Virginia Watercolor Society Award April 2012

My favorite watercolor teacher from long ago, Judy Wengrovitz, called to tell me I'd won a cash award at the state show awards dinner last Saturday! How exciting, and what an honor to be one of my state's winners.

Also, I'm one of 29 artists selected to paint"en plein aire," in the Mountain Maryland Plein Aire Event in late May in the Cumberland, MD area. I have not participated in this event before; I look forward to it.

I'm currently working on a series of "From the Top" paintings of Italy. All of these works have strong dramatic lighting and are landscapes with a different perspective. Here's an early look at "Minor Adjustments;" a landscape of the Cinque Terre region in Italy.

SPLASH 14 and Vienna Arts Society Exhibit

Thank you, Vienna Arts Society, for honoring me and asking me to judge your beautiful show "Art in Bloom." The winners have now been selected and I just want the members in Vienna to know: Great Work! It's an honor to view your paintings, but it's difficult to know I cannot give everyone a ribbon. I hope that the folks in your community will come by the gallery in great crowds and see what wonderful talent they're privy to. I'm looking forward to presenting a workshop at the VAS this spring.

On another note, I opened my email tonite to find that my painting "My Viewpoint" has been selected for the book, SPLASH 14, to be published in 2013. This is my second time to be included in the book in three years and I am overjoyed, honored and so happy to be recognized for my hard work.

Artist's Reception at The Bridge Gallery, Shepherdstown, WV

Please come to the reception for my solo exhibit, from 5:30 until 7:30, at The Bridge Gallery in Shepherdstown, WV, this Saturday, March 31, 2012. http://www.bridgegalleryandframing.com/

Shepherdstown is a quaint little village, nestled in the foothills of the mountains just above Harpers Ferry. There are many shops with unique gifts, fine dining, and, of course, my solo exhibit which is featuring my newest work.....I'll be there, and I'd love to speak with you. I've been exploring how to build light, by layering watercolor paint in every way possible: glazing, pouring, atomizing..... I use whatever tecniques I can to accomplish my purpose.

Virginia Watercolor Society Annual Jurored Exhibit

My painting, "Round 'n Round, was selected by the juror for the annual Virginia Watercolor Society's jurored exhibit at the Charles H. Taylor Center in Hampton, VA....AND.....I just found out that my painting is among those featured on the postcard. It's quite prestigious to be selected to be on the postcard. It's not happened in the past, but I hope it will happen again!

Hurray!

Framing! This Artist's Pet Peeve

I'm waiting for my frames to arrive for my upcoming solo exhibit at The Bridge Gallery in Shepherdstown, WV. While I wait for the frames, I've already begun painting for my next solo exhibit. Included here is a picture of a painting in progress of a little barber shop in Frederick, MD.

I'm so grateful for my framer. He'll ship me the frames, glass, and all equipment needed, so that all I will do is secure my paintings into each frame, seal the backs and put on the included hardware. I've already matted my paintings and they're ready to go.

My framer makes my life easy.

I usually cut my own mats, and I now cut them as I complete each painting. It's easier for me to self critique my work with the mat on it, and it's necessary to critique as I go. I once cut off part of my finger while cutting a mat. I can get sloppy and I'm often matting at the last minute. That's another good reason why I now try to cut mats as I complete each painting: I'm more organized and there's less rushing.

Watercolors are more expensive to frame than other mediums: we use mats and glass, along with the frame. I'm always receiving comments about frames, but I do my best to select something unobstrusive that will at least add to the work, and not detract from it.

Can you feel the energy coming through the work as I rush to get my show completed? And, after this exhibit, I have another solo exhibit at the Delaplaine Visual Arts and Education Center in Frederick, MD, beginning in May, 2012. Work, work, work!

New England National Open Exhibition: SELECTED!

Just found out that this painting was selected for the New England Watercolor Society's 13th Biennial North American Open Exhibition at the Attleboro Museum...... I seem to be the only watercolorist from Virginia selected! Exciting...

Favorite Chair

Here's a nearly completed painting of one of my favorite chairs, in a spot where I like to vacation now and then..... I need to look at it for a few weeks, and do a little tweaking.

I'm posting this for Peggy, so that she can imagine sitting in this lovely spot, with the light pouring through, a good book in hand, and summer breezes fluttering through an open window. This is a spot where healing and good thoughts have occured for me.

It's 9 am, and today I'll be completing some poured pieces, with Italian scenes as the subject. I have a wonderful painting of Florence and another of an Italian harbor. I'm incorporating pouring with hand painting, in an attempt to continue loosening up.

I'll be drawing a piece today, too, of window reflections.