2009 Holiday Series #15

4"x6" Miniature Original Watercolor
SOLD

This is a bit complex. Inside the window there
are greens and an ornament. On the outside
there is a wreath hanging by a red and white ribbon.
The colors are warm and harmonious with interesting
reflections

I actually have a topic to discuss. If you look at yesterdays
blog comments I received an anonymous comment...
" Uncle Tom!". Since we do not have any Uncle Toms in
either family my next guess is that it was a slur. Wow...
I was going to delete it but decided not to. I rarely
encounter racism and am always surprised when it hits
me, that there are still backwards thinking people out
there in today's enlightened global society floors me.
To not have the beans to sign a real name draws
parallels all of its own.

I decided to look up the actual meaning...
1) A pejorative term for a black person who is perceived
by others as behaving in a subservient manor to white
authority figures.
2) A meek black person
3) A person who compromises and conforms

I do not see that any of these meanings fit me. I am not
subservient to any one but God, I am far from meek; but
I do have good manners! I do not feel like I compromise
anything; in fact I hold tight to my principles. So I am
reaching here... If the reference is to what I paint, I did
not realise my skin color restricts me to ethnic subjects,
must have missed that class. I was raised by parents who
lived under real oppression and made sure I knew how to
conduct myself in the world. They told me it is not a sin to
be black, just unhandy and I was expected to give 110%
to all I did. I was exposed to all art forms and from a young
age my art hero's were Homer, Eakins and NC Wyeth.
I found a love for history and spend a lot of time exploring
historical sites and traveling. This is where I glean my
subjects. I paint what interests me personally and what
speaks to me, which is what an artist is to do. I took time
over the holiday to look at the decorations, the colors, the
play of light and I will do the same with winter and snow.
I pay attention to my surroundings. I am not seeing
any compromise when I paint what I know and like.
You may not like all my subjects but I hope there is
respect for my skill level with the brush.

To anonymous: you need to get out and see the world,
educate yourself and broaden your horizons... and don't
stand behind anonymous, if you want to express an
opinion put your name to it and stand up.

2009 Holiday Series #14

4"x6" Miniature Original Watercolor
$275.00 ~ SOLD

This is the Cedar Street entrance to the
Moravian Church in Lititz, PA. I love the
grey stone surrounded with green and a
pinch of holiday red.

I stuck to my painting all day. I am determined
to get a blog accomplished each day this week.
Since our computer is still not functioning well
we cannot access our data base so I cannot send
a mailer or an email about classes starting in
January. Pass the word if you would, more info
can be found on my website.

2009 Holiday Series #13

5"x5" Miniature Original Watercolor
SOLD

I am still painting holiday scenes since I have
so much material to pick from. I liked the
way the inside blinds show through this window.
Nice green wreath with pine cones.

I must admit to not painting lately. I had every
intention but it is the Holidays and Linda had
plenty for me to do! We did squeeze in some
fun: we went to see Sherlock Holmes which we
enjoyed, had a nice family dinner at the Accomac Inn,
spent Christmas dinner with my Mom in the nursing
home; she is doing well. Linda managed to forget her
computer issues for a few days and faced them today,
but with no conclusions! On a sad note we had to put one of
our cats to sleep today. He was 14 and was having
kidney failure.
On a happy note my niece was married yesterday
and below is a photo of the 112 hand painted
wedding ornaments we did for her. They looked
very nice hanging on a tree. They were gifts to her
guests

They match her invitation theme...

2009 Holiday Series #12

4"x6" Miniature Original Watercolor
$225.00 ~ Contact the studio

I think I mentioned before that I like wreaths
with fruit. This large white door just shows
it off.

All my painting time has been used to shovel snow!
I managed to finish my last commission and it gets
picked up tomorrow. So I can spend a bit of time on
my blog pieces. Linda had her new computer delivered
today but moving the files did not go as smoothly as
she hoped. It was a four Tylenol day for her. I helped
bake a few cookies tonight and we had a few clients
stop in for gifts.

2009 Holiday Series #11

6"x4" Miniature Original Watercolor
$250.00 ~ SOLD

This one has a woodsy feel. I am not sure of
the story behind the building, I just found it
interesting.

My commission took me most of yesterday
to complete but I am pleased with the way
it turned out. One more to do before the
holiday. Linda took her Mom to doctor
appointments for the past two day. All
seems to be going well. Our ornament project
was wrapped up today. I will photo them to
share after the wedding. I am spending the
next two days with the men in my prayer
group at a retreat so there will be no painting till
Saturday.

