Partying....

Merry Christmas and Happy everything else to all! We had a great time last night partying with a great group of friends. It's always nice to be surrounded by fun, creative people. Here's a couple of shots from our "bring a tacky gift" white elephant exchange. What a blast!

Children's Beach House Show - November 30, 2007

Here are some shots of this great event. There were 101 artists (at last count) and so much great art that it was probably very difficult for people to narrow down just one purchase! Andrew Criss was the featured artist this year. He displayed quite a few "mini" oils, many with an industrial feel - stop lights, buildings, but also several landscapes. Other notables: Abraxus, Anne Hannah, Steve Rogers, Julie Molyneaux, Barbara Dietrick. Robert and I had a great time.
The top picture is Sherry, the "master framer" at the Kennedy Gallery. She had several pieces of her beautiful hand-painted furniture at the show, plus two watercolors as well. The guy in the blue sweater is Rich from the Gallery, who was trying valiantly to please everyone by making sure the champagne was available at EVERY bar, and then you'll see Andrew Criss being surrounded by his adoring fans!

The end of the year

Somehow it got from August to Thanksgiving overnight. Isn't it strange how most of the year flies by, at least until we get til January 2? Then it drags in slow-mo until April. Maybe it just seems that way because we go into hibernation mode and leave a permanent butt imprint on the couch in the days when it gets dark at 5:00 p.m.

Lots of things going on. An offer on the house has come in, amazingly, in this market. Painting like crazy, getting ready for the Beach House Show, and watching my 16 year old son as he discovers he likes girls. Amazing how a boy who can barely use more than a word or two to answer a question from me can spend HOURS on the phone with his new girlfriend. I thought he could only say, "I dunno....."

Perfected

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye_2a7Lrl80

That's my youtube site of the day. Give it a look and stand in amazement at the glory that is Ann Coulter.

Sea Witch

Fall is here finally! The weather has finally turned chilly. Flannel sheets are back on my bed and I'm already colder than I want to be. BUT at least we had a nice long Indian Summer, if it's still politically correct to call it that.

Here are some shots of the cutie-pies I face-painted at the Sea Witch Festival over the weekend. It's tons of fun, but back-breaking as well. Aren't they cute? I usually paint my own face too, so the kids have something to look at. If you notice, some of the kids have fallen asleep during the process. Funny, but it must be really mesmorizing...even the most hyper kids just chill out.

Happy Halloween! Only six more months till Spring!

Kennedy Gallery

My work is now available at the Kennedy Gallery on Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Currently there are 3 different prints available, with some originals coming soon. Stop in and check it out!

LDAF Blue Jean Ball - October 20, 2007

What a fun event! The BJB was catered by Espuma and Fish ON (I think....food was great) and there was great wine by Nassau Vineyards and music by Love Seed Mama Jump. Twenty artists were on display (well, not the ARTISTS, but their work. Can you just imagine 20 artists being pinned up onto the walls?)

The maximum amount of pieces an artist could display was four, with one of those being donated to the live auction. The latest original of Nassau Orchards Market sold. Roosevelt Canal Cottage was the piece in the live auction, which sold for $1200. Very exciting! That money went entirely to LDAF, which is great for them and not so bad for a tax-deduction for me.

Upcoming shows - Children's Beach House on November 30, December 1 and 2. Please come, there are about 80 artists in that show and the work is awesome. Nothing better than art as Christmas gifts. The Lewes Historical Society Art Show is over Valentine's Day weekend in 2008. I'll be painting a good number of new oils of local scenes in Rehoboth and Lewes for these shows.

Please feel free to leave comments here. I have changed the preferences so you do not have to be a member of blogspot to comment. Thanks, hope to hear from you!

So, here's what's new....

Wow, not working full-time is tough! I've been painting, working at the Gallery, and crossing my fingers tightly, hoping for the house to sell. Robert's been working very hard doing handyman work, making the house look great. Now we just have to find a buyer....

Going out to price a mural tomorrow. Just finished 3 new watercolors and an OIL. The oil was fun, fun, fun...like finding a friend who hasn't been around for a while. All four paintings will be heading to the LDAF's Blue Jean Ball on October 20 at Nassau Valley Vineyards. It's a fundraising event that's catered by local restaurants, Love Seed Mama Jump will be playing, and there will be a large art show featuring 20 local artists. The Cape Gazette did a nice piece on the event yesterday, with a pic of yours truly.

