2018 Ireland #5

6"x4" original watercolor     $275

Inside view of Dublin cityscape ...

Day 4
We started our morning in the city of Dublin with a walking food tour.  Our guide was French but loved Dublin!  Knowledgeable about the history and passionate about food.  A 3 hour tour included a pastery shop, great coffee, a market, Irish stew tasting,  cheese shop, whiskey tasting and ice cream.  Great fun and shops we would have overlooked.  Next up was the Green Hop on Hop Off bus.  Our goal was to get an overview but we were short time so we stopped at Christs Church, probably founded in 1028!  St. Patricks founded 1191.  Linda has a "thing" for churches. A wonderful dinner at Winding Stair.   I felt bad for Linda, I think we were three flights up!  Her knees got a huge work out today.  But the real reward was a fantastic view of the Ha'Penny Bridge.

 We finished our evening with a Musical Pub Crawl.  It was a fun night of the background to Irish music and jokes.  Fun full day.

Meanwhile, back at home we finished a long weekend showing in Waterford, VA.  Reorganizing and focusing on this weekend in Bedford, PA.  And Linda is organizing things for Open House, save the date of November 16-18!

Waterford, VA show

And we are off...
Attending the show in Waterford, VA
This is a big deal!  Hard to get into.
And we have to dress colonial and demonstrate!

Waterford Fair
held in historic Waterford, VA
Friday, October 5,      10 to 5
Saturday, October 6,  10 to 5
Sunday, October 7,    10 to 5
My booth is at the "Old School"  up the hill!


Meanwhile I finished the 18x24 Malahide Castle painting I was working on.  This is not available until Open House, November 16-18.  Save the date, there will be fantastic new original paintings!

2018 Ireland #4

4"x6" original watercolor
$250
Love the colors of the houses... this is from the fishing village of Howth.


Day 3
Our last day with our guide Derek.  Linda does not usually book more than one day with a guide in case we do not like them but for some reason she booked Derek for all three days and luckily it was perfect.  We are leaving this area and heading to Dublin but stopping first at Skerries Mill.  They ground wheat here and made bread. Interesting tour.  It was so odd to see windmills.  I am looking like I fit in with my new Irish cap.  



















Next is the fishing village of Howth.  We originally planned on this being home base but so glad we picked Skerries instead.  We walked around and had lunch.

The group and our guide Derek.

We also went to Howth Summit for the coastal views.  Now its the next phase of our trip, Dublin.  We checked into our home for three days, The Ariel House.
This place had excellent service, the staff was extra helpful and kind and the breakfasts were great.  Away from the downtown noise and a nice neighborhood.  We have another couple joining us tonight to round out our group to 9!

2018 Ireland #3

SOLD!
4"x6" original watercolor
$125. (unframed)  Available to the 1st person to email
If unsold by 10/3 at 7pm, price goes to $250

Marvelous crosses everywhere.  This is a special cross found in Monasterboice.


Day 2:
Our guide Derek picked us up at 8am and we started with Monasterboice graveyard.  From the 5th century!  Some of the best crosses in Ireland.  Marvelous!  This was a highlight.

Marvelous is my word for the day!!
Next was Newgrange.  Marvelous!  Older than the pyramids! A bit intimidating getting inside but worth the effort. I cannot even describe this place or how I felt inside the stones.  Off to The Hill of Tara.  We next stopped at a local craft house with Alice spinning wool from black and white sheep called "Jacob Sheep" which go back to the bible.  I had to have a hat.

And we finish our tour day at an abandoned historic Irish Monastery (Mainistir Bheigti) where part of BRAVEHEART was filmed.  Founded in 1147!  MARVELOUS!!

Busy but marvelous day with only a little drizzle at the Hill of Tara.  Blessed with good weather.  We capped it off with of all things... A tasty Italian dinner at DiVino in Skerries.

The girls: Linda, Kathy, Joan and Beth, considering their wine order!

2018 Ireland #2

4"x 6" original watercolor    $250

Another painting from Malahide Castle gardens.

We had an awesome guide inside the castle.