2009 Holiday Series #10

4"x6" Miniature Original Watercolor

SOLD

Decorations Lancaster County style...

I spent my morning at the eye doctor for
my usual check up and the afternoon painting.
Took some time to help Linda with the last
of the wedding ornaments and cooked steak
on the grill. A good day except for the
weather not cooperating with my bike riding.

2009 Holiday Series #9 ~ yellow door with wreath

4"x6" Miniature Original Watercolor
SOLD

Loved the play of colors and shadows.

I know I missed two days of blogging.
I do not even remember what I was doing
except that there was not time to paint.
Yesterday we went to visit my Mom and that
took a good part of my time. I took Linda
dancing last night! Found a new place to go.
Sunnybrook Ballroom in Pottstown, PA They
had a DJ and played 50's to 80's . We may try
the ballroom dancing if we can squeeze in a little
practice. If any of you ever want to go dancing...
give us a call. Most of our friends are not into it.
We are still working on the wedding ornaments!

2009 Holiday Series #8

6"x4" Miniature Original Watercolor
$250.00 ~ SOLD!

I have always been attracted to using fruit
in holiday decorations. Loved the display in
a transom.

Not sure where my day went, I started painting
at 9:30 and looked up and its nighttime. I pretty
much spent my day painting this fruit! I did stop
to help Linda paint 20 more wedding balls.

Yesterday I joined Daily Painters of Pennsylvania.
as another way to promote my work.

2009 Holiday Series #7 ~ window with greens and red bow

4"x6" Miniature Original Watercolor
SOLD

Holiday at its finest! My signature bricks
and shadows topped off with a red bow.

Since it is getting so cold I have had to ride my
indoor rollers...I hate the cold. I finished one
commission, it looks sooo good, I wish I could show
you but I can't ruin the surprise. I did photo it
to share later. I am focused, managed to get the
blog painting finished also. Now I am going to help
Linda with this little project. Our good friends
daughter is getting married shortly and Linda
volunteered to hand paint Christmas balls as their
guest gift, all 150 of them! So we worked out the
design and have 30 almost finished. Almost.
They are looking better than I expected but it will
take a while.

2009 Holiday Series #6 ~ tree

4"x6" Miniature Original Watercolor

$225.00 ~ sold!

A freshly cut tree waiting for decorations...

I spent my morning running errands and visiting
my Mom, then I dedicated the afternoon and
tonight to working on a commission and this blog.
I am very excited about some new paints I ordered
from eBay at a great price. I am not one for lots of
new colors because I mix them well but I must say
it was fun to get ones I would never normally buy.
I have 31 new tubes of Davinci watercolors. I had to
scrub out an old pallet and squeeze in the new colors.
I did not want to mix them up with my old pallet.
I will let you know how I like them.
Linda has been busy filling orders. If you are planning
to place an order the coupon expires 12/20 so don't
wait to long!

If you were thinking about taking a watercolor class
my next set of classes start in January and the dates are
now listed on my website.

2009 Holiday Series #5 ~ shutter with greens

4"x6" Miniature Original Watercolor
$200.00 ~ Contact the studio

A little off beat I know, but it was interesting
to my artistic eye. I found these shutters
with greens and a few berries hanging off the
hooks. There was a bit of wind which had the
red ribbon blowing. The bricks were painted
a soft yellow which made a great backdrop
for the green and red.

Spent the weekend showing in DE and we just
got home. We plan to be around most of the
week for anyone wanting a studio visit. Just
call... I will be chained to my desk working on
a few Christmas commissions!

2009 Holiday Series #4 ~ wreath on a white door

4"x6" Original Watercolor
SOLD

This wreath was ringed with persimmons and
small artichokes. Fresh greens and reds
against the white door make a strong painting.
There is a bit of shadows reflecting in the top
window.

We spent yesterday on a holiday decorations
photo hunt. I hit the jackpot in New Castle, DE.
Strong historic homes with nice decorations.
The day was just sunny enough for good picture
taking. Ending our day in Wilmington getting
ready for the show. Set up started at 9am today
and then spent the day exhibiting and painting.

Saturday the benefit show is from 9 to 9! Held
at the Brandywine Town Center.
http://www.artattheatrium.com/

2009 Holiday Series #3 ~ Snowman ornament on tree

4"x6" Original Watercolor
email the studio for purchase information

I painted a snowman ornament hanging on
our friends Christmas tree. Check out the tree
light glowing on the snowman's belly!

