Summer Lovin'

This is my latest painting. I took the photo a couple years ago when Bob and I were on the Outer Banks for a wonderful little retreat. He blew the photo up and framed it for a Christmas present that year and it has been up in our home ever since.

Recently I was having a hard time trying to decide what to paint next. I wanted to use it to send in with my application for the Virginia Watercolor Art Show and I wanted it to be special. That's what made it so difficult to decide what to paint. There are certainly many paintings on my list of things to do but I wanted it to be a little different. So I took photos and put together some still lives and thought up some unusual topics but nothing really motivated me. I was starting taking up too much time and was not any closer to making a decision.

I had always wanted to paint this photo and when I first thought about doing it at this time I was a little hesitant. I was afraid to go out on a limb. Or to step out of the safe little box that I keep myself in where I feel oh so much more comfortable. When I realized this I had to paint this painting. I did not know how it would work out but it needed to be done. So I finally decided what I was painting.

When I first started painting I kept thinking of that day and the time we spent together. I enjoyed the little trip down memory lane and then I moved into feeling so familiar with the subject matter. I visually knew the subject that I was painting and grew to know it better. It was like when I'm painting a portrait and I begin to feel so intimate with the subject. I get to know the person so deeply from seeing so many details in their features and emotions in their demeanor.

This was a wonderful learning experience. I think that being willing to step outside the box motivated me to paint a different subject matter and to enjoy it so much that I hardly worried about the techniques used to produce the finished product. I think that learning your techniques are of great importance but being willing to paint on another level and using your technical skills but not focusing on them brings you closer to experiencing your expressive process. And isn't that why we paint to express ourselves.

Now the only problem I'm having is to decide what to paint next!

Merry Christmas

Here's a picture from my Saturday's class's Christmas Party. It was a great deal of fun and I want to thank Patti, Cherrie, Laurie, Cherie and Joyce for making it a special day. We had wonderful food, great gifts and most of all good company. And we even got some painting done!

I want to take this time to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season. It is a wonderful time of the year to be with family and friends and to share those special moments. It is a time to reflect on those good things we have in our lives and to feel blessed. This year I am relaxing and taking things slower than usual and I've still gotten everything done (well almost everything.)

So this evening when your going to bed listen carefully and you will hear "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"

Poinsettia III

Here's my 2011 Poinsettia. It is so very red. I don't think the photo does it justice. I can't tell you how much fun it was to paint. I love all the bright colors and I love exaggerating them.

I'm currently working on a new painting and I cannot wait to finish it and share it with you. It is such a wonderful learning experience and I really feel I'm taking a step forward as an artist. Of course I need to be careful what I say as the next thing will probably be a step backward. Afterall what is that saying?

Happy Holidays from the Poinsettia and me!

Kay Kat

Here is my Kitty Kat painting. The title is a little too cutesy but I think the cat is kind of cutesy! (I may decide to change the title though.)

I started painting the cat when I started painting Murphy. I got carried away painting my Jack Russell and put the cat to the side. I finally got back to it and finished it.

What I loved about this painting is the majority is painted in winsor yellow and winsor violet. I just love mixing my complements to get neutral colors. I think the complements are filled with color as opposed to just mixing browns and greys.

I need to get myself organized. When I was younger I was such an organized person. (I was actually a little OCD. ) Now I'm a little all over the place. I feel if I could get myself a little more organized then I could accomplish more with my time. So today I will take the step of making lists of things that I need to do. I will concentrate on the things that I need to complete by the end of the month and then the things that I need to focus on in the New Year. Wish me luck!

I've renamed the painting Kay Kat. I think thats a little less corny!

Koi Jigsaw Puzzle

Well I have been sick in bed with a bad cold and yestarday I found this website to make jigsaw puzzles from your paintings or photos. It is so much fun. The website is www.jigidi.com and I'm in there as kathystaicer. You can go directly to my Koi by www.jigidi.com/solve.php?id=CRT3HGYU.

Happy Thaksgiving

I just want to take a few moments today to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope that you have a wonderful, joyous day with your family and friends. I'm going to share the day with my in-laws and so I do not have to cook a big meal. (I am bringing the macaroni and cheese and a spinach casserole.) But on Sunday I'm cooking a turkey so that we will have left-overs!

I will be back soon with a new art post.