The view from our B&B bedroom window...

We hit the ground running on Monday, getting ready for Porchwalk.  Hindered by head colds we are not at Linda's usual full steam!
Porchwalk is pretty unique.  Its FREE!
Friday 10-4 and Saturday 10-4Start at my studio, 4 N Spruce St. Lititz, PA
My studio is open!
Also featuring on my porch and back yard:
Pottery
metal jewelry  
Fine Ceramics
Marble Coasters
felted dogs

There are 5 other stops with 4-10 craftsman at each stop!
A GREAT day in Lititz!! 

2018 Ireland #1

SOLD!
4"x6" original watercolor
$125. (unframed)  Available to the 1st person to email
If unsold by 9/27 at 7pm, price goes to $250

A great view from Malahide Castle into the gardens.

We returned from 12 days in Ireland... what can I say, another wonderful inspiring trip, Linda knows how to plan them!
Day 1
We met our guide/driver, Derek Smith at 7:45 am and he took us for a traditional Irish breakfast.  This is a lot of food!

Next stop was a wonderful first view. Here is our group of special friends.  Carl (my brother) and Beth Smith, Bruce and Kathy Woodruff and Joan Kistler.  Another couple will join us in a few days.  We have all traveled together in the past.  

Malahide Castle was next.  I plan to do a few paintings from here.

Knowing we would be a bit jet lagged we checked into our B&B around 1:00.  Hung out on the porch, staring at the water!  We stayed 2 nights at White Cottages in the wonderful village of Skerries on the East Coast.  We were right on the water and the views were fantastic.

A wonderful dinner at Stoop Your Head!
I am going to say "wonderful" often, I will try to come up with a variety of descriptions but wonderful works for the first day.

5 OCTOBER WATERCOLOR CLASSES:   $80.00 (5 - 2hr classes)
Advance Class- Tuesday Mornings 9:30-11:30:
                          10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30
All levels Class - Tuesday evenings 7-9pm:      
                            10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30
                           Wednesday Mornings 9:30-11:30:    
                           10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31
                            Wednesday evening 7-9pm:             
                           10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31
Send an email to sign up!

2018 Sunflower #5

4"x6" original watercolor    $250

This one is just reaching for the sky...

This weekend I am in Pittsburgh.
A Fair in the Park
Held in Mellon Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Friday 9/7, 1-7
Saturday 9/8, 10-7
Sunday 9/9, 10-5

2018 Sunflower #4

SOLD!
$135. (unframed)  Available to the 1st person to email
If unsold by 9/5 at 7pm, price goes to $275

Thank you Jennifer Horsey for the use of your photo!

I was complaining about painting more sunflowers and
what is it about sunflowers that everyone likes them so much.
I received this explanation from Susan Miller:it’s because they are metaphorical! They represent sun, life, joy and happiness ...they are almost universal in that concept. They turn their faces to the sun for a reason, and people relate intrinsically to this feeling as well. Just don’t try this idea with gladiolus...flower of funerals! Women relate to these flowers for the same reason...can’t logically explain it, just keep doing it!

So I plan on doing more this week!

2018 Sunflower #3

SOLD!
$135. (unframed)  Available to the 1st person to email

If unsold by 9/1 at 7pm, price goes to $275

This little scene is in Lititz, on the way to Fox Meadows
Creamery to get ice cream!   A bit of Lancaster County
with a barn and blue skies.

This is it for the week, I set up at Heart of Lancaster Show
tomorrow and show over the weekend.

2018 Sunflower #2

SOLD!!

4x6” original watercolor

$135. (unframed)  Available to the 1st person to email
If unsold by 8/31 at 7pm, price goes to $275

I saw these sunflowers on the mantle at our friends
the Hildebrands.  I find the soft yellow of the flowers
an interesting contrast to the hard metal of the container.

I spent my whole day at the Lebanon VA with my father-
in-law.  That is always quite an experience and eye opener.


I finished my first painting that we are saving for Open
House.  I had painted it as a mini a few weeks ago and
just wanted to do it larger.  

14x18  Open to title suggestions.