Tybee and Scout

Tybee and Scout                                            16x20 acrylic on canvas

This year has been so super busy with gardening that I've failed to keep up with my blog.  I apologize, but we have two full freezers to show for it!  The fall garden is not so labor intensive, as we basically just eat out of it and don't can or freeze produce from it.... well, maybe some broccoli if we don't eat it all up!

This commission was done in early summer for a dear friend whose husband was retiring from the military, hence his boots.  The older terrier, Tybee, is sadly gone.  The new pup, Scout, is their new baby in the house.  This composition combined all the elements to tell a personal story.  I think it works well.

Starting Your Art Career When the Kids are Grown 03/08 by Artists Helping Artists | Blog Talk Radio

I had the pleasure of meeting Kathy Cousart, a very talented Georgia artist, in Madison last year. We had talked on the telephone and through email and she came by the Madison Art Guild's cottage gallery so we could meet in person. I am especially excited to hear how Kathy manages her time, as she "wears many hats" like so many of us. Here's the link for the talk at 12:00 noon EST tomorrow.

Starting Your Art Career When the Kids are Grown 03/08 by Artists Helping Artists | Blog Talk Radio

Ah-h-h....Spring!

Spring has sprung at our house... in the form of 25 baby chicks.  Just when I thought I'd be moving them outside, the night-time temps dropped, so they are still inside with us.  They are growing so fast that we had to exit the brooder and bring the 4'x8' chickie tractor into my studio so that they would have room to exercise.  My husband says that it reminds him of the Star Trek episode when they beamed a barnyard into one of the cargo bays!  Oh well, it was a good excuse to move my easel into the dining room where I'm working on portrait commissions.
Spring also means plein air paint-outs are coming up.  More on those in the next post.  Right now I need to tuck my fluffy little pooping peepers in for the night!

Catching things up-to-date

"Playing Dress-Up"             18x24 acrylic on canvas

I am very pleased that "Playing Dress-Up" earned an Honorable Mention ribbon in Arts Clayton's 11th Annual Juried Art Show & Competition.  The competition was stiff, as always!  The full list of winners is on their Facebook page.  Georgia artists of 2 and 3 dimensional disciplines submitted over 130 entries that the panel juried down to 48, based on technical merit for their mediums.  Arts Clayton purchases the Best of Show piece (up to $1000) for their permanent collection.  It was a stunning 3-D wood-turned piece this year.
I was honored to also have "All American" chosen to hang in this show.

"All American"                          24x36 acrylic on panel

Lots and lots of art activity is upcoming this year.  I have seen an increase in the number of commissions and entered 2012 with six on the calendar, so a BIG "Thank you!" is in order to my clients!  I welcome inquiries and will gladly put you in my schedule if there is something special I can create for you.

January and the first two weeks of February have been full of my other love....gardening.  My husband and I have planted 30 fruit and nut trees, grapes, muscadines, blackberries (thornless...yay!). We also prepared and fenced a new 40' x 100' garden, which already has 100' of potatoes planted in it.  I am turning my 40' x 50' little garden into perennial beds of strawberries, asparagus, herbs and such.  25 new chicks are ordered and will arrive next week to really welcome spring.

I pray for 2012 to be a blessed year for everyone. Our country is really going through some trials that are making life difficult for so many!  Lots of us are having to think outside the box and change economic game plans that were set in motion years ago.... it's definitely not "business as usual" these days.

Now that I've caught y'all up-to-date somewhat, I'll try to be better about staying in touch.  Oh....and 

 Happy Valentine's Day!