A Year of Bag Art Benefits Caitlin's Smiles

A year long personal art challenge to draw a weekly sketch on a white bag has led to a bundle of colorfully illustrated bags being delivered to Cailin's Smiles for their "bags of smiles" program. The bags are sure to be smile makers for the children who will receive them.

Cheryl Kugler, artist, and Cheryl Hornung, founder of Caitlin's Smiles.

A menagerie of colorfully, illustrated bags by Cheryl Kugler.

I came up with my own personal art challenge to get myself back at my studio art desk. I made a New Year's commitment, um 'er resolution, to build a creative habit.

My plan: From January to December 2019, draw a sketch each week on a white craft bag for Caitlin's Smiles "bags of smiles" program. I also planned to recreate every drawing into my own personal sketchbook. Shouldn't be too daunting, right?

Mission Accomplished: On January 10, I delivered 53 illustrated bags to Caitlin's Smiles.  And, my sketchbook is full.

The Creative Habit.

*Whew*...It wasn't easy to keep to task. Some weeks I'd have an immediate idea and I could knock out the sketch just like that. Other weeks, six days would go by and come Saturday evening, I'd be struggling for a creative idea. My not-so hard deadline became a soft deadline and I found myself extending the creative process into Sunday, and eventually it became Monday evening. I fell behind a few weeks, then had double-duty to catch up and keep to task. In the end, my sketchbook is full and 53 artsy bags are now in the hands of Caitlin's Smiles.

About Caitlin's Smiles.

Caitlin's Smiles is an amazing organization based in Harrisburg, PA that fills their "bags of smiles" with arts and crafts items and delivers them to children in hospitals. The organization's service imprint is commendable, to say the least. They not only serve south central Pennsylvania, but several east coast states, as well as southern states grappling with hurricane devastation.

The service footprints of Caitlin's Smiles extends beyond Pennsylvania.

Why Did I Need This Art Challenge?

Yes, I truly needed it. For four previous years my creativity was directed at retraining myself as a "creative aging" teaching artist and building lesson plans for "creative aging" art classes that I teach at Pennsylvania senior centers and continuing care retirement communities. My own output of art was waning. Well, actually, I was barely sketching, drawing, or painting at all. My creative well was empty, as they say. My canvases, blank.

An artist's inspiration needs fueled by day to day things, sights and sounds that inspire, and to make time for artist dates as the great Julia Cameron of "The Artist's Way" writes. Otherwise, there is nothing experienced or internalized to spark the imagination. Small steps to break the dry spell can be daily or in my case weekly sketches. That small step begins to build an artist's creative bank and provides ideas that are ready to draw upon for future paintings.

Why Caitlin's Smiles"? http://www.caitlins-smiles.org/

1. It is an amazing organization. Pssst!...Donations for the arts and crafts items that go into the bags can be made through their website.
2. Bag art for Caitlin's Smiles is a project I've had my students do during artist residencies. Yet, I had not taken the time to do any bags myself. Their enthusiasm and beautiful art served as my creative spark. 

Pass The Baton.

Any artist interested in taking on the challenge for 2020? I'd love to pass along the baton. Guidelines as far as appropriate messaging content for on the bags can be found on their website. The blank white craft bags can be purchased through Amazon.com.

Snapshots of Bags:

There are two full postings recapping all of the bags over on my Facebook Art Page:

Post 1: Weeks 1-25

Post 2: Weeks 26-53

A Few Favs of Inspiration.

Anticipating Spring. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

Tree cutting day. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

A NYC kitty. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

A guest's delectible dessert. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

A July 4th kitty. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

Brrrr...chilly winter day. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

Snails at Phipps Conservatory. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

A resident at Speranza Animal Rescue. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

Sunflower fields in bloom. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

Delivery day to Caitlin's Smiles. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

A bitter cold but sunny day. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

Inspired by a wall mural at the beach. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

A beach day. Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

After watching "A Dolphin's Tale". Artist, Cheryl Kugler.

Happy Valentine's Illustration

In celebration of Valentine's Day weekend, here's the creative process behind an illustration I completed last Fall for a story in Sparkle magazine.