Background story...when Abbey was younger we
hand made ornaments for our tree each year. Linda
came up with a new design and we made it a family
project, often still working on them up to Christmas
day. This snowman was made by making paper
pulp and pressing it into a mold then painting them.
We gave our friends one and they hang it on their tree
every year. We were visiting them on Sunday and I
spotted it on their tree and I thought it would make a
good painting.

I will not be blogging tomorrow, no time to paint...
the plan is to go to Wilmington, DE in the morning
and look for some holiday subjects... I may stop at
Brandywine River Museum for a bit of Wyeth
inspiration. We need to check into the show area
and scout out my space for the weekends show.
The Show:
Held at the Atrium at Brandywine Town Center,
Rt 202 & Naamans Rd,Wilmington, DE.
Free admission I am unable to accept any
discount coupons at this show since it is a fundraiser.
25% of my sales are donated to the New Castle, DE
Habitat for Humanity.
http://www.artattheatrium.com/

2009 Holiday Series #2 ~ door with wreath and red bow

4"x6" Original Watercolor
SOLD

I am so glad people have started decorating
so I have fresh subjects! I found this door
in New Holland, PA while visiting friends. It was
the red color that attracted me.

If you have a holiday subject with some sunlight
and shadows feel free to email it to me and I will
consider painting it! Ran some errands today and
it was noon till I started painting. Our main
computer is not working so Linda and I had to
figure out how to blog on the laptop.

I have a show this weekend. It is a fundraiser,
25% of my sales are donated to the New Castle, DE
Habitat for Humanity. Held at the Atrium at
Brandywine Town Center, Rt 202 & Naamans Rd,
Wilmington, DE. Free admission I am unable to
accept any discount coupons at this show since it is
a fundraiser. http://www.artattheatrium.com/

2009 Holiday Series #1

4"x6" Original Watercolor
$200.00 ~ SOLD

This is my first holiday painting of the
season! There is a lot to look at in this
little painting. Someone took an outside
planter and put lights on it. There is a
glow from a neighbors house laying across
the porch columns. A hint of another
brick home is in the background and I had
to add a moon to compliment the star on
the tree!

I took a week off from painting, simply
enjoyed having Abbey home and basically
did very little. So today was the first I

held a paintbrush in thirteen days, a very
long stretch for me. Also, for about two
months I was only working on larger
paintings. When I sat down this morning,
staring at a blank white sheet of 4 x 6" paper
I felt uneasy. You would not expect that, after
30 years of painting; but there was an
insecurity. By the time I did the pencil sketch
I was back in the game.

Linda is almost caught up with framing orders
so if you were waiting, now is a good time to
call or go on line. The $20 off coupon is good
until 12/20.

After Open House...

It was a fast three days and I am pleased to
report it went very well. We spent the past
two days taking everything down and putting
our house back together.
Linda has all the receipts to punch into the
database and get deposits together. There are
a few special orders that need attention and
a few things to ship out. Meanwhile we are
trying to enjoy having Abbey home for a few
days.

There are still plenty of originals and prints
for you to choose from. Go to my website
to see what is available. In the next few days
I will feature originals that would make a
fine addition to your holiday shopping.

"Into the Light"
14x18" original $600

Open House starts tomorrow!!

Behind the scenes of Open House...
We are out of time!!
The girls spent the morning cooking
and the fridge is full of things I am not
to touch! You can see the wine glasses
are out and ready.













I got a much needed haircut
and then drove to DC to pick up Abbey
and Stella (her cat). I left at 2 and just
got back home. Abbey came home to
help out with open house which makes
Linda very happy, we are very excited
to have her home. Poor Ben is left alone
to study for law finals but will join us
on Wednesday.

Tomorrow we open the doors at 2:00pm.
To be fair to those looking for originals there

is no early admittance or phone requests.
Hope you plan to join us.

Check the website for the times.
Feel free to bring a friend.

2 Days till Open House

Behind the scenes of Open House...
Today was cleaning day. Somehow my
sweet wife has it in her head that we must
clean everything because you my client, will
notice how clean things are or not... Instead
of keeping your eyes on my fantastic paintings.
Every piece of dirt and every spiderweb must go.
Our house/studio is over 150 years old and has
issues. It is daunting to keep clean and gets dirty fast!
But there is no point arguing, we all just chip in.
Here is Lori washing the tops of the cabinets
in the studio...ready for a white glove test...
if you are so inclined to climb up top and look!

