July 7 - and Westport Fine Arts Festival

July 7

Oil on canvas, 10x10

About 200 people live in our little town, and most of them only live there part-time. 

There is a mayor and a council, and a nice woman, Lynn, who works about 20 hours a week in the town hall. Then there is the public works staff, which is JD and John. They fix stuff that breaks, paint stuff that needs it, mow the grass, trim around the signs, pick up the trash and generally keep the town looking spiffy.

On Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and perhaps some other holidays that I can't remember right now, JD and John put up flags on the telephone poles on Main Street. I love the way the street looks with the flags flying and snapping in the breeze. It's festive, and fun, and reminds me to be glad that I am an American, and to be extra glad that we live where we live. 

I always hate to see the flags come down! I'd leave them up all year, if it were up to me. But they do come down, and perhaps that's part of what makes it feel so special and so festive when they are flying. 

I happened to be walking by while JD and John were taking the flags down, on the Monday after July 4. JD was driving, and John was doing the taking down. 

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THE WESTPORT FINE Arts Festival takes place this weekend in Westport, CT. The show runs from 10-6 on Saturday, and 10-5 on Sunday. I'll be in Booth 60, near the entrance to Gorham Island. Basically, the show will be set up along the river edge of the parking lot behind the main shopping area in downtown Westport. I hope to see you there! 

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I HAD GRAND success at the Wickford Fine Arts Festival this weekend. A bunch of paintings sold, including "Dreaming of Tuscany," the large vertical on the wall below, and "Summertime!" a big, big, BIG sunflower painting. 

I have to say that the people who buy and collect my paintings (as you can see from the photo below, Andy and Ann Affleck are pretty serious collectors) are just the best people in the world. It doesn't feel like I am just selling paintings to them, but that they are sharing their lives with me, and that my paintings are part of their lives. It is a joyful experience for me, and I am always, always grateful. 

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Dog of the Day

One of the great things about doing the Wickford show was staying with Erika. 

Potsie is not quite as excited about this as I am, I guess...