Contact Teresa Information

Please not that all the images, artwork, photos and text contained in this newsletter, are the copyright of Teresa Mallen and any artists that are featured. The images, artwork, photos and text may not be copied or reproduced in any way unless written permission has been obtained.

Hi Everyone,

Yippee, it's Autumn!! My favourite season! I love the incredible fall foliage, cool evenings, warm afternoons, nights with a harvest moon, geese honking overhead, sitting by the fire sipping a mulled apple cider, wearing warm sweaters, hiking all of my favourite trails with the added bonus of no bugs, fall canoeing (you have the lakes and rivers to yourself), Thanksgiving (for folks outside Canada, yes our holiday is in October) and oh the food of the season: apple pie and apple crisp, butternut squash soup, turkey and gravy, cranberries and all things pumpkin - pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins...yum, yum, yum.

We have about four weeks of this bliss - November can be raw, wet and windy, at least in this part of the world - so get out and soak up the fall sights, sounds and smells and don't forget to plant some bulbs!

There is lots to cover in this issue so lets get started...

www.teresamallenstudio.com

I am teaching a new course next month - Portraits in Coloured Pencils. If you are interested, there is still room in the class and there is still time to register!

Portraits in Coloured Pencil: November 1, 8, 15, 22, 2008. Saturday mornings (9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) Full details regarding registration can be found on my website.

Here is some info on what you can expect in the course. First - what this course is not - it is not a life drawing class. There will be no live models. The main emphasis of the course is to assist students in their goal to capture a likeness. Students will learn how to accurately draw and colour the various parts of a face. The projects will consist of enlarged parts of the face, such as the eye and mouth. There will be instruction and practice on creating skin tones with coloured pencils. We will also touch on how to pose a subject, how to handle backgrounds, how to deal with wrinkles, freckles, and so on. Please note that line drawings for the exercises will be provided. Instruction will be given on what to look out for when drawing the face, as this is very important info but line drawings will be used so that students can move quickly into gaining practice with their pencils.

A reminder: While my new studio is very spacious, space is still limited. So...in order to avoid disappointment, please register early to secure your spot. This also lets me know how much art supplies will be needed for a course. Post dated cheques are fine.

"My mountain is dead. as soon as she has dried, I'll bury her under a decent layer of white paint. But I haven't done with the old lady; far from it!" Emily Carr.

Sounds like Emily doesn't it? I attended a special Emily Carr exhibit at the National Gallery of Canada in 2006 and it was wonderful. If you don't know who she is, I suggest you do a google search to check out her art.

Newsletter Group Member Paula Pertile has a new Esty shop!

Remember Paula?

I recommended that you check out her blog and website back in the June issue.

In case you have forgotten, Paula is an incredible, oh so talented, children's book illustrator. She also creates fine art in coloured pencil and she also creates a fantastic line of knitted wear. Her yarn is so gorgeous it is unbelieveable.

Click on Paula's new Esty shop to see her beautiful creations. Her shop is called Tweedy Crab and she also has created a blog to accompany the shop. Congratulations Paula!! Your shop and your new blog are just great!

Another Newsletter Group Member has a business that I would like to highlight.

Cheryl Poulin is a talented decorative painter and she also paints wonderful paintings in mixed media. She teaches on-going art classes for all levels, in decorative art as well as mixed media. To check out her website, go to www.cheryl-poulin.com. Her website is entitled Earmark Art Studio. You will find all sorts of interesting stuff here so be sure to have a look around.

Cheryl teaches in her roomy, creative studio space in her home, located here in Ottawa. Actually, her studio is within walking distance of mine so if you have been to my new studio, you will have an idea of where she is. Cheryl has a fun, positive, outgoing personality and I know you will really enjoy taking classes with her.

If you like what you see at their websites, or Paula's shop and blog, do let them know. Take two minutes to write them a quick email. Positive feedback does wonders to encourage artists. Also, if you are new to blogs and you aren't sure what to do, just visit them like a website. You don't need a blogger account or anything. You can move around the blog, check out older posts and click on their links. You only need a blogger acount to leave a comment on a comment page. Don't forget that if you do want to say something to an artist, you can always reach them via email.

