Rita Kirkman Studio

October 2025

Dear Subscriber,

September went by in a flash! I totally missed the newsletter! For a quick recap of my tip in pictures, take a peek at this recent post!

Pastel Live aired while I was on the road. I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in a coffee shop with my laptop, responding to chat questions and comments during my Royal Demo! It was a lot of fun and a real honor to be part of the faculty this year! My Queen demo painting sold quickly, but the color study is still available..

More caricature events will complete my fall season (see below) along with a workshop, an international exhibit and two charity auctions...

I'm very happy to say that my recent fawn painting "Whisper" (pastel, 8x8 inches) has won The Philip Danylik Memorial Award, from the Connecticut Pastel Society 32nd Annual National Juried Exhibition, Renaissance in Pastel.

The exhibition ended on Sept 28, but can be viewed online, here.

Salon International du Pastel

Saint Brisson sur Loire, France

Oct 17 - Nov 11, 2025

I'm excited and honored to be invited to take part in the Salon International du Pastel, Oct 17 - Nov 11, in Saint Brisson sur Loire,
France. Master pastel artists from sixteen different countries will be exhibiting together, organized by the Association Culturelle Artistique. Three very talented sculptors are included, to add a balancing element. I have these five small paintings included.

Information at aca-pastel.com, or on their Facebook page.

Austin Wildlife Rescue

"Caring for Critters" Brunch & Auction

Oct 18, 2025

Austin Wildlife Rescue is the largest nonprofit in Texas focused exclusively on the rescue, rehabilitation and release of native wildlife.

It pleases me to be able to donate these two artworks to their major fundraising event, the Caring for Critters Brunch and Auction, taking place on Saturday October 18th, 10am - 1pm.

Visit their website austinwildliferescue.org for tickets, and bookmark their site for updates as they load all the donated artworks!

Harvestfest

ARTS for Rural Texas

Nov 1, 2025

My painting "Morning Cuppa" (pastel, 30x30 inches) will be a showcase piece for the live auction at Harvestfest, Nov 1, 2025, in Round Top Texas.

Brought to you by ARTS for Rural Texas, a non-profit whose mission is to enrich lives through art and art education. ARTS has removed the barrier of access to the arts for over 35,000 children and adults.

Support the ARTS in Rural Texas.

Purchase your Harvestfest ticket today!

www.artsforruraltexas.org/harvestfest

Fun Fall Festivals!

(Come Get a Caricature!)

Find me doing caricatures at these fun events!

Oct 3-5, 2025

Oktoberfest

Fredericksburg TX

Nov 7-16, 2025

Wurstfest

New Braunfels TX

Featured Pastel Workshop

Kensington MD

October 8-10, 2025

ALMOST FULL!

This intensive three-day workshop will teach you how to infuse your paintings with warm sunlight. You will learn to nail your values using an acrylic-based underpainting, then identify and utilize color temperatures to make your paintings glow!

Register Here!

"In addition to teaching us about your light filled technique you also throw in a ton of other info. I especially love the emphasis on warm vs cool and how getting that right is really more important than the actual colors." ~Linda J

"You explain well, and are very kind with your critiques." ~Jan P

For an Ongoing Inspiration Boost...

My Patreon Page

I still have my usual schedule of Virtual Open Studio days, on Zoom, exclusively through my Patreon. You can always see my schedule here.

My Patreon Page itself is full of more than 200 inspiring and tutorial full-length pastel videos from the past four years. Live invites, demos, art tips and engaging conversation from my ongoing VOS days, Paint-Alongs, and more!

(PS: The highest tier includes Monthly critiques! :)

It also contains tons of free public posts with quick vids, art tips and progress pics. If you're not yet ready to join a Membership Tier, you can join for free to follow the public posts!

"Beauty will save the world."

Thanks for reading my News. Please do share with your friends. I hope to see you soon! Be artful and enjoy life,

Rita