Stacy was put on porch patrol... With hose
and brush she is scrubbing the porch! I
certainly thought that needed done!!


And so you know I did not escape.
Here I am, can you possibly guess...

I took the overhead lights down,

vacuumed them out and someone told Linda if you
wipe the bulbs they stay brighter... so yep,

I wiped the bulbs!

We also went grocery and wine shopping.
It is 8pm and we are both quitting for the night.

3 Days till Open House

I stopped painting and am helping with
what ever is on the "honey do" list.
Behind the scenes of Open House...
Today I ran some errands, replaced light bulbs,
fixed the screen door handle, new toilet seat
in the studio, laid a rug and set up screens
to hang paintings in the studio. Gathered
trash for tomorrows pick up. Helped put
new labels on all the paintings. Linda and her
crew cleared out the studio rooms of extra
stuff. Set up a framing area in the basement
for emergencies. All the paintings are titled,
priced and new labels printed. Linda finished the
menu and a grocery list.
Menu sample:
Veggies/dip, Salmon cheesecake/crackers,
Black Bean Salsa, Feta Pinwheels,
Pumpkin dip/cookies, hot wassail, wine,
soda, coffee...Here is a sample of the studio, multiple
choices of mat colors for each print.
My website has been updated and most
of the new paintings are listed under
"originals". No sales are allowed until
2:00 on Friday 11/20, but you can put
your wish list together!

4 Days till Open House

Time is flying!
All the framing is finished.
The furniture is moved.
The display panels are up.
The originals are hung.
Next...
Behind the scenes of Open House...
So now the fun part, naming and pricing
of the new originals. Over the years there
have been arguments, tears, stomping of
feet, you get the idea. Family and friends
have helped and hindered. So now we tack
a paper to each painting. Linda starts with
the price she thinks it should be based on
other originals, size and time spent painting
it. Then I go through and add my idea, based
on...well, my artistic feeling. Next are title ideas.
At this point anyone walking into the room
may write a suggestion. Tomorrow Linda and
I will take each paper and "talk" about it!
Like rational business person and artist!!
Below is one panel, note the papers...




Personally
they
are
all
artistic
masterpieces,
valued
beyond
my
wildest
imagination!

9 Days till Open House

Behind the Scenes of Open House...
I am still painting and will continue until
next Wednesday. Linda and her helpers
are working on the framing. I think framing
will be completed on Friday. Linda is also
working on the menu. She plans on an unknown
number of people, needs to be set out in small
quantities to stay fresh since our hours are long.
Nothing hot because we are to busy to heat it.
The hors d'oeuvres change every year.
I will share the menu when she has it ready.

Here is
another
example
of the
fabulous
new
paintings
I am
offering
at
Open
House!

20x23"

None of my new paintings are available before
the doors of Open House open on Friday 11/20
promptly at 2:00pm. At that point you may walk
in the door and pick your painting or call
(717-627-3383) to make a purchase. It is the only
way I have to be fair to all clients wanting first
choice. The exception is the 3 originals to
my new prints. You may purchase them now
at $2000. each. Just call or email or ask to stop
at the studio to see them.

Meanwhile, I am demonstrating tomorrow
at Moravian Manor, a local retirement home.
Then in the evening there is a reception for all
the exhibitors in 2010. So I will be attending.
Friday, I set up for a local show at Manheim
Township H.S. with the PA Guild of Crafters.
I will be exhibiting on Saturday and Sunday.

11 Days till Open House

Behind the scenes of Open House...

We drove to New Jersey to pick up the
frames today. 6 hours round trip but
a huge savings in shipping.

This is
what
$4000
in
frames
and a
weary
artist
look
like!

12 Days till Open House

We just figured out that when you
place an order from my website and
try to pay with PayPal you cannot use
your $20 discount. So...
Order, pay in full and I will return your
$20 through PayPal immediately!

Just the little glitches that require some
problem solving...
Go place an order!

13 Days till Open House

I spent my day exhibiting at a local benefit.
Sold a few prints and finished my painting
of pears...

