Image 6383246
Rita Kirkman Studio
January 2026
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Dear Subscriber,
I hope your New Year is off to a hopeful start, and that the Holiday
break granted you plenty of time to rest and reset your plans for 2026.
I've been taking my time easing into the Year, with lots of goals in
mind, but not a lot of action. Some words from Gail Sibley
in her New Year's email resonated with
me:
"You don't need a clear plan ahead to be allowed to begin
gently...
...You show up. You care. You keep returning to the studio-
even when it's messy or slow.
That counts for more than you think.
There will be plenty of time for intention and direction soon
enough..."
- Gail Sibley
And I'll be back to the grindstone soon enough; with 5 art festivals
starting in March, these next two months will result in lots of new
paintings... just wait!
"Feline Valentine"
"Feline Valentine"
_____
Gearing Up for A Painting Goal
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Though most days I'm still lingering in that be-kind-to-myself mode,
resting my right-brain with a bit of household organizing and tax prep
paperwork, I did manage to finish two portrait commissions, and I have
scheduled my Virtual Open Studio
days through April. (The underpaintings above were done at
last week's VOS.)
The winter pastel exhibit in Taiwan, with PAPAT,
ended recently, and I'm
waiting to see if any of my 10 small paintings will return to me so I
can decide what kind of painting goal I want to set for myself this
month. Meanwhile I'm going through files of photos, cropping and
prepping images for new paintings!
Image 6383519
If you would like to see what I create in the coming weeks, please do
sign up for my New Art Alerts
(if you
haven't yet) or join my Patreon
as a Free Member to see
all the public posts, as I post all new paintings to my website and to
Patreon (though Patreon members will see them first ;)
_____
To help with my painting goal (and yours too!) I've got a workshop
coming, on the Gulf Coast of Texas... Give yourself a winter Art
Vacation!
Upcoming Pastel Workshop
Rockport Texas, Feb 5-7, 2026
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I'm back to Rockport in February for a workshop at the Rockport Center
for the Arts. A few spaces are still available!
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
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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
contains over 250 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 paid Membership
Tier, you can join for free to follow the public posts!
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Check out my Patreon!
_____
"Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art."
~ Leonardo da Vinci
Thanks for reading my News. Please do share with your friends. I hope
to see you soon! Be artful and enjoy life,
Rita
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