Harley

Harley

commission

Apologies to anyone who went to the Meet the Artists show at the Olde Mystick Village looking for me. Until the very last moment, it wasn't clear whether I'd be able to go. 

Instead of showing, talking about and selling my work this weekend, I've been here at our house in Gales Ferry, dealing with a well issue. 

We had the well chlorinated, and to get the chlorine out of the water, so that the well can be tested and the sale of the house can go through, I've had to run the water for 10 minutes every hour.

Yup. That mind-numbing but vitally important task has been the entire focus of my life for, oh, six days now. 

So no show. No visiting. No plein air painting. No trips to the art supply store, or the beach, or the gallery, or anyplace that I can't get to, and get back from, in an hour. 

I have packed and stored the final boxes (the storage place is 11 minutes away). I have vacuumed and swept and swiffered. I have finished a few commissions, like Harley here. Mostly, I have spent a lot of time staring off into space.

But my persistent water-running effort is paying off. The chlorine is nearly down to the level it has to reach so that the well can be tested again and, I hope, pass, and the sale of the house can go through. 

If you went to the show looking for me, again, I'm sorry I wasn't there. But the artists who were there were happy to see you - and I bet you saw some great work, and met some fantastic people! 

Big Sky

Big Sky

Oil on canvas, 20x24

Please contact me for price and shipping information

As we were on the road, moving to Wachapreague, I got a call from Lori, who runs Center Framing & Art in West Hartford Center.  Owners of a new restaurant - a farm-to-table, local foods place - came into the store, and bought 11 of my paintings to decorate their restaurant! All the art in the place will be by me! 


Not only is this fabulous in terms of sales, but imagine the exposure that this will bring, too.

I am awed and thankful for these miracles - the cover of the Hartford Courant magazine, the day after I left my job; and now this, as we were driving toward our new life.

This move, this huge change, this comes with its own share - and then some - of fear and questioning. But when things like this happen, my faith in what we're doing is strengthened.

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The clouds in Connecticut were amazing, in the first weeks of July. I painted "Big Sky" in the large-vehicle parking lot of Mohegan Sun, overlooking the Thames River. It's a great place to get a huge view of sky, unimpeded by trees, buildings, civilization.

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I have cool postcards with selected shows listed on them. If you think you're not on my mailing list, and you'd like to be, please click here to send me an email with your snail mail address, and I will get a postcard out to you! 

New New Booth!

Newest version of the booth

Well, finally, finally, after much money and sweat - no crying, but some wringing of hands - I have my booth nearly as I want it. 

For a variety of reasons, I've realized that the gray fabric walls just did not work. One reason was simply that it was too hard to put them up. I suspect it's something I was doing, but after installing them, my hands hurt so much I could barely button a button. 

Also, though I thought the gray would be a lovely, neutral backdrop for my paintings, I don't think it did them any good. 

With the white - beautiful and ridiculously easy to install - my paintings pop! I love this set up, absolutely love it. What do you think? I'm always happy to hear comments, pro and con and in between, too.

Want to see it in real life? Come to the Wickford Outdoor Art Festival this weekend, in lovely Wickford, RI. It's all art, and lovely work, really one of the best shows around. I'll be on Elam Street, a block off the main drag. I'll look forward to seeing you!

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I said goodbye to one of my favorite paintings this week, the one below, "Autumn in the Yard." I gave it to my sister-in-law, who married her longtime beau, in a beautiful little ceremony in the garden of her log home, just a few miles from here. 

Sue has six dogs, and a passel of kids and grandkids, and they all were there. A couple of the dogs took part in the ceremony, sitting quietly beside Sue and Jim as the JP said the words that united them. 

It was hard for me to part with this one, but I think that means it was a good gift, a gift of the heart. 

Marlborough Pond

 Marlborough Pond

Oil on canvas, 10x10
sold

Never in the entire time that I've been painting have I gone this long - three weeks - without painting. Finally, finally, I felt good enough yesterday to set out and give it a try. It was brutally hot - 98 degrees - but it was afternoon, and I was pretty sure I could find shade, so off I went.

While I was driving around, looking for a place that was lovely and had shade, I began to worry that I would no longer be able to paint. After all, painting showed up in my life unbidden. Isn't it possible that it could vanish the same way?

It has not, and I am thankful. I found this lovely pond, I had a great time, and I like this piece a lot!

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My next show is the Wickford Outdoor Art Festival, Saturday and Sunday. Please come! I'll be on Elam Street. It's an excellent show, and a lovely little village, and the art is generally spectacular.