I’m proud to be featured in the Spring 2019 MONROE LIFE Magazine, with a fabulous 2-page spread about my Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage Artist of the Year Award and my Solo Exhibition at Rarity Bay. Click on the image to enlarge for reading.
The Opening Reception for my Solo Art Show is Sunday, April 14, 2019, from 1-4pm at Rarity Bay in Vonore Tennessee. “Through Her Eyes” is the largest showing of my artwork ever, in an absolutely magnificent setting! The show includes nearly four dozen framed pieces of my artwork, from small to large, and covering subjects from animals to flowers to rural scenes and more. Watercolors, acrylics, scratchboard art, giclee prints and open edition prints are displayed, most for sale. … Read More
My reference photo I finished this newest scratchboard painting a few weeks ago but I’ve been too busy to blog about it until now. This wild Lady’s Slipper blossom, which I photographed in my forest late last April, was my chosen subject as a deadline neared; I had to deliver 8 original paintings for a solo show of my work as 2019 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage Artist of the Year. Generally, I don’t cram at the last minute, but I thought … Read More
Just as I am seeing my early wildflowers pop out of the forest floor, my bio as “Artist of the Year” has been posted on the 2019 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage website. I am honored to receive such recognition. T-shirts, coffee mugs and decals with my watercolor painting “Bloodroot” in a bold design are now being sold online in conjunction with the 2019 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Shirts available in regular adult style or ladies’ … Read More
My love of spring wildflowers may be genetic. When my maternal grandmother was a high school senior in 1912 she wrote “We hail the approach of spring… our pulses are stirring as the odor of the arbutus and the violet is wafted on the gentle breeze….” I hope my new acrylic painting “Showy Orchis” celebrates the glory of spring visually as elegantly as young Emma Fox did verbally. My usual step-by-step progress is shown below, but I will divert for … Read More
An art idea hit me like a bullet one day – how about an alpaca painting? I love painting animals, alpacas are adorable, people love alpacas… I should have thought of this long ago! A friend had told me about her pet alpacas a while back, so I contacted her and asked if I could visit for photos. Right away, Beth invited me to come by, and we chose a lovely sunny afternoon. Three alpacas were in the fenced area: … Read More
I thought 2018 was “my year” as an artist, but this year just started out with a bang…. I have been selected as the 2019 Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage Artist of the Year! The designation was made by the renowned Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, in conjunction with the 69th annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This recognition combines two of my greatest passions – painting and spring wildflowers – making it … Read More
I’ve wanted improve my skills with “character” paintings, since that’s a subject which challenges me greatly. I had signed up for a 3-day watercolor portrait workshop last year, taught by an artist whose work I love and admire. I bought the supplies and was all excited about the learning opportunity, but sadly the workshop was cancelled at the last minute. The artist had described her method of painting with a limited palette of the 3 primary colors, which I often … Read More
After recently creating a few paintings of fury and feathered creatures on Scratchbord®, I decided to feature some other favorite subjects in my newest scratchboard painting: wildflowers and weathered barnwood. The black background and the process of scratching down to a white surface favor subjects with light values and strong textures; with this in mind, I’ve learned that I need to select my subjects and plan my compositions differently than I do when painting on white paper or canvas. Wild … Read More
I started doing art as a kid and never stopped! As a fine art painter, my learning curve has often been accelerated by tips and hints I’ve learned from other artists. Sometimes ideas come from workshops or demos, not only from the instructor but from other attendees. Other times they come from creative friends in art groups or other gallery exhibitors. Blogs, newsletters, social media groups and old-fashioned magazines are loaded with good art info. Often a fellow artist simply … Read More