"Teresa help. I love the bell flower picture that is on your business card and I decided to try to do my own. Here is a photo that I took. It isn't good. I know that. What do you suggest I do to get a better photo?"

Well gee Eleanor, thanks for the compliment on my bell flower painting. In fact it is one of my favourite pieces. It hangs in my studio where I can see it everyday and it probably won't ever be for sale. And congratulations on having the determination and courage to take your own photos. Good for you!

The main problem here is the lighting. Natural light just can't be beat but you need to be careful with regards to the time of day you take your photos. In this photo your blossoms are quite washed out. My guess is that this photo was taken on a very bright day, around noon.The end result is over exposure. This photo wouldn't make a good reference photo as you would find it impossible to see the colours and value changes. Try to take your photos in the morning or afternoon so the sun isn't directly overhead.

Also, take lots of photos, don't just shoot a few and assume all is well. Even when I used film, I took rolls and rolls of pictures. I would also suggest that you take some close up photos. I realize you might not want to paint an up close image but if you refer to these pictures, it will make you better able to interprete the flower, to tell its story as it were.

Don't hesitate to turn your camera to get some vertical shots - you might like the different crop and you won't cut the tops off of your subjects.

If you have some photo editing software, you might try adjusting some of your photos to see if this helps. For example you might be able to change the brightness and the contrast in such a way that you could use a photo that was originally overexposed.

Taking photos really does get easier with practice. Digital cameras give us great freedom to experiment. When you think you have taken enough pictures, take several more. :-)

I have included a couple of my photos to further illustrate bad lighting. The picture on the left is too washed out. I remember that I took this picture around noon and I should have known better. The one on the left was taken later in the afternoon and this photo is too dark and the blossoms have too many shadowy areas on them.

If you are new to my newsletters and you would like some help, here is how it works. It is really quite simple. If you are a Newsletter Group Member, you can obtain free, helpful advice right here! Perhaps you have a piece that you would like me to review and to give feedback on. Perhaps you have just started something and you are unsure if you are heading in the right direction. Maybe you have a photo picked out and you are wondering if it would make a good painting. We learn from following another's process and this feedback is being offered as a way to learn from each other. If you have something you would like help with, email me a photo or a scanned image and we will go from there. You can also remain anonymous in the newsletter if desired. I look forward to hearing from you.

Not sure how to become a Newsletter Group Member? It's easy, just email me to become registered!

"Is there anything I can do to stop my pencil leads from breaking? This happens all the time and I get so I don't want to sharpen my pencils. But working with a dull pencil looks awful."

Karen this one is easy. Invest in an electric sharpener. My pencil leads don't break and it is because I use an electric sharpener. Honestly, they don't break! The key is to not use a single blade cutter like the ones found in hand held sharpeners. I have written a fair bit about sharpening pencils and I have posted it in the tips section of my website. So to learn more, visit here: tips.

The next question is a real heartfelt one. The writer wishes to remain anonymous. She wanted this posted in the newsletter in case, in her words, "someone else is as mixed up as I am".

"Hi Teresa. I wonder if you would take the time to give me some advice. As you know I have been trying to make a business from my art. I am really questioning whether I should continue. I am discouraged by how long this is going to take. I find myself wishing I was back at my day job - stable employment, friends at work, less stress, not to mention the reliable money. I didn't realize how much it would cost to try to sell my art. The framing alone is so expensive, not to mention show fees and everything else. I got into this because people looked at my art and said I should be doing this for a living. I don't want to disappoint everyone but I'm not happy. I feel like I have failed. Why don't I enjoy this? I don't even like posting on my blog. It has become something I dread. What is worse, I don't even want to do my art. So what I want to know is, is this normal? Do all artists feel this way? I feel so bad about quiting. Should I quit? I would appreciate hearing what you would do."

Well first of all, I am sorry you are so unhappy. Reading your question, one thing is clear...you do need to make some changes.