CBAA Pre-Holiday Art Show

Here's a picture of me at the Art Show this weekend. It was very slow but I sold seven of my new ornaments. So I think they are going to be a hit. I think the Art Show would have done alot better if it was closer to Christmas. I must say that it was alot of fun being with my artist friends. We joked and fooled around and some of use even danced. You have to find a way to get the most out of everything!

CBAA Pre-Holiday Art Show

The holidays have snuck up on us again and they will be here in no time at all. I have started working on my Christmas ornaments. These are new this year. They have seashells handpainted on them and little seashells in side of them. After all I live in Virginia Beach. They were so much fun to create and I think they are cute!

The Chesapeake Bay Artists Association is having it's first Pre-Holiday Art Show at Pembroke Mall this weekend. It will be Saturday November 12th from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm and Sunday November 13th from noon to 6:00 pm. The concept of the show is for the Artists to offer affordable art for gift giving. We will have girl scouts providing gift wrapping for all purchases and they will be happy for any donations that you are able to give. If you are in the neighborhood please stop by and see what we have been doing. I will be in booth #6 close to Bath and Body Works. I hope to see you there!

Untitled

Here are my four peppers that I painted a while ago. This was when I was enjoying going back to basics and painting simple fruits and vegetables. I really enjoyed painting the peppers. While I was painting them I could smell their aroma. It felt as if I could actually smell the peppers on my paper.

I enjoy my senses (at least most of the time). I use them to gather information from the world around me and they become part of my artistic process. Then I try and express the sensations that I have experienced and I try and depict them through painting.

I'm going to frame the four of them together but I haven't come up with a name for them yet. Any ideas?

A Gala Basket

I know it's been two weeks since my last post and I must apologize. But I have been busy teaching and working on my Gala Basket. (I'm also working on another painting too.) I guess I'm still a little obsessed with my fruits and vegetables, as well as going through a still life phase!

I really enjoyed this painting except for the fact that one of the apples gave me a hard time. The problems of mixing green and red. But I think I finally won the battle. I had so much fun building the rich reds and well as mixing the colors to capture the basket itself. What colors do you think that I used? Well I mixed green with red. Oh the joy of mixing green and red. And of course I loved painting my green and red cloth.

I have started a new blog: Katsart Studio. You can click on it at the top of my Katsart blog. In this blog I'm going to focus on the steps that I take for completing a painting. I am going to be discussing A Gala Basket in it soon. Check it out and let me know what you think of it.

Murphy

Here's my Murphy. She a Jack Russell that just walked into our lives a few years ago. She's a great dog and was alot of fun to paint. I really enjoyed the different textures of her fur. As I was painting her I thought how it was painting a dog as opposed to painting a person. You have so much more freedom in painting a dog. Especially in the beginning layers when you are just laying in colors wet in wet. When painting a person I feel like I need more control than that. Now I'm thinking that maybe I don't. It's still the same
process of laying in the colors loosely, then a little more defined and then adding the details. Why is fur so much different than skin? Is it because it is so much more textured? Is it because I don't worry about it so much? I guess I need to try and change my need to control a portrait so much and see where that brings me.

My daughter Kim and her boyfriend Bryant were here visiting from California. It was wonderful seeing her and getting to know Bryant a little better. I miss her now that she is gone and am looking forward to the next time I get to see her.

Now I'm in the beginning of my fall teaching season. I'm going to be teaching six classes a week on six days of the week. Why did I think that was such a good idea? It is because I really enjoy teaching. I really find it a challenge to come up with better ways to present material in ways that my students will understand it. And it is a joy when they grow in their painting process. I really find that I learn right along with them and enjoy sharing their accomplishments.

Artistic Creations

Meet the Artists at Artistic Creations Art Gallery was a great event. It was pouring rain and we didn't expect such a great turn out. We had great food from Jane Fuqua and Rae Gordner, wonderful harp music by Julie Nelson, demos in oil painting by Terry Brunner and clay sculpture by Nancy Lucks. And to top it off we had many many friends!

This is a picture of me and my sister in law Eileen. She was here visiting from New York and stopped by with my father in law. It was a pleasure to share another art filled evening with them.

Meet the Artists

On Friday evening we're having "Meet the Artists" at Artistic Creations Art Gallery and Classroom in Pembroke Mall. We will have live demos, flute music, refreshments, 10% off all purchases and most of the forty plus local artists. It should be alot of fun. If your in the area then stop by and "Meet the Artists"!