So the plan now is to work solely on oils for a while. I have a new one in progress as we speak. I'd like to have four or five new oils for the Lewes Historical Society show in February '08.

Oh, and a lesson learned this week: Never, never, never stand a sheet of glass on end and lean it up against a wall. I did that at the gallery the other day and the sheet of glass fell against my leg, slicing my ankle like a piece of lunchmeat. Talk about blood, yeesh. I'm the kind of person who can't even look when I'm giving blood without nearly passing out. Live and learn.

Grace Church Show

The Grace Church reception was this past Friday night. There were some really beautiful paintings there - (Don Blow is amazing, check out his website!)

Plein Air

If you don't know what "plein air" is, it's painting in the open air (in French)....not in France, just in French.

Cape Charles VA had a plein air event over Labor Day weekend. Since I missed the Paint Out event here in June, I made sure I checked this one out. Glad I did! It was a lot of fun and a great experience. I now have a whole new appreciation for people who paint outside. You wouldn't think about it being more difficult than being in the studio, but it really is. You have bugs, wind, sun that dries out your paint, and other distractions. Plus, it's nearly impossible (for me) to paint watercolors upright on an easel. The paint just runs right down the paper. I gave up on that idea and just painted in my lap. Next time, OILS! At least they won't run.

I finished two paintings in two days and sold one of them at the show on Sunday night. Paul Rendel, a local artist here, was the overall winner with two incredible oils. He's a marvelous painter and a really nice man to boot.

We stayed at the Cape Charles Inn. I highly recommend it! Here's some shots, you can just get a glimpse of the painting of mine that sold, next to Paul's boat painting.

Goodbye Y!

Here's a few shots from the goodbye party the Y gave for me at the Rudder. It was a nice thing to do. We look really happy, don't we?

Grace Church Show

Thanks for everyone who entered the 2007 Grace juried show and congratulations to the winners :


Best in Show - Doris Davis-Glackin--"Emerging"
First Place - Dorothy Harrison Braun - "Early Glow"
Second Place - Donald Blow - "Company Colors"
Third Place - Doris Ingram - "Tilghman Twilight"


Honorable Mention:

Nancy Brown - "Saratoga Summer"
Suzanne Detrick - "Glowing Red"
Darla Hilton - "Buffalo Resting"
Kim Klabe - "Shadyside"


The Reception is Friday, September 7, from 5-7 at the Grace Gallery.

Happy Birthday

Okay, time to stop counting. 40 was great, but when the zero starts getting replaced with other numbers...well....

The first week of non-Y work actually went well. The first couple of days were tough, but then it was smooth sailing. Started some part-time work at the Kennedy Gallery in Rehoboth, and it's awesome. What's better than being surrounded by art all day? I'm learning custom framing, and with the exception of the occasional glass cut, that's a whole lot of fun. I'm getting some painting done, and also getting ready for the Cape Charles Plein Air festival this coming weekend. I'll take pictures and post them on Monday.

Off to Grace Church in Wilmington to drop off two pieces for their upcoming show. More details to come!

Life, part 2.

Well, I did it. My last day at the Y was August 17. So, there's been 1 1/2 work days that have passed and I'm freaking out. I'm taking an "organize your art business" class in an effort to keep me on track and keep me motivated. Now I understand why people who retire fall into a funk for a while. It's a scary thing! Change is always hard, but I'm not going to let it beat me. I'll surrender this week to fear and uncertainty, but that's all I'm giving!

Jungle HEAT

So here's how the Milton show went....

Up at 5:30 to set up early before all the crowds show up for the 200th Milton anniversary. Dad and I set up, sipping coffee, feeling the fringes of the oppressive heat that would soon be rendering people helpless within hours. By 7 a.m. we were done, and I was off to run a 5k with Robert in Dewey. Okay, so that was stupid, but we did it, didn't pass out and didn't set any records. Then it was to the shower (a pointless effort) and back to the art show. My tent had no shade till about noon when the sun was directly over my meager tent. Before then, Sally Culp and I sat near each other in a patch of shade that was just wide enough for both of us to sit sideways in. Sweat rolled off us in big streaming rivulets. We panted like dogs. We told the art gods that if we didn't sell anything, that all this suffering and pentinence would be for naught. We certainly didn't sell enough to make it worth it. I think people were too hot to reach for their wallets. By 3 p.m., people were walking around looking reminiscent of Dawn of the Dead zombies with their hair stuck to the sides of their heads and their cheeks flushed bright red. (Hey, I rhymed.) Water was the nectar of life and kept most of us from fainting dead away.