First of all, I would be concerned about your motivation for doing this. You mention that it was at the urging of friends. Did you really want to do this yourself? From what you have said, I gather that what you have experienced in creating a business is different than what you imagined it to be. Discovering this doesn't make you a failure. You are a success for having tried. I personally think someone is a success when they are daring enough to sign up for art classes, or when they buy supplies and try them out. Doing the actual art makes someone successful. Entering a competition regardless of winning makes someone successful in my eyes. It is exciting, thrilling and scary to start a business. You are a success for taking the jump. Realizing that it may not be working for you just means that you are now daring to imagine a different future. So - what if? What if you stopped painting for a living? What is the worst that could happen?

So you don't enjoy running a business and now you don't even enjoy creating your art. This isn't good and it isn't what I would encourage you to settle for. Of course there are parts of work that everyone dislikes but you shouldn't dislike everything. I enjoy the business side of it or I wouldn't be doing this. Do I like everything? No, I could do without learning new computer software and all the time I spend on the computer but that is about it. The rest I love...(okay, I am not thrilled by doing my annual income tax either!) I love running a business and I would happily run a business even if it wasn't art related. In my experience, art doesn't usually sell without some sort of business stuff involved, such as advertising, marketing, doing shows etc. If all of these tasks are unpleasant and causing you stress, then you need to really look at what you are getting out of it.

I think you need to give yourself the gift of what I call 'distance for perspective'. I believe it will really help you make your decision. Take a break from your business - as long a break as you need. Consider re-employment. Maybe a part-time job would help. Change your focus. Try something new. Earn some money, meet new people. A bit of distance from our issues can definitely yield a new perspective. Don't worry about what people will think. I doubt they will consider you a failure. They will probably admire you for being willing to embrace new adventures. The main thing is that you don't consider yourself a failure. If you do decide to change careers, this doesn't make you less of an artist. There are a lot of very talented artists that have day jobs! As for the word, quitting, that is a rather negative word. No one likes a quitter. Why not think of yourself as seeking new opportunities.

Give yourself a break from having to do art that sells. Make it your aim to get back to making art for yourself. Why do you do art in the first place? Most artists hit a slump once in a while but I wouldn't accept a long term avoidance of my art. I would hope that artists who work full time don't dread doing their art. This should be warning to you that something isn't right.

Not wanting to post on your blog - that isn't a big deal. It just means that you are blogging for the wrong reasons. If you are doing it because 'real' artists need to blog then change your thinking. The world is full of very successful, talented artists that do not blog. They either have no interest in it or perhaps no time. If you aren't ready to delete your blog, you could announce that you are taking a break. If after some time you miss it, you could go back. If on the other hand you are relieved that you no longer have to post, then you can shut it down. The world won't stop turning I promise. :-)

So should you quit? Only you can answer this. But what I would advise is that you take a break. Don't keep at something that is making you this unhappy. Look at your options. You do have them and that is wonderful. Best of luck and do keep in touch.

In honour of next month's portrait classes, I want to feature portrait artist Steven Chipman. Steven is a very talented portrait artist located in Northern Virginia. To see lots of fantastic portraits, click on the word website. Now, as a bit of a warm up for the people who are taking the portrait workshop - I would like to invite you to take a look at something. When viewing Steven's portraits, take notice of all the different ways you can pose someone for a head shot. Fascinating isn't it? Next, I would draw your attention to Steven's stroke techniques. For example, check out his early work from 2007 and compare it to later pieces of this year. Click on the images to see them enlarged. Did you notice how his stroke was more linear in 2007? This also changes how you build up skin tones. There is no right or wrong way to do portraits or art for that matter. Whatever approach you take will depend on your particular style and how you wish to express yourself. Personally I love work that reveals a strong linear quality. It currently isn't my style but I do love it when I see it. Having said that, I also really like how Steven works now! As the saying goes, 'it's all good'.

To see Steven's works in progress, visit his blog. Do scroll down and visit previous entries. I warn you though, this can be addictive...you might want to grab a coffee!