Linda spent her day taping the new prints
into mats. We ran into a problem with using our
$20 discount offer when ordering from the
website. Paypal does not have a line for a
discount... she looked in our paypal merchant
account and cannot see how to do it. If anyone

has experience and can talk her thru it feel free.
She is pretty frustrated since no one can order...
Tomorrow is my glass cutting day.

15 Days till Open House

We had a "care plan" meeting for my Mom
this morning then we spent some time with
her. After that there were a few errands to
run and back home to paint.

Behind the scenes of Open House...
I moved out of my studio a few weeks ago
because Linda needed the room for cutting mats.
I am able to paint all over the house, I am not
to choosy where I sit or get hung up on having
natural light. I do like having a TV on for noise.
Tonight I am in our kitchen area. Notice I have
two paintings started. I am studying the one
propped up, planning my next move. Meanwhile
I am working on pears. My eyes are tired tonight
and it is only 8pm!













I picked up my new prints today! Tomorrow
I will sign and number them. They look great.
I print the old 4-color off set lithograph and usually
print an edition of 450. This time I only printed
200 of each! It is truly a limited edition.
My goal is to sell out! Linda has them on my
website under "new prints" if you wish to place
an order! The numbers on the prints will go out
in the order the orders come in. We are going to
Chadds Ford Gallery tomorrow so if you are
calling to order wait until after 4:00!


Here is another sample of an original that will
be available. 11x22"

16 Days till Open House

I am writing early today because we are taking
some young friends to see Disney on Ice...

Behind the scenes of Open House...

I received a few questions about the
amount of my mailing.
Invitation background:
Way back when I first started showing, Linda
set out a tablet for people to add their name
and address if they wanted info about what I
was doing. She keeps a database that I have
never even been into. It has names, who bought
what, when and where. So we now have over
6000 names. Every one gets an invitation
because even if you live in CA you can see the
new prints and place an order and we ship it to
you. It becomes double marketing.
Yes, we mail out over 6000 first class .44 postage.
Yes it adds up fast, Yes Linda is up nights worrying
about regrouping the cash outlay! But it has
faithfully been successful for 26 years.

Keep your eye out for this card...



















click to enlarge...

Linda lays out the design and works with a
local printer; Miller Printing who has been
printing our mailer for years.


This is what
6000
invites
look like
on their
way to
the
post office!




It is the old adage, you need to spend
money to make money and believe me
it is flying out our door!!

22 Days till Open House

Here is a sneak peak at one of the

paintings that will be available at
Open House.

It is 14x18 and very nice! Lots more just
like it! So you want to save the date: November 20-22

and plan a visit to Lititz.

Behind the scenes of open house...
Linda and her helpers Stacy and Lori have been busy
cutting mats and framing for two weeks and there
is no end in sight!

Label the Invitations day...

There are 6250 invitations being picked up tomorrow.
Stamps are here and the labels are ready. There is a
crew of friends that come and help and all I know is they
will be ready for me to take to the post office by Monday.
I stay out of the whole thing! Much easier to go to a show.

I will be setting up my exhibit tomorrow but the show
is Saturday and Sunday :
Reading-Berks Guild Holiday Show
Held at Keystone Hall at Kutztown University
Kutztown PA. This is the old Penn State-Berks
show that had to move so they went to Kutztown.
The quality is very good.
Sat. 9-5 and Sun. 10-4
$4 admission and there is a coupon at the
Promoters website: www.rbcrafts.org/rbg.htm

None of the new prints will be there. You can

call and have one held for you but they are not
here yet.

23 Days till Open House

My last class is tonight and I am finished
teaching till January. This gives me more
time to paint and there is no point trying
to teach through the holidays.

If you are new to my blog, this time of year
I am getting ready for my 26th Annual Open
House. It is held at my house/studio. It is
the only time I present my new prints and
there is a terrific display of new original paintings.
We offer wine and hors d' oeuvres and it is
by invitation or referral only. I do not advertise
to the general public. More invite info later.
In lieu of a blog painting I am sharing what goes
into putting on an open house of this size. My
job is to paint, paint and paint some more.
I will also be cutting down 20 cases of glass,
drive to NJ to pick up the frames and take the
invitations to the post office. Linda pretty much
manages the rest. She assures me we are on schedule!

Behind the scenes of Open House...
Printing: The 1st big job is picking the new prints.
Thank you to everyone that voted. In the end the
voting was so close we decided to print three but
in a very limited edition of 200 each. So if you wanted

one of them do not wait. They are at the printer
now. I use Pemcor in Lancaster, printing 4-color
off set lithographs matching the original as close as
possible.

Reflections of Home

Sanctuary

Sunlight and Shadows

Titles, pricing and copy for sell sheets all need
to be decided. This was done last week.
Somehow Linda got creative while sitting in
the hospital with her Mom. If you are really

interested in this process and want more
information check back to October 2008.
I do not want to repeat the same story but we
do the same thing each year.

I need to get ready for class...
more to follow

Fall Nighttime Landscape

4"x6" Original Watercolor
SOLD

You know me and night scenes!
It is an interesting study with yesterdays
day time.


Painting, painting, painting...
I finished a strong farm scene with a reflection
in a pond. Very happy with the way it turned
out. Tonight I am putting some finishing touches
on a building and that will be done. Linda is
cutting mats tonight for the new originals. I love
to see them framed. It gives me a feeling of
accomplishment. Tomorrow I need to repack
the van from the outdoor display to an indoor display.
Pack the lights and a rug. This weekend I am
at Kutztown University with the Reading-Berks
Guild. Great quality.

Fall Daytime Landscape

4"x6" Original Watercolor
$275.00 ~ sold

I painted this scene during the daytime
and tomorrow I will have the same scene
at night.

I have not been able to keep up with the blog.
I realized it has been 19 days since I reported
in. I AM working!! Just not on small blog
paintings. This is open house season, all my
paintings are large ones. In between painting
I had my last outside show...in the cold pouring
rain which did not go well. Linda's mom had a
stroke and Linda spent a week at the hospital
with her. It has effected her eyesight. The studio
is piled with work and we are both putting in very
long hours. Since Linda is back at her desk I will
do a little better job of blogging.
Tomorrows painting is ready to go...

Portrait Study #10 ~ homeless man in Paris

5"x5" Original Miniature Watercolor
$350.00 ~ Contact the studio

Paris has another side just like all cities.
I walked past this homeless man sleeping
in the middle of the day in a doorway in a
fashionable part of town. I was moved by
the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty.

Our sightseeing in Richmondtown, NY did
not go as planned. Evidently they ran out of
money years ago and there has been little
upkeep. Getting out of Staten Island was
fun! This was the last time to have the
camper out for this year and it was a nice
weekend.
Friday I set up my display and then Linda
and I took a 21 mile bike ride on the tandem.
We had a great time but the hills were killers.
The next two days were spent showing and
home Monday late afternoon. We then got
right to work unpacking and working on the
lawn, moving furniture and fall decorating.
Porchwalk is this weekend and out house is
on the tour. I have been painting, just not blog
pieces, larger ones for Open House. Remember
this time of year I do not blog as often.

Porchwalk:
Friday & Saturday, Oct 9 &10
FREE! Check out the website for more info.
www.moravianmanor.org/artisan.org
Linda will be host at the studio since I need
to leave for another show.

Fall Foliage Art Festival
Held in downtown Waynesboro, VA
Oct 10 & 11
Sat. 10-5 and Sun. noon-5
FREE!

Thursday update...

First, I made a mistake yesterday saying
the blog was my 1st gondola... it was my second.
I painted one last year on 3/19/08. I am in my
3rd year of blogging and I occasionally forget what
I did.

Thank you to all who are voting, I will collect votes
until Monday. See 9/28 blog for more info.
It is a tight 3-way race which makes it all even
more complicated! Thank you for all your support
and comments they lift my spirits ever higher!

We are all packed and the pop-up hooked up and
plan to be off by 8am tomorrow. We are going to
stop in Staten Island at Richmond Town
This is part of Linda's ongoing quest for more fresh
subject matter for me to paint. Never been there
so it should be good. From there we are heading up
to Rhinebeck, NY. Friday is set up for a show.
The Show: Oct. 3 & 4
Crafts at Rhinebeck
Held at Dutchess County Fairgrounds
on Rt9, Rhinebeck, NY
10am-5pm Building A-#26
There is a coupon on the promoters website.

I am trying to balance painting new work for
Open House (Nov 20-22) and my blog.
This happens every year so be patient with
me!! I also have 2 commissions here that I
should be working on.

Venice, Italy #2 - Gondola on the Grand Canal ~ Original Watercolor

5"x5" Miniature Original Watercolor
SOLD

My first gondola...
What a privilege to be able to say that.

If you have not cast a vote for my new
print please do it soon. Your opinion is
valuable. See the paintings on yesterdays
blog.

New watercolor classes start next week.
Class size is limited so give me a call.
Oct. 24 I am giving a 1-day workshop,
this is great if you live out of town.
More class info is on my website.

Offer your opinion...

Your valuable opinion is requested!

It is time to pick my new print. I do things a
little different than other artists in that I keep
most of my paintings as originals. I only print
one time a year and choose 1-2 paintings. I
print an edition of 450 and use a local printer that
prints in an old style of 4-color off-set lithographs.
They are the same size as my original and a
"match print" meaning they must look as close to
my original as possible. It is an investment and
I need to pick wisely. A lot of my clients add to
their collection so that is also a consideration.
Feel free to go to my website and look at my other
prints.

I am giving you the opportunity to cast a vote and
help me decide. I have 4 paintings I am picking
from and I think I will only pick one...
#1)
#2)

#3)

#4) Please send an email to me with your 1st and
2nd choice and any comments you wish to share.
andy@andysmithartist.com
I will be going to the printer in 10 days,

so vote today!

Friday update

I have been steadily working on the
paintings we are considering to print.
That leaves me no time to work on a
blog painting. Linda is much better,
she spent a good part of her day in the
garden.

We will be on the road tomorrow
morning by 4:30AM heading to ...
Art on the Green - Saturday 9/26
Held in Battery Park in Historic New Castle, DE
10AM to 5PM ~ free admittance
Very crafty! My space is A28

Pumpkin #2

4"x6" Original Watercolor
SOLD

I am inspired by Fall! So I switched
gears and painted pumpkins today.
Strong orange color.

I had my two classes today which went
very well. I was able to work on my
larger painting and also the blog. The
van is 3/4 packed for the weekend show
in New Castle, DE. Since Linda is feeling
better she is going to try a weekend out
and New Castle historic area is great for
fresh subjects.

Sunflower #4 ~ landscape, field, flowers

4"x6" Original Watercolor
SOLD

My sunflowers have gone over better
than I expected so here is another.

I was able to ride my bike several times
over the weekend plus I concentrated on
my larger window painting. It is time to
concentrate on getting paintings for my
annual open house. I need holiday photos
if anyone wants to send me some that they
took that I could use... wreaths, red bows,
snow... you get the idea. It is a bit hard to
think that far ahead when it is only the 1st
day of fall.

Venice, Italy #2 ~ seascape, cityscape - Original Watercolor

6'x4" Original Watercolor
SOLD

We took a vaporetto (a canal boat)
around Venice and I was intrigued by
the view of the buildings with their
rusty red roofs.

This weeks paintings have taken me all
day to paint. I am a little out of my comfort
zone but it feels good...when I finish it!

I do not have a show this weekend so I will
be home painting. I am working on a painting
that is a consideration for printing. I only
print one time a year in October and Linda
reminded me time is running out. If anyone
wants to visit the studio or come watch me paint
please just give me a call.

Venice, Italy ~ balcony, red flowers, lamp - Original Watercolor

6"x4" Original Watercolor
SOLD

I was fortunate to spend three days in
Venice at the end of our trip. Here is
a beautiful balcony with the doors thrown
open and sheer curtains blowing. I love
the strong colors of the yellow building
and the red and green flowers.

I focused my day on this painting, spending
a little more time on a sketch in my sketch
book before starting the painting. I took
Linda to the Library tonight, her first time out
of the house in over three weeks.

Daily Painters requested I add a title to my
paintings but then also add a description in
case you notice the extra verbage...

Glass Bowl and Apples

6"x4" Original Watercolor
$300. Contact the studio SOLD!

I wanted something completely different
today. We stayed at a B&B in Sarlat, France
and I found this glass bowl of green apples.
I enjoyed the challenge of painting clear glass
and the apples give a nice contrasting color.
There is lots of strong detail in this painting.
It has a more classic modern look than my
usual paintings but still my style. It turned
out very very good.

I want to say congrats to my good friend
who became a grandpa today. George will
be the perfect grandparent! I think this is
the first of our social group to have grandkids.
It causes you to pause and ponder life...
But not for long, I taught two classes and
painted my blog today. Went again to visit
Mom, they had a family picnic, she was in
good spirits. I also cooked dinner! We had
our first sit down meal since Linda became
sick. She is improving.

Here are a few of the suggestions for my new
painting: Parlor View, The Window Seat,
Seat by the Window, Sitting Pretty...