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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.

Hello again,

I hope all of you had wonderful summer holidays and that you were able to make time to pursue your artistic goals.

Did anyone discover an art gallery while vacationing? Do you have some sketches, paintings or coloured pencil pieces that you worked on that you would like to share? If so, please contact me. I would love to see your creative efforts!

If you have been reading my blog, you will know that my summer wasn't so peachy. I spent the summer taking care of my Father at his home. He had cancer. He died on August 26th. It was wonderful to be there for him and it was wonderful to spend the time with him. The other side of it is that being a care giver and having to watch someone you love deal with cancer, isn't easy.

I am back home now and I'm back to work...so on with the newsletter...

www.teresamallenstudio.com

Come and complete a mixed media painting. Instant gratification and loads of fun!!

How cool is that? You will be lead through easy step by step instructions and by the end of the workshop you will have a 11"X 14" canvas ready to take home and hang on your wall.

There are still a few spots available, so if you are interested in having some fun on Saturday September 20th, just contact me: teresa@teresamallenstudio.com.

We will start at 9:00 and we will end by 3:00. The workshop fee is $65.00 and it includes all materials (the canvas support, gesso and fluid acrylics). As well, lunch, coffee and snacks will be provided!! (Please let me know ahead of time if you have food allergies.) You just bring coloured pencils!

As mentioned above - Mixed Media Tapestry Workshop: Saturday Sept. 20th.

Interested in doing portraits in coloured pencil? Then register for my upcoming new course:

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

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.

"The creation of art is the passion. The completion of art only ignites another creation." Jeffrey Breslow

You can check my blog to watch my newest work develop. I'm working on a small stargazer lily blossom. My art journal blog address is: www.teresamallenstudio.blogspot.com.

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.

Newsletter Group member Joan Sanders asks this question: "I was reading an article in an art magazine. The artist used coloured pencils and she mentioned using a blender pencil. Can you tell me what a blender pencil is?

Great question Joan and congratulations on reading art magazines! They are a great way to get tips and inspiration.

The blender pencil is usually referred to as a 'colourless blender'. The colorless blender is a pencil with a core that is without colour. Basically it is what the core of the pencil consists of before the manufacturer adds pigment.

A blender pencil is used just as the name implies, to blend the pigment that has been applied to the support. Coloured pencil artists work by building up their colour in layers. Once sufficient colour has been applied to the surface, you can then use the colourless blender. By going over the already applied pigment with the blender pencil, you end up blending the colours. This technique is called burnishing. (You can also create a burnished look by other means such as using pencils with pigment to burnish or by applying a solvent.) Please note that using a colourless blender will fill in the tooth or texture of the paper. You may want this effect or you may not. The end result makes the applied coloured pencil pigment resemble paint. Once you have used the colourless blender pencil, you can usually add more pigment over top. You can keep repeating the process until the support won't take any more colour. This will depend on how much texture your surface has. Some artists wait until a piece is finished and then they go over the entire work blending all the colours. Please also note that not all coloured pencil artists use blender pencils.

If you wish to try out a colourless blender, you can purchase one from the open stock display at your art supply store. If you are using Primsacolor pencils, the pencil number is PC1077. In case you are wondering, I am a c.p. artist that chooses to not burnish. I therefore do not use a colourless blender. This is just a matter of style and personal preference. Lots of great art is done by artists who use these blending pencils.

If you have a question you would like me to answer, just email me at teresa@teresamallenstudio.com.

I have two wonderful artists to share with you this month as well as some news from the CPSA.

First up is Akron, Ohio artist Barbara Krans Jenkins. Barbara works in coloured pencil as well as other media. There is a lot to see when you visit her website: www.bkjstudio.com. To follow a work in progress, click on the 'demonstration' link on her homepage. You can see how she mixes different pencils, including creating an underpainting with watercolour pencils. Also, as we are quickly approaching the Fall season and some of you may have gourds in your gardens, do check out her decorated gourds. Coloured pencils on gourds, now there is a fun idea!

My second artist doesn't work with paint, she works with wool! I know that many of you are interested in fiber art and quilting and I also know that some of you are looking for encouragement with regards to homebased businesses. Check out Caroline Unruh's website: www.sweetfeltgoods.com.Caroline designs beautiful products from recycled wool sweaters that have been turned into felt. You can read a brief article on her business in the press section. Such gorgeous blankets!!

So what is new at the Colored Pencil Society of America? The CPSA has created a blog: www.coloredpencilsociety.blogspot.com. A great idea to help promote coloured pencil art around the globe.

If you are new to my newsletters 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! Do you feel you need help with something? 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 always 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!

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed this newsletter and that you were inspired. My goal in this newsletter is to encourage you and to provide with helpful ideas and resources that will aid you on your artistic journey. This newsletter is for you so please feel free to participate. 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