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Gayle Kabaker is a painter, writer, teacher and visual storyteller

Last chance to sign up for tomorrows workshop - commissions and....

ANYONE can draw and keep a sketchbook!

Gayle Kabaker

May 9

READ IN APP

Choosing What to Paint (It’s a Process!)

Jennifer Orkin Lewis and I always try many ideas before deciding what to paint live in our Zoom workshops. Sometimes the idea comes quickly… and sometimes (like this time) it’s a real process!

For our upcoming ‘Painting the Feminine in Nature’ Mother’s Day workshop, everything I sketched out at first felt a little too complicated. We really like to keep these classes accessible — if it feels hard for me, it’s probably going to feel hard for you too!

After lots of experimenting, I ended up going down a vintage poster rabbit hole and stumbled on a beautiful drawing by Ludwig von Zumbusch, a German realist painter and illustrator. I painted it once and had such fun that I knew this was the one!

One thing we always do in our workshops is show you the paintings we made before choosing our demos. It gives you a real, behind-the-scenes look at the creative process — and it’s a good reminder that “good paintings” usually don’t happen on the first try. Sometimes it takes a bunch of duds to get to the one we love, and that’s just part of making art.

Join us tomorrow, May 10th it’s going to be such a fun session! If you can’t make it live, you can just sign up for video recording. Everyone who signs up gets the video. It’s donation based with a suggested amount of $40 - but pay what you can!

Extra Bonus - In tomorrow’s workshop Jennifer and I will take some time at the end to show you how we draw with The Zig Art & Graphic Twin Markers in the small sketchbooks. ( See my siblings below)

Commissions

Looking for a last-minute, meaningful Mother’s Day gift? How about a gift certificate for a custom painting by me.

Whether it’s a portrait or a special place, pet or…? I’d love to create something personal for you or someone you love.

Interested? Send me a message and I’ll send you pricing info. I can email you a printable gift certificate too — easy, thoughtful, and one-of-a-kind.

Here are a couple recent commissions I’ve done —a wedding invitation and a portrait.

Meet my brother David and sister Dana. Neither of them ever showed much interest in drawing or painting — until recently.

We started an annual sibling getaway, and last year my sister surprised me by asking for a private art lesson. I had her draw with markers in a little sketchbook, and turns out… she’s a natural! She loved it so much she’s been sketching ever since and even signed up for our Greece workshop this fall.

A few weeks ago, I planned a little sketchbook session for both of them. Inspired by drawing with my granddaughter Mona, I had them list a few favorite things — then I drew them simply so they could copy or reinterpret. It sparked so many great memories: cupcakes (our mom’s black bottom cupcakes!), fish (fishing with dad)… and plenty of laughs.

I’m sharing this because it’s proof that ANYONE can have fun drawing when given the right tools, encouragement, and a no-pressure space. Plus, drawing silly facial expressions together? Such fun!

My husband Peter is also an artist. We’ve been married for 38 years. Wow. Right?! We’re making an effort to do more ‘fun’ things together. On a recent dinner date we drew monsters in a sketchbook, turning it around every once in a while so we drew on each others monsters. ( there must be some kinda meaning here :) I wrote about drawing monsters in my last newsletter. Gotta say. It is such fun!

Mother’s Day Gift from Me to You

Mother’s Day is in a few days, and to be honest — it’s always a little loaded for me. I lost my mom when she was just 48 and I was 23.

As a little gift to you this Mother’s Day, I’d love to invite you to share a memory of your mom with me. Send a few lines and a photo of her to gaylekabaker@gmail.com or just reply to this email. Include your mailing address too — and for everyone who sends me a memory, I’ll send you a pretty postcard.

It might take me a little while to get them out (I leave for Morocco next Tuesday for three weeks!) — but I will do it.

One day, I’d love to create a book of mom portraits and memories. In the meantime, here’s one of my own — a story I wrote and illustrated years ago called Motherless Mother’s Day. And here’s my mom, 26 years old and pregnant with me.

As always, I love hearing from you.

xox

Gayle