Happy Summer Solstice

It's been some time since my last blog. I've been busy with my son's wedding preparations and a trip to NJ. It was a very busy trip and it was great to see family and friends. I ended my trip in Philly for my son's fiance's shower. Life is moving very very fast but blessings abound so I'm trying to savor every moment. While I was up north, I was able to deliver a pet portrait to my cousin who was so kind to have me stay with her while my husband was in the hospital in March. Jackson was a good friend also so this pastel portrait of him was very special to me too. I used a less traditional choice of colors in this piece and I really liked how it came out.

So artwork is moving along nicely. I have a group show which I'm entering this month. I'm busy trying to get the art I selected prepared for the show. It's so hard to pick only a sample of your work and it's all very subjective as to which you feel is the best. I recently entered a show and the one I put in on a whim was the one that was selected for the juried show. You just can't predict what someone else is going to see in your work. I loved doing the sky in this piece and it was not a chore at all but the water was a whole other thing. I labored over it so much but it finally came together. There was so much movement in the water, it was a real challenge to get it just right. I didn't win a prize but it's always an honor to be accepted into the show and to be represented among the very talented artists we have in the area. Below is "Sunset Over Boothbay" - the selected entry in the Appalachian Art Show in Kingsport.

My Plein air group has been painting away. I only joined them on a couple of outings over the last month. With being away and having quite a few "home life things" to catch up and works in progress that are beginning to build up, time was a little limited. I did post my favorite plein air painting from this past month as my facebook cover page. I hope to be enjoying much more plein air painting in the coming summer months.