Two Trees

I painted these two trees a couple years ago on gessoed paper. I recently taught a class on the use of gessoed paper and gesso mixed with watercolor. The scarf in the recent portrait of mine was done with the use of gesso and watercolor.

When painting on gessoed paper you can put down very dark colors and then lift the paint to get your shapes and values. This is how I did the two trees. It is alot of fun to do and I get a little more abstract look than I usually do. This I like. I don't know why but I am drawn to realism. When I am painting I am compelled to get things looking the way that they do. But I love when I'm able to do a background or a pattern that is a little more abstract. Or a little more loose in style.

When painting with gesso and watercolor I put the gesso down first then let it dry. It can be very textured or flat. It can be put down with a brush, a painting knife or any type of instrument you choose to use. Then I let it totally dry and when I apply my wtercolors over it they are almost repelled by the gesso and move into shapes around it.

As I'm moving back into teaching mode I have been thinking alot about planning my classes for this year. Teaching and painting can be very different. For me when I'm planning on painting a subject I look at it and then decide which techniques to use. When I'm teaching I often choose to teach a specific technique and then need to find something that would demonstrate the use of the technique. It's almost the opposite way of starting a project. I'm thinking of having my Ongoing Watercolor class approach subjects in this manner. They have done so many techniques that it should be very interesting!

Untitled

I should name this woman Irene because I started painting her last Saturday during the hurricane. But she does not look like an Irene. So if you have any names for her just let me know as she cannot remain nameless for too long! Robyn had been painting her and she so kindly gave me a picture that I could paint her too. Thanks Robyn!

Painting the scarf was so much fun. I used gesso under the paint to get some of the texture. I really enjoyed all the colors, folds, directions, values, intensities and movement of it.

I'm getting ready for two important things right now. Work wise it's September and I need to plan new classes and get back into teaching mode. I'm going to be teaching six to seven classes a week. Then fun wise my daughter Kim from California is coming for a two week visit to the East Coast. It will be so nice to get to spend time with her and her beau Bryant. I can hardly wait.

Seawall, Hurricane Irene and Art Studio

I spent a couple days this week waiting to see what they were going to do about the Seawall Art Festival due to the impending hurricane. They cancelled it yesterday not to anyone's surprise. We will probably get hit but hopefully not too hard. I certainly have mixed feelings about the cancellation. I'm disappointed as it is usually a good show. But I certainly did not want to be out in pouring rain and strong winds.

So instead of preparing prints, cutting mats and framing paintings I started cleaning out my old art studio. Two years ago my grandson came to live in the room and now that he has moved out I get it back. I had been temporarily painting in my dining room but certainly missed my studio. The room is not done yet but I have completed a work area right in front of my window. It was such a pleasant place to paint and dream a little too.

I guess it's time to do all my hurricane preparations and batten down the hatches so to speak. I want to wish everyone in the path of Irene good luck and hope that the damage is minimal.

An Apple A Day

I have been obsessed with painting fruits and vegetables lately. When I first started painting I painted many fruits and vegetables and it's like going back to basics. Besides being alot of fun to paint, I'm refining my skills in a simple painting. I'm painting light and shadows to define the shape of the image and to achieve three dimensionality and I'm painting wet on wet to mix my colors and achieve different values.

I framed the three apples together and I'm very pleased with the results. I hope you like them too. My simple little apples!

Lemonade?

Here's my recent painting of a pitcher of lemonade. It sure looks refreshing! The painting is a touch brighter than the picture on the post. I have been spending alot of my time painting still lives lately. I don't really know why but I feel that if I'm motivated to paint something then I need to put forth the effort to pursue it. When I first studied watercolors I used to set up still lives and paint them. I need to pull some of them out and compare them for the fun of it!

This weekend, Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm I'm in Artisans in the Park at Great Neck Park. It is a lovely park with paths through the trees providing shade. It is a large arts and crafts show with music, food and activities for children. If your in the neighborhood check it out. It's a nice way to spend a Saturday or Sunday.

After Artisans in the Park this weekend I'm going to paint another Koi painting. It will be the fifth in a series. All previous four paintings have sold!

Then in the fall I will be teaching many classes and I will reorganize all my teaching supplies and class outlines. Then in my spare time I will start working on developing my portraits again.

Not that I have any specific plans. But if I'm motivated to paint something then I will paint it!

