A New Studio Note has arrived! ๐ April 2026 Edition
Published about 2 months agoย โขย 2 min read
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Studio Note 04/26
Hello Reader,
Spring is here! In between thunderstorms and some lingering cold winter weather, I've been preparing our yard and gardens for planting and returning flowers. I do love this time of year. Hate the pollen, though. ๐คง
Here's a summary if you're short on time :
- Art Notes : there's a freshly framed Kelpie painting and a sunlight fairy with mentions of items used
- Shop Notes : take a quick poll on whether I should offer framing mats with each print order
- check out this month's Creativity Quote from Maya Angelou
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Art Notes
"Portrait of a Kelpie" FINALLY got framed! Now it's ready to be photographed and submitted for a gallery show I'm hoping it will be accepted into. Finding a framing mat that was actually 5 x 7" (not marketed as 5 x 7" but in reality was 4.75 x 6.75") was an ordeal. I ended up ordering a custom cut mat from Matboard & More and it's perfect. I also designed a custom "signature" stamp to use on the back of framed and matted pieces, and I'm quite happy with how that came out, too! The stamp came from RubberStamps.com.
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If this piece doesn't get accepted, expect to see it appearing in my site shop along with other original pieces! ;-)
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โOh, and if you're curious about how I "professionally" frame my own paintings, hit reply and let me know if you'd like to see a walk through on that.
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I also painted this very small sunshine inspired fairy on some Fabriano paper samples sent to me by Chartpak. I'm working on a harpy piece right now in between work hours and weekend busyness. The Fabriano 5 Enhanced cold-press watercolor paper was a DREAM to work with. I didn't think I'd like it because it is obviously textured, but it handled water and washes and lifting so well, I couldn't help but love it in the end. |
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Shop Notes
The new print options have been synced to the Etsy shop! I have an important question for you, though. Through my new printer, I now have the option to add a framing mat to each order - but should I do it? Let me know your thoughts in the poll below! It's only one question, so it's a superfast poll to take.
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Extra Notes
This month I'll be participating in @byjessicaelena's Repost Your Art "challenge", which is basically just a daily posting of old art. I'm looking forward to this because I don't have to create anything new for it, and I'm not great about resharing past works so it may be nice to revisit those pieces (or super cringe, hard to say.) Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see my old relics, and participate with us if you want to!
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Until next time,
Catherine
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P.S. A Note on Creativity
โYou can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.โ
โ Maya Angelou
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The Studio Notes Newsletter ๐
from Catherine Herold - Illustrator & Graphic Designer
A short, sweet, and to the point newsletter from an illustrator, book designer, and all around busy bee. ๐ By day, I work in the publishing industry as a book designer and illustrator. By night, I indulge in my inspirations and grow my creative business with slow, intentional steps. Every month, you'll get insights into living a creative life, what's currently inspiring me, behind the scenes peeks of works in progress, the stories behind the work, and freebies to help nurture your own creativity.
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