Artist Vlog :: Nude Figure Modeling + New Art + Epic Hawaii Hike

Hi friends! It's been a while since I've just sat down and given you the skinny on all the latest Nest happenings so join me today as I get overly excited and bubbly about trying new things;)

If you like hearing about the less-glamorous but more intimate sides of being a working artist, jump on my Birds of a Feather newsletter here or at the the end of this blog post post to get my monthly letter all about my personal happenings I only share in the Nest. 

I don't want to say another word and spoil the show - enjoy!!

If you want to see more epic Hawai'i hike photos check out my blog post from earlier this week here. 

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originally published May 2, 2018

Dick Blick Art Supply Haul + Big News!!

Art supply haul from Dick Blick - hooray!! Is there anything more exciting than getting brand new art supplies?! Especially when they are a new medium or color that you've never worked with before?! I'll do a little show n tell, and even a demo of my new Carbothello pencils which I am psyched to use as an alternative to black in my live figure drawings. 

PLUS I just got accepted to be a Dick Blick affiliate, which means that I can now take you right to the supplies I use in my videos, and if you decide to purchase anything using my links then you are automatically supporting my channel - win win!!

Here's a nice close up of my fabulous alternatives-to-black Carbothello pencils:

And if you're interested in purchasing any of these art supplies, here are all my fancy new links for each product:

Carbothello Pencils:

Bister
https://bit.ly/2pXPKeJ
Burnt Umber
https://bit.ly/2Iio6AD
Warm Grey #4
https://bit.ly/2H3PH98
Payne's Grey
https://bit.ly/2uDWdRx
Prussian Blue
https://bit.ly/2Gtoekf
Raw Umber
https://bit.ly/2pYbffp
Violet Deep
https://bit.ly/2uDqe49

Cerulean Blue Gouache
https://bit.ly/2IioFdJ

Mona Lisa Gold Leaf
https://bit.ly/2Jbqomp

Brushes:
Size 3/0
https://bit.ly/2uH4OTH
Size 0
https://bit.ly/2Jd1fI0
Size 2
https://bit.ly/2InF7tb

Canson Ingres Steel Grey 27lb. Paper
https://bit.ly/2pXy4A0

Yay! Happy Arting!

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originally published April 4, 2018

Opening Night! :: Putting on an Art Show on a Budget

Hoorayyyy!! The Big Night is here! Time for everything to come together and for the artist to kick back and enjoy folks enjoying all their hard work. Time to celebrate!!

I am so thrilled to share with you the conclusion of my four part video series 'Putting on an Art Show on an Budget' with my fabulous opening night vid!!! My opening was a huge success - lots of familiar faces and even more new faces - which is exactly what you want! If you'd like to see more pics from the night, check out this post from a few weeks ago. 

The opening was a fantastic whirlwind..... hooray!

....And if you'd really like to show this artist some love, please think about sharing my blog or YouTube channel with any other artists you may know. I have put on a number of art events through the years and I'd love to spread this knowledge around, plus it really motivates me to keep producing the very best videos I can when I know folks are learning and enjoying :)

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originally published March 21, 2018

New Prints Unboxing.... Oops!

Oh boy, oh boy!! There's very little I love more than receiving bright shiny new prints in the mail!! Well... my prints actually come on watercolor rag paper, so their more of a matte, but you get the idea:)

I always like to do a color test for my prints before offering them for sale, and it's definitely a relief when they come out well the first, or even second, time. It can get pricey having to tweak over and over again!

I did have a lil 'print unboxing malfunction' but it's nothing that wasn't totally this goober's fault and I was able to remedy it soon enough. Enjoy!

Artist Diary :: Cheers to New Beginnings

Hi friends! As you know I have been working so hard over this last year and a half on my beloved Bohemian Goddesses collection which has afforded me so many opportunities to connect not only with my muses from all over the world, but also viewers of my work as well. I have been so thrilled and honored to have numerous folks tell me that they have felt inspired and represented by my culturally rich group of creative and strong female subjects and I look forward to continuing to create more works that really speak to the soul.

This has been my most meaningful body of work yet, but alas, all good things must come to an end.....

So have a little listen and reflection on why I have decided to conclude this powerful series and what it has meant to my development as an artist, plus get a little teaser on the new and exciting oil painting series I have in the works!

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originally published January 17, 2018

Tiny House Tour + Breakup Vlog

Hi friends.... I know what you're probably thinking... 'what a weird combination to have in a video...' but, simple answer, sometimes life is weird. 

I've been living in this quaint, sunny, breezy, tiny house in the back of the Palolo Valley on O'ahu next to an Ornate Buddhist Temple for almost two years now, and have been toying with the idea of doing a house tour ever since I started my YouTube channel. The timing was never right or other things took precedence (yada yada), so wouldn't you know it when I split with Tim, the boyfriend I moved out here with, I suddenly felt the need to document the adorable space I had spent so much time in since early 2016 before I have to move on. 

