Help Name My Next Painting

Well this lil lady is getting pretty fancy! This first shot does not have any resin in it, it was the culmination of my brain storm last night. But this morning I poured the first layer… So exciting!!

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It’s hard to see in the first photo, but Kenna actually has an entire row of real ladybugs marching in a line across her chest and shoulder. These, among more that I still have, are from my artist residency in Tennessee. We had the most adorable infestation of ladybugs. Apparently it’s a naturally occurring thing that ladybugs come inside wood houses during the winter and then when their natural life cycle ends, you’re pretty much left with piles of the cutest corpses ever.

Here’s a few of my dried specimens.. aren’t ferns so unbelievably perfect?!?! If you click to enlarge the one on the left, you can see the most glorious and delicate inner veins in each leaf.

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Now here’s where you come in…

I’ve been calling this painting ‘Shroom Season’ because of the funky fungus growing out of Kenna’s head, but since planning the plant additions, I’m thinking of changing it to ‘Primavera’ (the Italian word for ‘spring’) after this exceptionally rejuvenating and ethereal painting that I’ve been fortunate enough to visit twice in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy by one of my most favorite painters of all time, Sandro Botticelli.

What do you think?

I’m taking a vote on the name today (Monday) here, on my YouTube, and on my Instagram. Drop me a comment or chime in on one of my official polls on my Instagram Story or my YouTube Community tab to cast your vote. Thanks!

5.18.2020

Elevator Pitch for Artists

Do you know why it is important to have an elevator pitch as an artist? Do you have one prepared right now?

If the answer to either question is no then pull out your pen n paper and get ready to spend some of that quarantine time practicing being your best, most exciting, artsy self in front of a mirror!

This is important because you want to make sure that when you have the opportunity to talk with someone who could help boost your art career, or show your work at a gallery or art fair, or maybe even offer you a grant or artist residency, you sound confident, capable, and collected enough to make an excellent first impression in a super short amount of time.

Elevator Pitch Steps

1. Your name + main medium

2. Your mission + how you perform it

3. Why they should care

4. Ask lead-in question

5. Develop contact plan

Tips + Strategy

• Be concise but exciting

• Speak conversationally but with a few interesting adjectives

• Remember it’s a pitch, not a monologue

• Practice, practice, practice until it sounds totally natural

• Have a business card + art examples ready

• GIVE THEM A REASON TO CARE!!!!

Happy pitching friends!

Hey, if you’d like a career artist to help get started or to run your pitch by and help brainstorm improvements, I’m always here for one-on-one mentoring. Check out my super low temporary pandemic rates here.

5.15.2020

How to Sharpen Pencils for Drawing

When you first learned how to sharpen pencils as a small child in a classroom, remember how much those metal gears used to grind your pencil down? Yikes!

Luckily we have grown up from that and now treat our drawing pencils much more kindly by sharpening them without a sharpener, but instead with a knife or razor blade and sandpaper. With this method you can get your pencil lead as long as you like it for variety in shading abilities. Enjoy!

If you get a sanding board from this link it helps to support my channel, thank you:)

Nitram Pencil Sander https://bit.ly/35Rhuq5

5.8.2020

Mirror Self Portrait Drawing

I didn’t post the full ‘Mirror Self Portrait’ on my blog post yet, so just in case you missed the video last week, you can watch the entire drawing process as well as the crazy way I had to film it here. This is the most accurate self portrait I’ve ever created and I’m super proud:)

chalk pastel, 18 x 14 inches, drawn from life

5.6.2020

Mirror Self Portrait

Now this mirror self portrait was a fun one to create! It is a serious exercise in really trusting in yourself to please your toughest critic - yourself!

Drawing a self portrait is something I haven't done since grad school and I am quite excited to share this process demo, including not just a timelapse of my drawing, but letting you in on how I had things set up in order to get the up close camera shots that are literally between me and the mirror.

Here are the materials I use to draw. If you purchase anything through my special links (even if you choose different colors!) it helps to support my channel so thank you!!

White Chalk Pencil: https://bit.ly/3d3COLh

Parisian Blue Carbothello Pastel: https://bit.ly/2KNxmjD

Pencil Extender: https://bit.ly/2uCRQqC

Kneaded Eraser: https://bit.ly/2VC4qBB

Map Eraser: https://bit.ly/2wgzoop

Mono Zero Eraser: https://bit.ly/3885Fej

And I don't remember the brand of this paper but this is my other fave kind for use with pastels or charcoal: Canson Me Tienes in Steel Grey: https://bit.ly/3f8uqff

Make sure to tag me on Instagram if you create your own mirror self portrait - I'll share it in my story!! @caleighbirdart

5.1.2020

Making COVID 19 Masks

Perhaps you’ve noticed every seamstress around has been focusing her super powers on mask making to protect our communities, and this lil Birdie has now joined the ranks.

