acrylic painting class

I recently started an acrylic painting class at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, shocking, I know as I am pastel-girl. Having worked with pastels for so many years, this new exploration has been challenging, but it is my expectation that working in another medium will open up some new avenues creatively and for my business. SO......with all that in mind, I registered for a class which meets two days per week with teacher extrodinaire, Phil Press. I took drawing with him several years ago and knew he had a teaching style that was constructive without being intrusive. That is to say, he is there to guide you along in your own direction, but does not stand over your shoulder while you work. As an added bonus, the other students in the class are serious about painting and often take time to comment on the work of others in a supportive way. It's a wonderful environment and I already know it will prove very valuable to me going forward. Stay tuned.........

DC tour

Just got back from a mini-vacation touring Washington DC with my Dad and sister. Kind of embarrassing to admit it was my first time there as an adult. WOW, what a place!! You could easily spend a month checking out all the monuments, museums and government buildings. (And it's all free!!........well, as long as you don't think about the taxes you pay every year.) All the buildings were so large in scale and I really felt the energy of the place. It's where global decisions are made on a daily basis. I also found the people to be very PATIENT with we, the bungling tourists. I will DEFINITELY be visit again before too long........

calendars at the MFA!!

A friend of mine was recently at the MFA and sent me some photos of my calendar in the store. She took them with the camera on her phone, so they are a little grainy, but STILL...there they are!! I heard from the head of retail that they are selling well. What a thrill for me and a wonderful opportunity to reach a new audience!

calendars are shipping like crazy!!!

The launch of my first art calendar (2008) has been exciting and has kept me very busy. Tim did a great job on these and the orders through my site have been brisk. The folks at Post Office are getting to know me quite well! Keep those orders pouring in. My shipping manager is ready and waiting!

exhausted assistant

Occasionally after a working frenzy (which I have been in since about January) I need to take some time to individually clean and re-sort the pastels in my working tray. It can be a tedious process, but necessary. Now my tray is all spiffed up and ready to go for the next project! Lula, my loyal assistant, found the whole thing rather exhausting.

porcelain pot

This week I was most fortunate to acquire a beautiful porcelain pot from the studio of Tim Christensen-Kirby. Tim begins by either throwing a vessel on the wheel or building it from slab. Once dried, he further refines the shape by filing and sanding. Then it is covered with a black slip into which he inscribes his drawings. Always based in nature, his designs are thoughtfully conceived and executed. Once fired, the design is permanent and the result is a truly unique piece of art.

Hopper

I FINALLY got myself in to the MFA Hopper show at practically the last hour! I have admired Edward Hopper's work for years, and of course, I have seen some of it in person before. But seeing a retrospective was SO much more informative and satisfying. The man knew composition and light....and color. Some of the paintings just pulled me right over to them and held me there. And standing in front of some of his larger canvases, I had an almost meditative feeling of immersion that I could never experience from a book. Wish I had gone in earlier, so that I could have encouraged you all to check it out. Hopefully, you were way ahead of me!