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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Ellie

"Ellie" (pastel, 8x8 inches)

The other painting I finished at the Carriage House Gallery last Saturday. Ellie will be with me at my Montreal workshop this weekend, as an example of my work!

Ellie is short for Elouise, since I painted her from another photo a while back. Such a sweet little heifer.

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Ozzie

"Ozzie" (pastel, 12x6 inches) $300 unframed for a limited time

One of two paintings I finished at the Carriage House Gallery on Saturday, since I needed at least a couple of paintings with me to my workshop in Montreal this weekend. I haven't been painting any "inventory" (aka: Non-Commissioned Work) recently and so I didn't have any new available unframed paintings... and since I'm flying to this workshop, I can't just toss all my stuff and a bunch of framed artwork into my van...

Anyway, I really like Ozzie, I think he's cute. And I'd kill for those eyelashes!

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