Artistic Creations Gallery and Classroom

Here's my wall at the Artistic Creations Gallery. (I must apologize about the glare.) They recently moved to a new and larger location in Pembroke Mall and it really looks good. It features local artists work including not only paintings but sculpture, glassware, jewelry, pottery and ceramics. If you are in the neighborhood stop by and check it out. It is in the hallway heading to the food court. I think you'll really enjoy it.

There is a classroom in the back that offers classes in watercolors, oils, pottery and ceramics as well as classes for children. (I teach watercolors on Thursday and Saturday mornings.)

Watercolor Sketches

Last week I went to the Japanese Garden at the Botanical Gardens with a couple of my painting buddies. It was a wonderful morning. It is such a peaceful and serene place to sit and sketch. I did the lotus garden in watercolors and on a previous visit I did the pagoda in watercolor pencils. It is so much fun just doing sketches. If lifts any tension you might have doing a painting. And it fits right in with the location that we were at.

I have just started painting seriously again. I am working on another still life that is a little more challenging then previous paintings I have worked on. I feel that I am starting to go through another learning phase. And I am really enjoying it. It seems that for the last few years I have gone through this phase in the summers. To balance things out I have been painting fruit and finding it to be great fun. A little bit lighter and more pure pleasure. Just like sketching in a beautiful location.

I must admit that I have not been as consistent with my recent posts as I would like to have been. I want you to know that it's on my list of things to improve! In the mean time I hope that you all have a wonderful summer and relax with a nice glass of lemonade!

Gladiola

The Fairfield Art Show was alot of fun. The student tents looked great. I was so proud of all my students. They presented their paintings in such a professional way and they really looked wonderful. Then on top of that Cherrie won 2nd place and Linda won honorable mention. They both really deserved it. They have worked very hard and their painting has come such a long way. And they were complimented by the Judge, Kay Hofler.

I sold my Gladiola to of all people my father-in-law, who celebrated his 90th birthday July 5th. When he said he wanted to buy a painting I told him that I didn't invite him to the show to make a purchase. He told me not to tell him how to spend his money. This was a good purchase because now I can see my painting whenever I'm at his house!

Tomorrow evening from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm is the Opening at the East Beach Gallery for the show 8 Women. If your in the neighborhood come on down and see what we've been working on. There will be food and wine and art. Who could ask for more!

Fairfield Art Show

Tomorrow, Saturday July 2nd is the Fairfield Art Show. It is in conjunction with Jerry's Artarama, Farfield Shopping Center and the Creative Artists of Tidewater.
There will be free lunch, a band, children's activities and the art show. We will have painters, sculptors, crafts people, jewelers and two student art tents with some great drawings and paintings!
We have made Vetshouse our charity this year. They are very successful in providing a program that assists homeless vets in our area to rebuild their lives. They will have a tent and will be providing information as well as taking donations of non-perishable food items.
So if you're in the neighborhood come and start your 4th of July at Fairfield Shopping Center on the corner of Kempsville Rd. and Providence Rd.
It ought to be alot of fun!

Caliente

I have spent alot of time working on paintings for the workshops I'm going to be teaching this summer. But here is a painting that I did just for the fun of it. And it was a great deal of fun. I must thank my friend Patti for helping me name it.

I have wanted to paint peppers for a long time and have never got around to it. At first I was going to just paint them in the ceramic bowl but then I remembered a Christmas dish towel I had. So I dug it out and simplified it and added it to the painting. I love the colors in the painting they were so much fun to work with and they certainly can spice up a painting.

Now that I am getting back into painting I hope to be posting more often!

Magnolia Workshop

I am teaching a Magnolia Workshop on Saturday June 18th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Artistic Creations Gallery and Classroom.

The first picture shows some of the first steps to painting a magnolia. The first thing I did after drawing the outline was to lay a very light cobalt blue wash over my paper. Then after it dried I layed a light aureolin yellow wash over the background. I call these initial washes underlying washes. I often start a painting withe them. I feel as if they tie the painting together right from the beginning. Then I started painting the petals with very light mixes of cobalt blue, opera rose and aureolin yellow. I then layed thin washes of quinacridone gold and opera rose in the center of the flower.

