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

"Transience of Innocence" in Southwest Art Mag

"Transience of Innocence" (pastel, 26x19 inches)


I'm proud to announce that my painting "Transience of Innocence" has won an Honorable Mention in the 2019 Southwest Art Artistic Excellence Competition, and is published in the Dec 2019/Jan 2020 issue (page 70.)
 

Read the article online here. 

 

Read more about this painting's history here!

 

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Minuet

"Minuet" (pastel on primed Yupo, 7x5 inches) click here to bid or buy

My last demo from Montreal to be posted. She's a sweet little fawn from our neighborhood.

I've been watching flight prices to Australia, preparing for my string of workshops down there next summer. Hopefully will be buying my ticket soon! So exciting!

I'll be teaching near Coolangatta NSW, Adelaide SA, Melbourne VIC, and Devonport in Tasmania, as well as of course the Pastel Expo in Caloundra Queensland in September. I've got most of them listed on my website now, check it out if you've got Australia on your bucket list! Their late winter / early spring (August/September) is a cost-effective time to travel there, away from the more expensive seasons. I'll be down from early August to mid-September.

For you more home-bound USA folks, I'll be in Texas in January, and up the east coast (NC, VA, NH) next fall!

Hope to see you somewhere!

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Ester

"Ester" (pastel, 7x5 inches) click here to bid or buy

Another demo from the Montreal workshop. A curious sheep I met in Texas somewhere.

If you haven't heard, my next workshop is close to home. January 18-19, 2020 in Georgetown Texas. Start you New Year off with a creative boost!
Contact Donna at donna@cordovanartschool.com
Click the flyer for more details...

Sugarbun

"Sugarbun" (pastel, 7x5 inches) click here to bid or buy

Finally getting around to posting my Montreal workshop demos. It was a wonderful workshop and a lovely first-time visit to Montreal. The day before the workshop I walked the entire botanical gardens, took the metro to the art museum, then back to the gardens for an evening light show. In a new pair of boots! When I got back to my AirBnB, I felt like this bunny looks - ready for a 12 hour nap!

 The students hard at work!

 Happy Paintings!

My next workshop is closer to home... At the Georgetown Art Center, Georgetown (Austin) TX. At the perfect time for New Years Art Resolutions! Click the flyer for details and contact Donna Staten to register.

Emma - a poodle commission

"Emma" (conte and pastel pencil, 12x16, from client photos) sold

It's that time of year when my focus returns to the commissioned portraits almost exclusively. Hard to believe another Christmas is just around the corner! This adorable and beloved poodle's human saw my work at the Main Street Fort Worth Art Festival last year and commissioned this drawing of her darling Emma, from 3 separate photos of her. (I flipped one of the pics to improve the composition.)

November had been my traditional "30-in-30" month for the past several years, when I would paint and post every day, completing 30 paintings in the month. That changed this year when I was invited to be a caricature artist at my home town's ever-popular and classic annual German festival, Wurstfest, which runs for 10 days in early November each year. (Only waited about 25 years for the spot, lol! Read more in my newsletter here!)

So now I'm out here enjoying the Wursfest and in between caricatures I'm getting a jump on some Holiday commission work in advance of the annual craft show at Rolling Oaks Mall in San Antonio next month (which I've been doing for a long time!)

If you like my portrait drawings, feel free to share my site RitaKirkmanDrawings.com, and let your friends know there's still time to order for Christmas!

Thanks, I appreciate you!

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