Through a little research I discovered that quilter’s cotton batik is an especially good material to use due to it’s tight knit so I was able to purchase a little this week and have been watching the mask orders flood in.

Because I’m offering three sizes in four patterns and my cloth supply is limited and going fast, I’m literally assessing inventory after each order is placed, rather than having products in my store that may overrun my available fabric. If you’re interested in a mask for you or a few for your family, your best bet is to catch me on Instagram @caleighbirdart where I’m taking orders through direct message and updating my progress.

Be safe out there folks! xoxox

4.28.2020

Creating a Care Package for a Friend in Quarantine

You’ve probably heard me talk about my love of snail mail (which is pretty intense, let me tell you!) that I’m sure I got from my father who, whether living in the same town or across the country, always sent special handmade cards and collages.

I’m just going to say it, surprise care packages are literally EVERYTHING.

So join me tday for some real hand-made from the heart artsy good vibes I’m creating and sending to one of my favorite people in the whole world, Jimi, who is a nurse having to quarantine when he’s not on shift. He hasn’t been able to see his kids, family or bandmates in well over a month, not to mention working the most stressful job possible during a global pandemic.

Want a step-by-step of how I make my sketchbooks with any kind of art paper? Find the video here or the blog post here,

OR if you’d like to know the next time I’m making sketchbooks (they’re larger than the one in this vid), follow this link to stay in the loop. You even get to choose your own toned or white paper!

4.25.2020

My Artist Residency During the Coronavirus

What a time to be alive right?!

I've recently returned from a five week artist residency on a small farm in rural Tennessee, and while I had a wonderful time with the miniature donkeys and generous chickens, it was a very strange feeling knowing that the Coronavirus was just beginning its unprecedented infiltration of the entire world.

Camp Wonder Wander, hosted by artist and entrepreneur Val Sloan, provides a quiet and beautiful space for artists, writers, and musicians to come and focus on their craft in a an environment not bogged down with the complications and distractions of normal everyday life.

As part of the artist residency, we help out with the animals and find ways to add to the enchanted experience of the next residents by leaving a piece of ourselves here in the form of whatever art we choose. I decided to entirely repaint the shared bathroom with a potted plant mural. (See the full mural vid here. )

Even through the current state of affairs I had a really wonderful stay and was able to explore many different art forms in a short amount of time. It was also really delightful to watch spring come in everywhere throughout the rolling hills of Tennessee.

4.19.2020

Potted Plant Bathroom Mural

My first full room mural! As a part of the artist residency at Camp Wonder Wander in Tennessee, each artist is asked to leave a piece of themselves behind in whatever form inspires us. In the artist quarters the walls are all painted very colorfully and feature lots of beautiful silkscreens and photographs, but the bathroom felt a little unfinished compared to the rest of the house.

After brainstorming for a few days on what I could do with all the little nooks and crannies that this adorable room provided, I decided I could open up the space with a few trompe l’eiol shelves and lush potted plants. If you’d like to see still shots from this mural, as well as what the space looked like before, pop over to this blog post from last week.

If you enjoyed seeing this mural come to life, make sure you are getting the Birdie Blog sent to your inbox because I am actually working on two more murals concurrently right now (one’s a beach scene with a little jungley bit and the other is for a music room) and I’ll be coming out with videos for both of them soon!

4.11.2020

April Newsletter Sneaky Peak

I’m working on my next Birds of a Feather monthly letter this week, although I have to admit, with this world turning on end and my laptop breaking down for two weeks, it’s been more like two months - yikes!

This time I’ll be sharing progress shots from the two other murals I’m working on concurrently this week and next.

Yep, that’s two murals in one building at the same time. I love it!

I’ve also got some pandemic positivity and some fantastic ways for you to spend some that abundant time learning new creative skills right from your living room.

And last but not least, I’m gonna let you in on a lil secret goal I’ve been working on that I’m finding quite challenging so that I’ll know in the next few weeks I will have to be accountable for keeping up with it and trying my best. It’s so much easier to fail in secret so I find that if I tell folks about my aspirations, then I’ll be forced to push myself through the tough part and see concrete results.

Are you on board to get my letter yet? If you’re subscribed to the Birdie Blog then you will be for sure, but if you don’t know or you need to, pop over here.

4.9.2020