Roy the Second, a New Book, and an Update

Roy

Oil on canvas, 18x18

not for sale

Around Christmas, my friend Ronet Noe, who is a fabulous painter and a delightful person, gave me a painting that I gave to our daughter as a Christmas present. Erika, said daughter, had fallen in love with the painting at the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival. Ronet wanted a portrait of her dog, Roy. So we traded, one for one.

Roy was one of the paintings I was determined to finish before leaving on my painting trip to Tubac - and so here he is! I really love this painting, and as so often happens to me while I am painting a dog, I lost my heart a little bit to Roy.

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SPEAKING OF DOGS, I was accepted again this year into Paws for Charity, the fabulous pet-art-book project by Sara Harley. Sara says that there are 90 participants this year! You can check the project out at PawsforCharity.blogspot.com, and also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PawsforCharity.

The books are not out yet, but I encourage you to buy one when they do come out. They're not cheap, but they are beautiful, and all the money raised goes to help a shelter in Canada. The artists get no money, Sara gets no money - but the animals do, and that's why I do it. (Also, it's great to see my paintings in a book!)

Here's a copy of my page:

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THE PROMISED UPDATE! 

I am well on my way to being prepared to leave on Saturday on my painting trip to Tubac, AZ. I am thrilled and thankful to have 20 sponsors - and quite the painting challenge! 

I'll be driving out along the coasts of North and South Carolina, across Florida and Alabama, then into Louisiana, going through Houma and New Iberia. If any of you are familiar with the books of James Lee Burke, you'll know that his great character Dave Robicheaux lives in New Iberia, so I am particularly thrilled to be headed there! 

Here's a photo of the van, with the beginning of shelving and internal structures for storing stuff and hanging wet paintings: 

and here's a photo of my happy helper: