Wednesday check in...

We had a bit of van trouble in KY.  The brake line
cracked.  No one works on Sundays and we could not
even rent a car to get to the show.  Bummed a ride with
another artist and a kind client took us back to our hotel.
Got it fixed on Monday, went to the show to pick up our
stock and then had an 10 hour drive home! A very long
Monday.   It is important to look at the good when life
whips you around.  The leak happened in a parking lot
NOT on the interstate.  Wonderful people helped us out,
and we made it back home with no other problems. 
A major inconvenience but not a tragedy.

Laundry, unpack, repack, visit my Mom, get the camper
aired out and ready... and we are off again!  So glad we have
house sitters, the lawn is mowed the house clean, the plants
watered.  Linda was able to putter in the garden for two day.
Tomorrow we drive 5 hrs and set up the camper and have
a relaxing night.  Friday is set up at the show.

The show:
Berkshires Art Festival 
July 2, 3, & 4, 2011 Ski Butternut
380 State Road, Route 23
Gt Barrington, MA 01230

Show Hours
Saturday 10AM-6PM
Sunday 10AM-6PM
Monday 10AM-5PM
www.berkshiresartsfestival.com/

Friday Check in

We left our friends house at 6am this morning.
After two weeks together it was hard to say
goodbye, we had a great time. But it was back
to work.  We had a 5.5 hour drive and then a
few hours to set up the booth.
HELLO Kentucky!
Francisco's Farm Arts Festival
held in what feels like the middle of no where!
It is a beautiful drive outside the town of Midway.
Between horse farms, held in a pretty vineyard.
Equus Run Vineyard
1280 Moores Mill Road - Midway, Kentucky
The quality is excellent.  My booth is #104
See you Saturday or Sunday.

Going Wild #4

4"x 6" Miniature Original Watercolors
Contact the studio
I am back to the Wilds!
This one is featuring the vast sky.

My last bike ride in Ohio this morning, 33 glorious
hilly hard miles at a fast pace.  I am riding with
Bruce and a neighbor who are younger and thinner
than I am , by a lot!  A perfect last ride. 
Lunch at Melt Bar and Grilled and then the Holden Arboretum
for the day.  It has been a fast two weeks with our
friends and we are not ready to leave.  But I have
a show in Midway, KY this weekend.  We have a
6 hour drive and set up tomorrow.
The Show:
Francisco's Farm Art Festival
Held at Equus Run Vineyary
1280 Moores Mill Road - Midway, Kentucky Sat. 10-6 and Sun 10-5

$3.00 admission (free reentry)
My Space is #104

Sunflower at Lucky's Cafe

4"x 6" Miniature Original Watercolor
SOLD

While having lunch at Lucky's Cafe yesterday

we found this little sunflower growing in
their garden.  Linda insisted I paint it even though
I am immersed in the Wilds series!  But the yellow
flower was a nice change from all the greens I was

painting.

No bike ride today since Bruce had to go into work
early.  I got right to my painting.  The girls went to
a garden center in search for a special clematis
plant.  A wonderful dinner together and we are off
for ice cream! Only one more day here in Ohio then
its off to Midway, KY.

Another major painting finished!

20"x 24" Original Watercolor - SOLD

Going Wild #3

4"x 6" Miniature Original Watercolor
SOLD


The third in my "Wilds" series.  While they are
not getting a lot of attention, I am totally enjoying
myself painting them.

My buddy Bruce and I started our day with a 26 mile
bike ride with 4 nasty hills through the Cuyahoga
Valley National Park.  Then we were all off to
Lake View Cemetery to see the Tiffany Chapel. 
This is our third visit and loved it as much as the first time.
If you find yourself in Cleveland, Ohio make this a stop. 
It is a treasure.  Next we were off to Lucky's Cafe for lunch. 
Another one of our favorites.

Below is a painting I finished last weekend.
It is from the Landis Valley Farm Museum
in Lancaster, PA.

14"x18" Original Watercolor
Untitled... open to suggestions

Going Wild #2

6"x 4" Miniature Original Watercolor
$225.00 Contact the studio

Another landscape from The Wilds in Ohio.  The views were
stunning and could be from anywhere.  I am enjoying painting
these landscapes while they are fresh in my mind.  An added
bonus is my own change in landscape, I have taken over the table
in our friends kitchen with my paints and supplies spread out over
the whole table.  We had rain at the show so today I am drying my
tent and rub so not only are my paints on the table I have stuff all
over their driveway and wet towels over the deck!   It's looking
like we moved in!

I received an "Award of Excellence" at the Shaker Heights show
this past weekend.  It came with a check which is always nice!

Going Wild...

6" x 4" Original miniature watercolor

$225.00 Contact the studio!

A view from "The Wilds" in Cumberland, OH.
This weekend I am exhibiting at Shaker Heights, Oh

My paintings for the next few days will be views from

our overnight stay at "The Wilds".  We went with friends
and had a wonderful experience.  The Wilds are reclaimed
stripped mined land that is now used for conservation and
the animals are all on the endangered list.  You would never
know you were in Ohio.  I highly recommend an overnight
stay in their Yurts.

This is our Yurt.  Private with great views and for adults only.
A perfect getaway.

Here is the inside view of our Yurt. 

This is camping at its finest!

Porch Swing

4"x 6" Original miniature watercolor
SOLD

I love the light that emanates from the sun
in this painting.  I created the light by using
yellow ochre and light cad yellow in my
underpainting.  I painted while sitting at my
friends kitchen table in a Ohio. Causing Linda
to tell me again how if we had a big motor home
I could conceivably paint and download my
blog from anywhere...

Tomorrow we are heading to "The Wilds" to
spend a night in a yurt...

2011 Shaker Series #12

5"x 5" Original miniature watercolor
$250.00  Contact the studio..

Wonderful shade of green on this bucket.
I liked the viewing angle...looking up.

We are in Ohio visiting our friends Kathy and
Bruce.  If you read my blog you know we stayed
with them last June and it seems they did not get
tired of having us stay with them!  I showed all
weekend so today we had a down day.  Bruce and
I had a great early morning, 15 mile bike ride
before he went to work.   I did some maintenance
on Bruce's bike then painted  and even took a little
afternoon nap while the girls chatted.  I am getting
this on early so we can enjoy our evening.

2011 Shaker Still Life #11

5" x 5" miniature watercolor
$250.00  Contact the studio...  SOLD

Just a good solid still life.  Looks
even better than the photo!  Very
good detail on the shaker box.

We are packed and off in the morning.
Cleveland here we come!
June 11 & 12: Chargin Falls
June 18 & 18: Shaker Heights

Burano

6" x 4" miniature watercolor
$250.00 Contact the studio...

I know... I totally switched gears on you!
I can do that with the blog pieces.
I LOVE this one.  I got so much pleasure
from painting it today.  Love the angles,
the light and the colors.
We are coming up on our daughters 2 year wedding
anniversary and I was flipping through our travel
photos and this jumped out at me.
Burano, Venice  Italy.

Blue Bottles #3

6"x 4" Watercolor
SOLD

The winner of this painting will have to wait
until I get back to have it shipped. It will be
worth the wati I promise!

Well here it is, the last of my blue bottle series,
for now anyway. With this one I have satisfied
myself. I learned from the first two.   So many
bottles setting together without the paint running
into each other take a bit of skill.  Each bottle is
distinctive and all are rich in color and texture. 
I especially like the little pale blue bottle
hiding in the back.  I said yesterday I was feeling
good and I got my mojo back!

Linda started packing the paintings needed for
three shows and I saw huge stacks, I gotta love
her for being optimistic!  Anyway I decided we needed
to rent a small U haul, it would be too hard on the van
to carry all that weight.

Cleveland Ohio get ready!!
June 11 & 12: Chargin Falls
June 18 & 18: Shaker Heights
Please tell all your friends to come out and see me.

Blue Bottles #2

4"x 6" watercolor
SOLD!

I am into blue glass at the moment.
Check out the cork!

I am feeling much better.  Without a really good
reason!  I must apologize to all of my clients who
ventured out to the Landsale show on Saturday.
It was truly false advertising.  I actually had to jury
to get in!!  It was listed as Antiques and Art...
There were NO antiques.  ZERO...  the promoter
said they used to have antiques, years ago and
there was very little art.  She keeps the word Antiques
because she receives better promotion and it costs
too much to change the title....  I was $130 in the whole.
BUT... I had a very nice Sunday.  Cleaned and repaired
my bikes which left me feeling refreshed.

Unpacked the van and Linda has to really plan ahead
because we are on the road for three weeks.  Don't worry,
the house is not empty, our parents live here and we have
a house sitter, a yard guy and several friends stopping in!
More going on than when we are home!
Get ready Cleveland Ohio...
6/11-6/12  Chagrin Falls
6/18-6/19 Shaker Heights

Blue Bottles

4"x 6" watercolor
SOLD!

I already had this one drawn so I decided
to finish it.  I feel like I am scrambling to
get a blog painted and yet I do not want to
quit.  I had every intention of getting this finished
on Thursday but here was my day...
I got up super early and rode 32 miles.
Then went to help with the 6th grade
track & field day as their starter.  I enjoy
this because I get to see who will come out
for track next year.  As Linda pointed out...
this was all fun on my part.   I was home at 1:00
and I had a few errands to run, painting by 2:00.
Family dinner at 5 and at 6:30 we went to the
American  Music Theater with my in-laws.  I thought
I would have time to finish but it was 10:30pm
by the time we got home.
Today I skipped my bike ride and went right to my
desk to finish this painting. I was not going to have
an excuse today!   In between painting I packed the van,
got a haircut and visited my Mom.
I think I am getting my groove back...

Saturday show:
Lansdale Art & Antique FestivalHeld along Main Street in downtown Lansdale, PA
Saturday from 10 to 4   FREE

4"x 6" watercolor
SOLD!
Studio price: $250.

I am having a struggle getting back into the swing
of painting every day. I do not battle it often but
every now and then I simply do not feel like it.
I had three hard shows in a row, two in rain and
then heat with crowds not really interested in my
work. We artists are so fragile. I am a bit down
because I had to dig into my new van fund to cover
my health insurance and mortgage this month.
I had plans... To put it in a way you can understand...
you went to work for the past three weeks but did not
receive a paycheck... kinda blows a budget!
OK, that is the extent of my whining, Linda was not
listening to it so I thought I would look to you for a
bit of sympathy!
I tell my fellow artists, simply sit down and paint which
is what I did today.  I went with a subject that is
familiar to me. A Shaker room with a dress hanging
a table and window.  Shades of blue... (no pun intended!)

On a lighter topic, someone asked to see our garden.
They live is a small NYC apartment and was interested
in our little corner of paradise.   Our yard is not large
but Linda has it packed with flowers.  Right
now it is alive with pinks, purple and white.  The little
pond is staying clean and the fish seem happy.  I see
buds on the waterlilies.  Linda is her happiest out there
pulling weeds and I reap the benefits!