August has been a month of balance. After the whirlwind of July with birthdays, travel, and the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA) convention in Maryland, August felt quieter, more about recovering, organizing, and regrouping.
I’ll admit, as I sat down with my art goals for the year, I realized just how far behind I was. Eek! For a moment I panicked, but once I took a breath, I reminded myself that I have more control than I think. Now that I know where I stand, I can take things one step at a time toward each creative milestone.
So while I don’t have a long list of new colored pencil art updates, I do have a few meaningful highlights to share.
(All my goodies from the CPSA convention)
Taking Stock & Tending Art Connections
One of the best parts of traveling in July was meeting new people and making connections at the CPSA annual colored pencil art convention and during vacation. When I got home, I spent the first week tending to those connections — sending emails, following up, and continuing conversations on social media.
I know Instagram and Facebook have changed so much over the years, but I still treat them like it’s 2005. I reply to comments, hit “like,” and leave thoughtful replies when I feel compelled. My hope is that if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you feel comfortable interacting with me, because I truly appreciate it when you do.
Running a small art business online can feel lonely sometimes, so those interactions really matter. 💛
Behind the Art Business
Speaking of running a small art business, I also spent much of August catching up on coursework in an e-commerce group I’m part of: The Social Sales Girls Inner Circle. I joined earlier this year because I knew I needed to get better at making my artwork visible online.
If I had a brick-and-mortar shop, people might stumble across me just by walking by. But with an online art shop, it doesn’t work that way. Learning how to be “seen” is a process, and I’m grateful for the tools I’m picking up along the way.
If you’re curious, you can learn more about The Social Sales Girls or check out the podcast, Ecommerce Roadmap.
Also if you ever want to help me or any independent artist with an online shop small actions like sharing posts, leaving a comment, or telling a friend go a long way.
My Custom Drawing Table
Recently, I’ve been receiving questions about my artist studio setup, especially my drawing table. So I thought I’d share a bit more here. My husband and I built it together in 2023 after I spent too much time hunched over a regular desk that wasn’t working for me.
I designed this custom drawing table for colored pencil artwork with everything I wanted:
-
standing height,
-
wheels for mobility,
-
storage space, and
-
a hinged top that tilts up to 90 degrees.
It’s been a game-changer for my workflow, posture, and comfort during long drawing sessions.
Here are some photos from the building process. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to share a full artist studio tour (including my printing and production space) in a future post. Just let me know in the comments if that’s something you’d like to see!
(A glimpse of the contruction of my drawing table)
(A throwback to how it used to be. I now have a computer on that desk)
A Local Artist Highlight
This month I had the joy of visiting the solo show of North Texas artist Angeline Collier. Her work is so rich, layered with emotion, and she even included a series of paintings inspired by her dreams. Capturing dreams in vivid detail is hard enough to describe with words let alone paint the details! I left her show deeply inspired.
You can check out her artwork here if you’d like to see more from this talented Texas painter.
(A painitng from Angeline's latest collection)
A Day in the Park
I also enjoyed a beautiful day outdoors at a local Texas park as part of Birdies in the Books, a community event where participants bring a book to exchange with others. It's such a cool idea and, thankfully, it was a perfect Texas summer day (read: not hot as...).
Events like this remind me how much local arts and community overlap, and how they feed into my own creative energy.
(Views from my spot on the grass! Look at that cute cloud)
Flowers Still Blooming 🌸
Progress on my Birth Flower Art Collection hasn’t been moving as quickly as I hoped, so I’m considering adjusting my release plans. The details are still percolating, but don't worry I’ll be sharing birth flower art products this year that will brighten your home, office, or studio... or make a meaningful gift for someone special.
Stay tuned for more updates on my floral artwork soon!
(currently on my drawing table)
1 comentario
So glad you were able to hang out. Cheers to more art and gatherings!