We are off for a bit of a wild ride on this next website! First of all let me say that I love all art in all styles. Coloured pencil artists tend to create highly realistic paintings. So to shake us up a bit and to perhaps loosen our grip on our pencils a tad, here we go: meet Vivian Reiss! Vivian lives in Toronto and she paints very energetic oil paintings. Her work is said to be "large scale, luminouly colourful and endowed with a vibrant sense of joie-de-vivre". Click her website to start getting acquainted. If you visit nothing else, check out her biography page. When I saw the first picture of Vivian in her studio, my eyes were drawn to the botanical paintings hanging on the clothesline. Delicious. Scroll down and watch the pictures on the right hand side. Notice that Vivian poses in clothes that she has designed. Check out the dress she hand crocheted!! And yes she is posing in the window of her downtown Toronto gallery. Yes, you can make a living at art!! Woo hoo!!! I love how she paints in her kitchen and what a kitchen. Check out how huge her canvas is as she paints in her garden. Not forgetting the portrait theme of this newsletter, under Satoyama Storehouse you can click on and view 18 of her portraits.

So what do you think? Do you love her work, dislike it, or...? Drop me a line. I would love to hear what you think.

Would you like to look over my shoulder while I work? Well, reading my blog is kind of, sort of like that. I post my works in progress so you can watch them develop.

Are you reading my blog and would like to share your thoughts? You can click on the comments section at the end of each post to read what others have written. If you have a google account or are willing to open one, you can also leave a message. If you would like to make a comment but you don't wish to leave a message on the blog, why not write me an email? I would love to read your comments, no matter how they reach me.

It is that time of year again...if it is fall in the Ottawa Valley, then it must time for the Studio Tours. Here a few you might want to keep in mind.. The Autumn Leaves Arts Tour is being held by the Thousand Islands Arts group. Dates run Oct. 4th and 5th and October 11, 12, 13th, 2008. This tour takes place in the Thousand Islands area (1 1/2 hrs from Ottawa). For tour information visit www.tiarts.org.

The Crown and Pumpkin Tour takes place Oct. 11, 12 and 13th, 2008. Located in the Almonte, Clayton and Pakenham area, this tour provides lots of opportunity to see gorgeous maple trees in full colour. The website to check is www.crownandpumpkin.com.

A west ottawa group called the West Carleton Arts Society is holding a show and sale entitled Expressions of Art 2008, Saturday Oct.11 (8-4) and Sunday Oct. 12, (10-4). The location is the Carp Agricultural Hall. For info visit: www.westcarletonartssociety.ca

For a wonderful fall drive, head to the village of Burnstown. From October 3rd to October 13th you will find new work by artist Richard Gill on exhibit. Richard creates amazing sculpted clay relief plaques. To learn more about Burnstown, check out www.burnstown.ca. Once you have opened the site, you can see a slide show of Richard's beautiful work. First click on Events and then click on Richard Gill Annual Fall Show.

I would like to take a moment to thank each and every one of you. Thank you for your help in making this newsletter a reality.

In past years I would communicate with people on my mailing list and former students via email. Whenever I had some news or info I wanted to share I would try to get the word out. I would get questions from time to time and I often thought that some day I should start doing a newsletter. I finally started crafting a newsletter back in February which went out in March. October marks the 7th issue.

It was a goal of mine to create a forum where I could share my passion for art and coloured pencil with other coloured pencil enthusiasts. Thank you for your input and your questions. Thank you for sharing your art. This newletter is for you so please feel free to participate. I look forward to what this newsletter will grow into. Eventually I would like to check out types of newsletter software (when I have time...may not happen too soon!) to change the format. I see such things as contests and on-line exhibits of work by you the members in the future. Thanks also for the wonderful feedback you have given me. You are all just such nice people.

So may I now remind you...If you have a question, please ask. If you need help, just shout. If you have a work that you would like to share (that is, you don't require 'feedback'), please send it along. We would all love to see it! If you have a helpful tip or suggestion, send it along. Don't be shy, why not get involved?

(If you would prefer to not receive a newsletter in future, please email me. Put 'remove' in the subject line and you will be deleted from my mailing list.)

Teresa Mallen Studio	Coloured Pencil Artist
	www.teresamallenstudio.com