A short, sweet, and to the point newsletter from an illustrator, book designer, and all around busy bee. π 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.
A New Studio Note has arrived! π June 2026 Edition
Published about 2 months agoΒ β’Β 1 min readΒ β’Β News
Studio Note 06/26
Hello Reader,
May was full of ups and downs.
Food poisoning affected 3 out of the 4 of my family. My husband was the only one who managed to escape it but later in the month, he fell and fractured his hand and cheekbone.
I got accepted into a gallery group show (my first in years) and won my first award as a book designer.
Despite the bads, I think the goods were pretty good. I hope your May was great!
Here's a summary if you're short on time :
Group Show dates and location
Shop Restocks
New art...?
Art Notes
I'm participating in my first out-of-state group show this month! You can find "Portrait of a Kelpie" in the Lore 2026 show at The Compass Gallery in Provo, Utah, from June 5 through July 11. I'm very excited and happy to be part of it!
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I painted another small piece, a master study, and did a lot of sketching in my sketchbook. I'm almost done with this spiral bound one from Denik that I've had for YEARS. I'm not crazy about the paper, it's just okay and pretty basic.
Painted this little Sylph
Sketched more heads. I'm trying to get to 100, but I'm not following the 100 Heads Challenge very closely.
I did this study of "The Daydreaming Siren" by Janice Sung. I wanted to see if I could recreate the hazy atmosphere of this piece with watercolor. I don't think I achieved the same level of depth of value in my version, so I probably should mix gouache with watercolor next time.
Shop Notes
I didn't prepare prints of "Portrait of a Kelpie" for the Lore show, but I have added them to my print shops. You can purchase one from Inprnt or from Etsy.
I just want to remind you to take care of your health! Me and my boys were so sick earlier this month, plus my husband's injuries keeping him out of work for the time being... Health is Wealth, yall! Stay safe and stay healthy! :)
Until next time,
Catherine
P.S. A Note on Creativity
βThe painter has the Universe in his mind and hands.β β β β Leonardo da Vinci
from Catherine Herold - Illustrator & Graphic Designer
A short, sweet, and to the point newsletter from an illustrator, book designer, and all around busy bee. π 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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