A little painting gets the spotlight.

It was so nice to recieve this e-mail last week.

Greater Norristown Area Art League - 

Features Six Committee Selected Artists

Congratulations! Your work has been chosen to be included in the GNAL show at the
Green Wolf’s Village Barn show in Skippack, PA for the month of May. 

There will be a wine and cheese reception with the artists on

Friday May 1st from 5-7pm. 

"Sapphire", original watercolor, 8" x 10" with frame 16" x 18",

will be on display and available for purchase.

I just finished preparing this little painting for the show.

I found this vintage frame in an antique shop and I think it compliments the painting very well.

Whenever possible I like to find a one of a kind frame especially for a particular painting.

The back was in rough shape and the picture it came with was tossed aside.

But the corners were solid and no chips anywhere within the frame.

And with a little furniture polish, window cleaner and fresh backing 

it now looks like a professional framing, as it should.

The GNAL is my local art league.  They do a fantastic job of making venues available 

for its members to show their work.  This is my second GNAL show to be juried into.

A local art league provides these show opportunities as well as great classes, demos and lectures.

A very active member of GNAL is James McFarland, 

the current president of the American Watercolor Society (not too shabby!).  

And last Fall he gave a slide presentation of all the entries into the Aud'Aquarelle world wide watercolor competition, of which he was one of the jurors. 

He talked about what worked and what didn't, which he liked and why, etc. 

Possibly the most enlightening lecture I've ever had the pleasure to witness.

 But what local art leagues really provide is contact with other artists in your area.

Well, back to work! 

I've got something started and will be back once I really get it underway.

Thank you. Have a good week!

My Weekend in New Orleans for the LWS Show

It has been a busy time for me the past two weeks traveling to California and New Orleans 

for long weekends.  But, of course, there's no place like home. 

 I am very happy to be home and back at my table.  Before we left for New Orleans I had a bright sunny day out on my patio photographing a new still life set up that I am very excited to start.  

So today I will be going through my options, editing and beginning the drawing.  

I don't mind telling you that I feel a bit rusty after such a long break so it could be a slow start.

As you may know we were in New Orleans for the Louisianna Watercolor Society Exhibit.

I am so excited to have one of my paintings in this beautiful show!

While at the show I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with two artists who were my inspiration when I began to work seriously in watercolor five years ago.

Marsha Chandler (center) and juror Chris Krupinski are still life painters of masterful works and they continue to awe and inspire me in my own work.

Chris even gave me a critique of my painting and reasons why she choose it for the show.

I also met many other impressive artists and wish I had taken more pictures!

But at the time I was more interested in taking in the experience.

It was some effort to plan and travel to New Orleans for the show but I am so glad I did.

And all the credit for getting me there goes to my sweetheart of a husband, Larry.

He's always so supportive and the first to make travel plans when I learn I am lucky 

enough to get into a show across the country.

I am also a bit timid about walking into a room of strangers and talking about my work.

Having him there is wonderful to share the experience with and a confidence builder.

Our nephew Brian and his wife Amelia, who live in the New Orleans area,

 stopped in for the show.  And after took us to a great little local restaurant for dinner.

So nice to spend time with them.

Brian and Amelia also took us by the Edgar Degas House on our way back to the Quarter.

A stunning house that can be toured and used as a special event venue. 

There was a wedding reception happening while we were there. Can you imagine that!?

We stayed in the French Quarter while there and here are a few of our experiences.

We walked the entire French Quarter our first morning there.

Stopped in a jazz bar on Bourbon Street for a couple of hours.

Visited Jackson Square

We cruised the Mississippi on a steam paddle boat.

I just loved these old live oaks!

There was so much more than I can share here but safe to say we packed as much of 

New Orleans in three days as possible!

Sunday live jazz brunch at The Court of the Two sisters and then off to the airport.

Our next trip will be the Baltimore Watercolor Society Show where my "Daydreamer"

will be exhibited.  We know Baltimore very well, as it's close to Philly, and our son attended undergrad there.  So we are looking forward to a return in June.

I hope I didn't go on too long!

It was all really great but now back to work on my new project.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

An Honor and a Thrill!

An Honor and a Thrill!

I have just returned from a business trip to California with my husband.

This announcement came Friday and I can't tell you how honored I feel by this.

We are planning a trip to Seattle, our first time there, and I will share the experience with you.

I just feel so darn lucky!