But HEY, I still love summer!

Current shows: Nassau Gallery in Lewes DE. Opening is Wednesday, August 6 from 6-8 p.m.
Rehoboth Art League Member Show runs through September.
Grace Church juried show - September 7 through October 1.

RAL Show 07

Another show! This is a shot from the Rehoboth Art League Member Show, opening night. I'm standing by my entry, "A great day for King's". Lots of folks checking out the art...(buying too!) Tons of great entries and local artists, including Andrew Criss, Ann Hannah, Julie Molyneaux and Joyce Condry. The artwork is hanging until September, I believe.

See you at the August 4 Milton Outdoor Art Show which will be held in conjunction with the Milton 200th anniversary celebration!

St. Peter's Art Show

St. Peters was a great show! Very hot day, but the crowds were looking and buying as well. I moved some inventory, including an older piece, an original watercolor seen here.

A couple of shows coming up are:

The Milton Anniversary fest on August 4. The Milton Art Guild will be hosting that one, and Nassau Vineyards has one coming up in August as well. I'll have to get back to you on the date.
Rehoboth Art League's Member Show opens this weekend. See you there!

Happy Fourth!

Slow down summer! Wow, it goes so fast.

Here's a photo of my new favorite vacation spot. It's in North Carolina, but I can't tell you exactly where, because too many people are discovering it and I'm afraid it'll turn into another Rehoboth. The locals all complain about us "yankees" coming down there as it is. It's not very populated, the beaches are beautiful and big and uncrowded. The water is WARM in June, well, at least warmer than here. There's beautiful places to paint and some great old houses. The Seafood House is in a neighboring town with a couple of cool restaurants around it. You can have a drink on the water and watch the pelicans swoop in like a group of Blue Angels.

I was outside sketching a beautiful plantations-style house in the middle of a park one day when I was approached for a commission. The other photo is the house I was commissioned to render in pen/ink. You can check out the final product on the website. If you'd like your house done, just give me a jingle. :)

HOT

Wow, it's hot. But I'm not complaining - it's far better than ice and wind and sleet and heating bills.

St. Peter's Art show is coming up on July 7, in Lewes Delaware. Hope to see you there. BUY ART! Feed a starving artist!

Metamorphosis

Change is good, right? After 14 years, I've put in my resignation at my "day job" to pursue art in a full-time kind of way. (What? Is she nuts? Hasn't she ever heard the term - don't quit your day job??)

I'll be focusing on murals, faux finishing, custom work and fine art. Cross your fingers for me. Pass the word along. Pray. :)

"Biggs Picture"

The Biggs Museum of American Art is located in Dover Delaware.
They are currently running a show, "Biggs Picture, Landscapes
by Regional Artists". This watercolor, "Quiet Path" was my entry,
which sold during the opening reception. If you look closely at
the tag under the painting, the title is incorrect - it says "Touch
of Pink" which was the painting that was not taken into the
juried show.

Shows

Tomorrow, June 9, is the Milton Outdoor Art Show, hope to see you there! 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Come support local artists as they melt in the hot sun.

Cabaret!

If you haven't already gotten a chance, get to the Riverfront Theatre in Milford, Delaware to catch the latest show, "Cabaret". It's full of local actors who sing, dance and of course, act. The first act is a lot of fun, until the Nazi's show up....then it gets a little dark for Act 2. Very dark, actually. But as the emcee says, "Life is disappointing? Forget it! In HERE, life is beautiful!"

Wow, I've got a website AND a blog!

Thanks for checking out my blog. This is a new experience for me, and I'm confident that with a little bit of practice, some "how-to" reading and some non-procrastination from me, this will be a successful new venture.

I hope to keep you posted on art shows, cultural happenings, theatre, community news and events and whatever else strikes my fancy....after all, I get to be the author and the editor. Ahh, feel the power.

Stay tuned, more to come.