In the second picture I painted the branches wet on wet. I first layed down quinacridone gold and dropped in a mixture of burnt sienna and cobalt blue on the sides of the branches. I then mixed up my greens using: aureolin yellow, antwerp blue, hookers green, and a little bit of cadmium red. When I mix my colors on my pallette I do not mix them evenly. Instead I leave certain colors in certain spaces and only mix them a little with the other color or colors next to it. I then paint the leaves with this mixture of greens. I finally paint over the center of the flower with a little darker quinacridone gold and underneath that I stipple in some alizron crimson with a litle bit of cobalt blue on the outrsides of it. I then wet the deep part if the petals and allow the crimson color to bleed out.

I paint over the leaves with a thin layer of quinacridone gold. Then on to the most fun part of the whole painting (at least in my opinion.) The background. I first lay in a wash of sap green and quinacridone gold. Then I let it totally dry. I them mix up some hookers green with winsor violet. I then section by section paint the background and lift with a thirsty brush some of the paint to create some texture.

I finish the painting with permanent white guoache mixed with some quinacridone gold in the center of the flower. I then add a little alizron crimson to the little stamens on the petals.

There are still a few spots left for the workshop on Saturday. If you are interested please email me at katsart01@yahoo.com.


Also on Friday evening at Artistic Creations Gallery and Classroom there will be an Grand Opening from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. If you have the chance stop by and meet the artists and view their work.

Teaching

Here's some pictures of me teaching that one of my students took yesterday. I teach watercolors on Thursday and Saturday mornings from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at Artistic Creations Art Gallery and Classroom. They just moved to a new location in Pembroke Mall in the hall going to the food court. They are having their Grand Re-Opening on Friday 6/17th from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. If your in the neighborhood stop on by and see the new space and all the wonderful art. I have a wall with my paintings there too and I demonstrate painting on Fridays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

I have been spending a good deal of time planning my summer classes and workshops. The first workshop that I am teaching is next Saturday June 18th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Artistic Creations Classroom. I'm teaching painting a Magnolia in watercolor. I will demonstrate it step by step and take my students from the beginning to the end of the painting process. I will also introduce some of my "ways" of painting and explain why I do things the way I do them. I have painted so many Magnolias in the last couple weeks that I feel like I could paint them in my sleep. (I'm sure that I'm exaggerating just a little bit.) On Wednesday I will post some pictures of the Magnolia as well as some of the steps to painting it. If you are interested in taking the workshop there are still some spots open. Just contact me at katsart01@yahoo.com or 757 650-5765.

I want to give special thanks to Cherrie for bringing in the camera so that you could see me in action and to Laurie and Joyce for allowing their photos to be taken.

Apology

I feel as if I must apologize for not keeping up my blog better than I have been. I have been going through some difficult times recently and have been diagnosed with a serious illness. I am working through all the emotions that you go through in trying to cope with a difficult situation. And I certainly hope that I can move right along to the phase of acceptance. I do feel that I generally have a positive attitude and will be happy to see that come back. I also think that in some ways I will be able to find new strengths coming from my diagnosis. I just cannot wait to get there!
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding. I will be making a new "art" post shortly.

Stockley Gardens Art Festival

Just a reminder I'm going to be in the Stockley Gardens Art Festival this weekend. It is on Saturday, May 21st from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday, May 22nd from noon to 6:00 pm. It is a great show and it would be worth your while to check it out. The location is Ghent, Norfolk on Stockley Gardens Rd. I hope to see you there!

Succulents

Here are my three Succulents.
I framed them together. I really enjoyed painting them. They went so smoothly from beginning to end. And you know I love the colors!

I need to find other subjects to paint that give me as much pleasure as these did. I have been trying to paint subjects for the coming up art shows without much success. I have been dealing with some personal health issues that will become problematic in the future. It has taken so much out of me. I just want to paint for the fun of it right now!

Gladiola

This is my Gladiola painting that I worked on in Corolla. It was so much fun. I love the colors and the values as well as the size of the paper. I feel like it represents the direction that my style is going in. It was also nice working on a flower for the first time in a long time.

This weekend I'm in the Gosport Art Festival in Old Towne Portsmouth from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. It is a nice Mother's day weekend art show. You can come and see my Gladiola as well as the other artist's work. I think you will enjoy it.

CBAA Spring Show at the East Beach Gallery

These two paintings will be on display at the Chesapeake Bay Artists Association's Spring Art Show being held at the East Beach Gallery located on 9559 Shore Dr. in Norfolk. The Opening Reception is Thursday May 5th from 5:30 to 8:30 and will offer food and wine. The CBAA will be presenting scholarships to two young artists this year. The show runs until May 28th. You can visit the gallery Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and Sunday from noon to 3:00 pm. Come and visit the gallery and see all the fine art of the members of the CBAA.

