (This makes two years in a row for Best of Show, but I'm trying not to count for fear that people will begin to find me completely impossible to put up with!) Honestly, I'm just thrilled and riding the high of my good fortune, and thankful to Mike Beeman, who judged the show, for his choices. Literally, ALL the works in the show could have had top awards; the talent in this group of artists has been raising the bar higher and higher in the last decade. It's a great show, and still up in the Corridor of Art below the Chase Bank Bldg., 700 Lavaca, Austin TX., through May 3rd.

Here's my happy face with the King's Guard and big ribbon!

"Bandit" in the CPS Renaissance in Pastel National Exhibition

"Bandit"  (pastel, 8x6 inches)  $1150

"Bandit" was accepted into the Connecticut Pastel Society Renaissance in Pastel National Exhibition, to be shown at the Slater Memorial Museum in Norwich, CT. The show runs from Oct 8 - Nov 9, 2014. Awards Reception Oct 19. Wish me luck!

Bandit was also published as the frontspiece to my Feature in the Pastel Journal, October 2013.

.

Prince of Thieves - in HVAA Exhibit

"Prince of Thieves"  (pastel, 8x6 inches)  $1150

I'm happy to announce that this handsome thief will be going to the Salmagundi Club in NYC for the 82cd Annual Juried Exhibition of the Hudson Valley Art Association.
Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony: Friday September 26.
The exhibit runs September 20 - 26, 2014.

I won't be traveling up there this year, but wish me luck anyway!

.

Family Quick-Sketch Portraits

 Mother and Daughter (sepia conte and white pastel, 15x12 inches)

 Father and Son (sepia conte and white pastel, 15x12 inches)

 This Houston client had contacted me months ago to schedule a place and time to get his family's portraits drawn in the quick-sketch style. I had drawn them all years ago and he wanted an update. After several 'almost' appointments, our schedules finally connected in June.

Below are the happy customers! Thank you Kevin and family!

Stay Tuned! Another "Quick-Sketch Portrait" workshop is in the works at the New Braunfels Art League, back by popular demand!

.

Sheriff

"Sheriff"  (pastel, 12x9 inches)  $1375

Sheriff will be with me for the Texas State Arts & Crafts Fair in Kerrville, TX, May 24-26, 2013. If he survives the weekend unsold, he'll go on to my solo show at the Breckenridge Fine Arts Center in Breckenridge, TX, June 11 - July 20, 2013.

I haven't posted demo-photos in a while, so to make up for that, here are some good ones of Sheriff!

A couple days after he was 'done', I noticed his right eye was too high and close to the other, so I washed it out and repainted it. This image is after wiping off the eye with a wet rag. I didn't take more photos before the final scan, so I'll post that again below so you can see the difference without having to scroll all the way back up.

(The color change is just the variance between camera and scanner..)

Thanks for watching! Please share!

.

King's Guard accepted to IAPS Master Circle Exhibit

"King's Guard"  (pastel, 8x6 inches)  $1150

Well, I've run out of new small paintings again, and have been delayed getting back to the studio by annoying things like sales tax computation (due quarterly on the 20th, that meant today!) and other obligations of life. But hopefully by later this week I'll have a few more new posts at 'ya!

Meanwhile today I got some great news I want to share: "King's Guard", which recently got back from the PSA (Pastel Society of America) show in New York followed by the Butler Institute Invitational in Ohio, was just accepted into the IAPS (International Association of Pastel Societies) Master Circle Exhibit, which will be coming up in June during the Tenth Biennial Convention in Albuquerque, NM. This fellow will be a well-traveled gentleman by the time he sells!

.

Alba

"Alba"  (pastel, 8x6 inches)  click here to bid

Alba is my little sequel to Yuki. They are twin baby goats from a petting zoo at the North Texas Irish Fest in Dallas.

Below is one of my better caricatures from last week's ISCA convention. Visit my Art Journal Blog to see the rest of them!

King's Guard - Award Winner!

"King's Guard"  (pastel, 8x6 inches)

Word has just come to me from Rae Smith herself, president of the Pastel Society of America, that my painting "King's Guard" has won the Allied Artists of America Award at the PSA's 40th Annual Exhibition. The show runs through September 29, 2012 at the Bernhard Gallery of the National Arts Club in New York City.

UPDATE as of 9/4/2012: Just received news that "King's Guard" has been selected to be included in a show at the Butler Institute of American Art following the PSA show! Tentative dates for this show are December through January. More news later!


.

Bogart

"Bogart"  (pastel, 7x5 inches)  click here to bid

In honor of the San Antonio Rodeo, I decided to work on some more miniature cow portraits, for which I'm best known. I had time today to complete one painting - yay! I named him Bogart because something in his face and expression reminded me of the famous classic movie star...

Below is my "Quick-Sketch Portrait #2", one of our brave service men from the United States Air Force. He is flying out on another assignment in the morning.