I talk a bit more about the breakup in the vid, but bottom line is that it's thankfully amicable and Tim will remain one of my closest and favorite people indefinitely. We have a deep love and respect for each other, even if we make better friends than partners.

And my house and the neighboring temple are freakin' awesome! Enjoy!!

And here's a few snapshots of the temple - check out that detail! Everything is hand painted all over the building in such vibrant color! 

She's My Calendar Girl!

....Or better yet, they're my 12 calendar women! 

I asked and you answered folks: a resounding 'Yes, I should make calendars' featuring all 12 of my Bohemian Goddesses! Thank you all so much for the feedback through my Instagram and Facebook pages! I will definitely be taking more polls on future art projects because hearing back from my biggest supporters made me all warm and fuzzy inside;)

You can watch my goober-y self get all wide-eyed while I unbox and see the calendars for the first time! Excitement!

Get some close-up views and snag one for you (and your BFF for Xmas) here:):) 

Only 22 bucks with free US shipping >here< Hot dang!

Artist Diary Update :: Wrist Injury, Portrait Collabs, and Painting Mini Surfboards!

Welcome to this week's Artist Vlog diary! Figured I'd take the opportunity to clue you in on my studio happenings over this last month:)

Recently I got a super sweet new part-time gig painting and selling mini surfboards right by Waikiki Beach. Plus, I'm also trying to get my pencil portraits in front of as many new eyes as possible so I'm doing lots of collaborations with different bloggers to host custom portrait giveaways! Woo Hoo! (Find me on Instagram here to stay updated on all that artsy goodness.)

I also hurt my wrist recently (Ugh!) so I've been ergonomically upgrading my work spaces too (more on that to come later as well). Sit on back and enjoy!

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originally published October 25, 2017

Art Studio Lighting Review :: Method Light

Hey friends, welcome back:) I've got a cool new addition to my studio that I'm super psyched to share with you today - brand new professional LED lighting featuring light-temperature control with remote! Wow!! 

You may be thinking, 'Ok great, Caleigh got a new lamp'...  but a Method Light is so much more than that!

Good studio lighting is absolutely essential for creating, photographing, and displaying fine art. Not only do artists need the light used while painting or drawing to be bright and even, but in order to insure that colors are seen correctly while mixing, cool neutral lighting must be used from start to finish. 

What's really amazing about the Method Light though is that it doesn't just stop at neutral, it actually has a large variety of warm or cool tones it can create from this one spotlight. For me, the slightly cool neutral is perfect for painting (as it would be for most realist artists) but when I use it on a model or still life instead I'll probably want the lighting to be a bit warmer and more inviting. The Method Light has a great range of warm-to-cool settings as well as dim-to-bright so pretty much any desired lighting can be achieved with just a few buttons on the remote control - neato!!  

So check out this review I created to demonstrate all the different lighting settings on me, blank white paper, and my latest painting 'Anastasia.' The range variety is truly incredible to see!

How's the lighting in your studio? You can use my fancy-shmancy new Affiliate Link + Code to snag your own Method Light with FREE Shipping and a FREE Clip-on Light Fixture (worth $25!). Yay!!

Get it here!

& Use the code CBHI17 at checkout

[Affiliate Note: When you use my special link it won't cost you a penny extra, but they will hook me up with a little somethin' somethin' which helps me maintain the cost of running my blog - a real Win-Win!!]

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originally published October 3, 2017

Oil Paint Review :: M. Graham & Co

Hi fellow painters! I'm really excited to share with you my very first product review. I found myself in my fave local art store recently impulse buying a few tubes of paint when I realized I was scoring some great pigment that I had really enjoyed before. I don't always have the funds to be super picky or brand-loyal, but when I got home I looked through my paint stash and sure enough there were 3-4 other tubes of M. Graham that I didn't even register as already having.

Today I am psyched to share my findings when comparing M. Graham's oil paints to two other brands that I generally like. I'll show the thickness, smoothness, and concentration of this oil paint through a few simple tests that you can try at home with any new paint scores you run across as well. 

Spoiler Alert: I LOVE these paints! 

[UPDATE 4-4-2018: I am now an affiliate of Dick Blick art supplies so here are links to these featured M. Graham colors in case your local spot doesn't have them. Any DB purchase you make through my links goes towards supporting my YouTube channel. Thank you!
Naples Yellow
Terra Rosa
Colbalt Blue
Turquoise ]

Have you ever used M. Graham before? What kind of oil paints are your fave?

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originally published September 19, 2017