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 September 2026 Edition
Published 16 days agoΒ β’Β 2 min read
Studio Note 09/26
Hello Reader,
Anyone else tired of being hot? ME! I'm tired of being hot! Bring on the cold weather, I'm ready to freeze now.
Here's a summary if you're short on time :
not much to report on this month! Things have been very busy off screen and I haven't painted or drawn "properly" since I completed "Relic of the Ivy Knight". Such is life!
I did draw something new inspired by something I found in my yard...
Art Notes
I haven't had much time or left over energy to create this month. I only have partial sketches to show for it. Work has been very busy, plus I have a couple of commissions I'm working on (that I hope to show once the books are published). Combine that with health issues, at the end of the day, there isn't much left of me for my own personal projects. β I think when this happens, it's important for us to remember that it is temporary. Schedules ebb and flow. While I'm super busy NOW, a slower period is just around the corner. They say you can't pour from an empty cup, and that applies to creativity, too.
I did manage to create something small, though, in about an hour. On a recent walk through the yard with my dogs, I came across a pile of feathers. Apparently a poor blue jay met its fate at the hands of a hawk or an owl and left several of its feathers behind. They were beautiful, so I picked a few to keep. They shaped the direction of this little painting!
Made in Procreate! I used watercolor brushes and pencil brushes, primarily.
Shop Notes
I received "Portrait of a Kelpie" back from The Compass Gallery recently, and was able to check my color matching on the updated print files I've been working on. It looks spot on, so I'll be reordering proofs this month and will have it available for the shop update in October!
The original will go up on my website before then, so if you're interested in bringing him home, you will get an opportunity soon!
Extra Notes
No extra notes this month, but just this reminder : give yourself some grace when it comes to being productive and sticking to a schedule. You're only human, and a lot of things can happen to you that are out of your control. At the end of the day, you can only control yourself and how you respond.
Until next time,
Catherine
P.S. A Note on Creativity
βVulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.β β Brene Brown
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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