Corolla Weekend

Here's the four of us paint brushes in hand and ready to paint up a storm. From left to right its me, Cherrie, Joyce and Patti. My painting buddies. We had a wonderful weekend going to the lighthouse, and village around it as well as going 4-wheelin' down the beach and in through the sand dunes where we saw some of the wild horses that live there. We took lots of pictures, we painted and watched multiple painting Dvd's. We filled up on inspiration for future paintings as well as seafood and desserts. The weather was beautiful except that one day they were predicting thunderstorms. We actually had tornado touch down in Duck and we didn't even know it. (This was because we didn't even watch any news just the Dvd's.)

I must apologize that it has been so long since I have made a post, but I have been very busy with my art stuff getting ready for some shows and my real life has also been interfering with my time management skills. But I promise that I will have some new paintings for you soon.

Japanese Magnolia

I am back in my painting mode. I have started working on paintings for the upcoming Art Shows and not my learning mode of painting portraits.

Here is my Japanese Magnolia. When looking at the photo I used a magnifying glass and it looked so three dimensional. It was like putting on those glasses to watch a 3-D movie. I tried to capture that in the painting and even though it looks 3-D it does not pop off the paper as much as I would like it too.

I have so many paintings to do and such little time to do them in. My mind is painting faster then the time I have left.

This weekend I have wonderful plans to go to Corolla, NC with three painting friends for three days. The Outer Banks of NC is a beautiful, breathtaking beach community with wonderful places to look at and paint and photo. We are also bringing some DVD's to watch indoors during our downtime or (knock wood) bad weather. It is going to be so much fun and I can hardly wait.

Ricco

Here is my latest portrait painting of Ricco. It really took a long time to complete and it was a struggle all the way. I'm not that satisfied with the painting but I must confess that it was a true learning experience. And I should be satisfied with that, right? I am but I would have liked it more if I could have captured his skin tones a little better, or had his eyes come out a little more realistic. I must say that I do love the bricks! They were so much fun to paint, no struggle at all!

Well now I need to move on to doing some paintings for the upcoming spring shows. They are right around the corner. I can't believe how much I need to accomplish by then. I will hopefully get most of it done in time. And the rest, oh well....

Just wanted to mention that I have updated my Art Shows and my Gallery so check them out.

Saturday Afternoon

Saturdays I usually teach a class at the classroom connected with Artistic Creations Art gallery from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. I have lunch after that and then I paint at the gallery for a few hours in the afternoon. (This is unless I'm in an art show for the weekend.)

Yesterday a gentleman came into the gallery and bought 5 paintings from me and the demo on negative space I had started in class that morning and finished up at the gallery. It was a wonderful experience and I am very thankful. Now I have to say goodbye to Koi IV, Sweet Lips, Website, Monarch Queen and In the Reeds. I will miss them. Now I have to get painting so that I have enough paintings to put in my spring shows!

Katherine

I finished this portrait after going to Suzanna Winton's workshop at Nancy Couik's studio in Raleigh NC. It is of her niece Katherine. She is a great teacher as well as a very nice person. She really has developed a very good teaching method of her way of painting portraits.

When I first came home from the workshop my brain was on overload. I took in so much information in such a short time that I could not even think about it. I was a little frustrated with myself for not being able to produce anything that I considered to be successful and was a little concerned about not having really absorbed anything. But then I started to paint and I felt like the floodgates opened and I was able to experience painting portraits on a whole new level. At times when I was painting I felt like I was in the "zone". It's that place that my painting comes without the interference of thought. I am satisfied with the painting and the process of creating it. Not that I think its the greatest painting I've ever done but I really feel that I have taken a step in the right direction. And I only have to continue on the same path and hopefully my portraits will continue to grow.

Currituck County Art Extravaganza

Tomorrow I'm supposed to be at the Currituck County Arts Council's 12th Annual Art Extravaganza. It is located at the Currituck County High School in Barco March 12th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. I've never been in it before but it's supposed to be a good show. The only reason I may not make it is because I think I have the flu. I'm all packed up and ready to go so as long as I have a good night I'll be there tomorrow. If you're in the neighborhood stop on by. It ought to be alot of fun.