It's time to get serious and back in the studio - no more play time. I just had my first art fair of the summer - Menominee Art For All - and received best of show, made some nice sales which is creating a drive to paint some more! I love that cycle! Just shipped out 10 pieces for the show at Cycling Salamander and am now gearing up for my next art show - Kohler Fine Art Festival in Sheboygan, WI in two weeks. I'm definitely hoping things are picking up this year.

I'm happy to announce that I had a piece (finally) accepted into the Northern National Art Show at the Nicolet College in Rhinelander! The show opens July 27, 2010 and the piece that got accepted was an oil/cold wax titled 'solitude'. Boy, do I need some of that right now, so that I can get some art made!
I've also been in contact with Rebecca the owner of the 'Cycling Salamander' in Charlevoix, MI. Her gallery is one of my favorites and is located between Traverse City and Charlevoix. A quaint space overlooking rolling meadows filled with sculpture. Truly a unique find. She has a show featuring Gordon Gearhart, a fabulous blacksmith/sculptor from the U.P., opening on July 10. My new pieces have been accepted to be in the show which runs from July 10- August 31. My minimalist pieces will work well with the sculpture and it should be a great show!

Well, as I mentioned earlier, I wanted to just play . . .so . . . I decided to get out my pastels that I purchased years ago and just play - I've never tried pastels as a medium by itself - what fun!!!!
My thoughts keep returning to the skies of Santa Fe, the ever changing, beautiful vast spaces. So working from photos I 'played' with the pastels and came up with some great 'memories' of Santa Fe.
I think what triggered my desire to get out the pastels are the books I've been re-reading of Wolf Kahn (another one of my favorites!) and I found it so interesting that he did pastel 'study's' of landscapes before turning them into larger oil paintings. I have two of his books and love them both!

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust

Took out some pastels today, an art supply that I had purchased years ago but never used, and did some quick little 'sketches' of Santa Fe Landscapes - focusing on the sky. Have you ever seen the skies in Santa Fe? They are amazing, vast expanses of clouds that are forever rolling and changing - and the sunsets, oohhh they light up the sky!
Yes, as I wander around the U.P. I am continually inspired by the beauty around us and the quiet and the peacefulness.

I have this feeling of playfulness today. Would love to get out a bunch of different mediums and just play - including oil pastels, watercolors, collage etc. HOWEVER, much too busy this week to even get into the studio! So this feeling shall pass - there's always next week.

This past weekend, American's all over gave thanks to all those who gave so much for us, and we thank them again and again.
I have so many things to be thankful for (as do you, too) including a healthy family, friends that mean the world to me and a chance to create and do what I love every day. Creating is so much a part of me that I can't imagine my life any differently.
I'm thrilled beyond belief when I get into the studio and just start playing, and experimenting. It seems experimenting has always been an important part of my artistic growth.
Even on days when things aren't going 'right' in the studio, I realize that it's important to just be there - and maybe tomorrow will be better. I had a day like that today, kind of a 'prep' day and clean day and 'figure out where I am' kind of day which means tomorrow should be very successful!