Final Illustration: 

Valentine's Day Illustration by Cheryl Kugler for Sparkle magazine.
Gouache and colored pencil on paper. 

Thumbnail Sketch:

Thumbnail sketch.

Sketch:

Sketch.

Painting:

Painting and colored pencil.

Finishing the illustration:

Finishing the illustration.

Close up:

Close up.

Published:

Published in Sparkle magazine.

Have a happy Valentine's day! Thanks for stopping by.

Christmas Tree Farm -- Illustrations for a Children's Magazine

Here are sketches and final illustrations for the December issue of Sparkle magazine -- a children's magazine reaching young girls ages 6 - 10.

The illustrations will run on the far left and far right of a full-page spread, with the story printed in-between the artwork. Illustrations are under-painted in gouache with pastel Prismacolor pencils and ArtStix.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

A Turkey Illustration for a Children's Magazine

Creating children's illustrations for Sparkle magazine is always a lot of fun! Here is a final illustration for the November issue, under-painting in gouache with pastel pencils:

The Process:

 The Thumbnail Sketch:

The Rough:

Figuring out the Gesture:

Under-painting:

And, almost done!

I always lose my seat...

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

A Flower-Loving Golden Retriever: Creating the Illustration

A client asked me to paint an illustration of her adorable golden retriever. My approach is to develop a scene that represents the personality of the pet and reflects interests of the owner.

It just so happens the owner enjoys colorful flowers and this beautiful golden has a quirky habit of pulling colorful summer blooms out of their planters! So began the idea of the illustration. Here's more on my creative process.

The Reference Photos:
My client provided me with several, yet I seemed to gravity toward this one.

The Rough Sketch:

A Tighter Sketch, with whimsy:

An Adjustment:
The flowers are now in a pot versus growing directly from the ground.

A Close-Up:

Considering Flower Color Combos:

My Client Selected Pink! (yay!!!)

Painting:
Under-painting in gouache then color-building with Prismacolor pencils.

"Abigail and the Flowers", gouache and colored pencil, 5" x 7", by Cheryl Kugler

Shop For It:
Shop in my online artist store for super fun products adorned with this illustration such as quality cards, prints, plates, napkins, cutting boards and more. Find it here: Cheryl Kugler Artist Shop

Another sketch idea my client and I were kicking around because her dog loves belly rubs too... (maybe next time!)

Thanks for stopping by my art blog. Hope to see you here again soon!

5-Day Art Challenge - DAY 5

Hello Everyone! Today is DAY 5 of the 5-Day Facebook Art Challenge. (But, why let Facebook have all of the fun? That's why I'm posting it here, too). A warm thank you to Debbie Lamey MacDonald, a Nova Scotia artist, for nominating me.

For today’s post, I am sharing with you several commissioned pieces – two fine art paintings and two pet illustrations.

The Dogwood Blossom painting is a 30” x 30”, oil on canvas, painted from photographs that I took at a local nursery. I am super pleased with the oil paints by M. Graham that are based with walnut oil and offer such vibrancy.

The painting of delphiniums is a work-in-progress that I am painting right now for a client. It’s 30” x 30”, oil on canvas. Again, I am using my own reference photos that I took over the summer. Not only are delphiniums difficult to grow, they are difficult to find to photograph! 

My pet illustration, Cake Cats, was a pet illustration commission from last year. My client provided photos of her daughter’s cats and gave me a list of interest of her daughter and son-in-law. Her daughter loves to make cakes, loves Gerber daisies and her son-in-law is a Bills fan. In-progress photos and sketches of this project can be seen on my website. Gouache and colored pencil on vellum, 5” x 7”.

The Santa and dog illustration was a pet commission for a past Christmas card. The client provided photos of her mixed breed hound. Gouache and colored pencil on vellum, 5” x 5”. You can read about the process of drawing this illustration, here: http://cherylkugler.blogspot.com/2009/12/illustrating-dog-gone-cute-christmas.html

On my last day of this challenge, I nominate TatyanaStarikova, a talented illustrator who I met during a workshop at Highlights Foundation called “Mastering the Picture Book”.