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.

Sketches/Sand Hills Buffalo and Dad

My sketch book traveled along with me on my recent trip out west to see buffalo. I figured that if the opportunity presented itself, and I didn't have my paper and pencil with me, I'd be kicking myself. Lucky me, I did get two sketches in along the way!

Buffalo in the Nebraska sand hills.

Two days of driving with Dad.



Much of the travel time was spent talking with my Dad. A great memory!

Be sure to check out the "artsy" photos and story about the buffalos on my previous blog post:

Home on the Range, Where the Deer and the Buffalo Play


If you liked this sketch, check out my previous sketch post:

Ted E. Graham, The Seagull

Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.

Bumble Bees - Sketch and Beginning Color

Bumble bees have been buzzing through my head this past week for an illustration assignment for a children's magazine. Thought I'd post a few "in progress" pics.

The sketch:


Starting color:


I'll post the final in a future blog post! Bzzzzzzzz........zzzz......zzzz.

SKETCHES for Sparkle Magazine - "Too Much!"

Here are sketches for my next assignment for Sparkle Magazine about a little girl who gets overwhelmed (ie., "Too Much!"). They are rough enough to help me figure out how the characters will flow in the composition space, and some details to help me see expressions and emotions I want to convey.

The story GEMS Girl's Club gave me was packed with activity and scenes, so it was difficult to narrow down the focus to three scenarios that would be enough to complement the story.





I actually had hubby lean over and pretend he was hugging someone so that I could get the angle correct for the Dad's back in this last sketch! He was a perfect model. ;) A few dabs of color at the bottom as I consider pallette choices.



Next phase will be adding color. Stop back to see the final version!

The last illustration I created for Sparkle Magazine was all about cupcakes! You can see it here: Cupcakes

Sketches From N. Myrtle Beach

Mid-June, hubby and I spent a week at North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was a soul-refreshing, artist-inspiring week. You can scroll down through creative pictures in my previous blog post.

One of the great things about the week is that I got to slouch down in my beach chair and dig in to the book "Walking in this World: The Practical Art of Creativity" by Julia Cameron. I found out about the book a few months ago from one of my followers on Twitter. Needless to say, I read it from cover to cover while warmed by the summer sun, and feet cooled by the washing surf. It's packed with a ton of great information intended to offer perspective to creative people in how to daily fulfill the artistic passion and drive that keeps us content and happy.



The book inspired me to take the time for some morning sketches. And, I'm happy to share them with you. My unknowing subjects were sketched from the balcony of our rented beach condo. Enjoy!