A little more sunshine!!

George, Michele, Mary and Nick enjoying lunch in Cozumel....

More beaches George said...so off we went on a western Caribbean cruise with our dear friends Nick and Mary.  Key West was cool and shopping and bar hopping were the day's activities, topped off with key lime pie on a stick..covered in chocolate!!  Yum.

For the next four days it was sitting in the sun, either on deck or at the beach in Cozumel or Grand Cayman.  Very lazy but a great way to celebrate Mary's retirement.  The rest of us have been waiting for about 14 years!!  We look forward to seeing more of them both for travel, cards and just plain fun.  After knowing them for 46 years we  have many laughs and memories to share as well as making more to remember in our dotage...at about 100yrs I think!

Now it's back to painting, planning Paint the Beach, teaching and toting art to shows and back.

New Year....

The new year has begun and the calendar is filling up with lots of things to do and places to be.  Thanks to the art scene here I am kept busy making art for the many shows and sales coming up.  I gave myself a pass last year but have signed up for several this season to try and clear out my stacks of paintings.  Tearing them up and painting over is ok for the mediocre ones but others would be really  nice in someone's home.  I need to find that sweet spot for pricing them well.

This painting below called "Sparks" will be entered into the Winter Juried Show at FMBAA.  I hope it is accepted and will be another success for me.  Right now my main focus is the Experimental work as I haven't been out to plein air much at all.  Hope to get back to it soon.

Color is a bit more warm than this photo shows.

This week is the first Paint the Beach meeting to launch the sponsor campaign and get the process moving.  I have several tasks to do before Friday's meeting.  We will meet after the FMBAA open house with the Golden demo..should be a full house for that!

In between this I will be packing for a quick cruise with our friends Nick & Mary. We always have fun and are looking forward to some cards, sun, laughs and celebrating Mary's retirement...Finally!!

I hope everyone up North is staying warm and safe and I say...come on down..the weather is great!!!

Experimental work in progress.....

This is a painting I am currently working on using acrylic paints and inks.  It is on watercolor 140# paper with many many layers of paint applied, removed, scratched off, stamped on ..and on and on.  I've cropped it to 20x20 and think it is close to being completed.  What do you think?  For now it is called Inspired    as the blocks make me think of the process of bring inspired with thoughts and ideas popping into my head

 

I need to photograph another I have completed for the winter juried show.  It sits on an easel for now waiting for a name to present itself.

 

 

 

Happy Holiday to All!!

Holiday events have kept us busy here..potlucks, boat parades, receptions and visits with friends.  Although there is no snow, and the lights wind around palm trees, it is a festive holiday atmosphere.

We are looking forward to spending time with our children and grandchildren in the north country...even snow would be welcome as long as we are all warm and cozy inside.

Here we are in 2013 at Kris's house.  All of us look about the same in 2014 except Ethan no longer has his facial hair!!

We wish all of you reading this blog a very wonder-filled Christmas, full of family, love and good things all around.  Family, friends, and good  health are blessings we appreciate and cherish.

A busy FMBAA week!! and some art.....

After collapsing on Sunday when PTB closed we slowly got back in motion here.  First to sort my studio which was piled with odds and ends from the week.  Then to dig out some project for Experimental painting for Tuesday morning.   I found three to take that have been in the works for at least two years.  Yes, that's right.  Some things come together quickly and some definitely don't.  At the end of the morning I actually signed one...but when viewed again at home I have changed my mind.  Back to work.

Meeting Tuesday afternoon, Wednesday afternoon and errands and tasks.  Finally today I have been able to frame up 5 paintings for the show receiving tomorrow.  3 are for the Ireland show and two for Fall Judged.  We will have a reception on the 23 and a discussion of that trip and sign ups for the next two.  I plan to go to Sedona with the group in April.

At last beach time on Friday afternoon, after receiving, then I am signed up to gallery sit on Saturday,  but am hoping G will do it.  Sunday I will help with the judging then stay for the demo at 4-6.  See why I call it an FMBAA week!!  Every month one week is like this.  Next week I hope to get out painting and having a bit more time for ourselves. That is after the brunch meeting here on Tuesday!

Below are the paintings I entered:

  Genesis mixed media  17x23" $500.

                              Best of Show Lee Ackert Memorial Award Winner Fall Judged Show 2014

  Dysart O'Dea   pastel/wc  NFS

  To the Beach   pastel  12x16  $300

This won an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Paint the Beach competition

  Burren Perfumery  pastel  NFS

 Liscanoor Harbor   pastel/wc NFS

Another success...whew!!

  "To the Beach"  Honorable Mention

  Mantanzas Pass II

 

These were the two pastels I was able to finish and enter in the competition.  The second one called "To the Beach" was done the second day in a bolder style stressing the strong values of the scene.  The judge liked that about it.  A cloudy day for the first one did not have strong values to depict and it is done is a very traditional style.

 

 

We are happy to have more time for other things, like laundry and shopping now, at least once I dig out from the piles here in the studio.  I plan to go to the gallery tomorrow and work on more non representational pieces that I've started.  We have a show receiving on Friday and I need two for that and 3 for the Ireland show as well.    At least two to finish and 5 to frame by that time!!

 

 

George is busy tallying the sales and expenses for his report on Wednesday.  We are down from last year and think it hurt to be in the more hidden venue rather than the tent outside the shops.  Moving the art from there to the tent was a lot of work and we don't plan to do it again.  The "Propeller Lounge" however looked great at night and the tables and bar outside in the evening were nice.  Even had a beautiful full moon rise over the bay.  Good scenery, bad sales.

 

 

And now I think a nap..have been up since 3am with very messed up schedule.  It must have been that TV interview at 5 am on Thursday!!!

Paint the Beach in Full Swing....

Check in was Monday night and went well..all but 5 checked in to begin painting Tuesday.  Kathryn Miller and I are painting buddies and went to Bowditch Park to paint at 8 am.  It was a beautiful morning and we worked away until the stiff offshore breeze forced us to stop.  I think mine is frame worthy and will post it tomorrow.   I drove around a bit taking photos of painters then came home.

This morning was a repeat but worked at the beach near Junkanoo and gallery.  It was a popular place with about 6 of us painting away.  This painting looked very different than yesterdays and may not make it to the frame.  But it was a beautiful day to be on the beach doing what we love to do..a perfect day.  I took a few more photos of the artists and will try to get them on facebook which isn't working well right now.

Tomorrow I must be at the marina for a TV spot..I am first at 5:45 am then Mimi and Neil take over the next four.  Then to unload the art supplies at home and back to the gallery to load up for Friday morning.  At home I'll get my entries framed and load the rest of the gear to be at the venue by about 8 am.  Friday is a very long day and ends when we finish moving the grids to the tent for a 7:30 am Saturday rehang.  Tent opens at 9 and we will have about 50 more pieces of art to fit in after the Quick Draw ends at noon.

by 2 am Sunday I will be ready for my big Margarita from Skyes a tradition well earned.