Spike

Spike

Oil on canvas, 12x12

Commission

Winter brushes the Shore with warmth these short December days, surprising and delighting me, bringing hope and life into a time that was starting to feel all too close, too tight and dark. 

Here in Wachapreague, Christmas lights brighten the long nights, and in the day, festive wrapping paper, holiday music and a parade of sweets and treats soften the edges. 

In a fit of cleaning out and tossing out, I find  my Christmas hat, and my Christmas spirit, though the latter has blown in and out a bit, like the summery wind of these past few days. 

Ghosts visit me in this time of joy, this time of celebration of Christ's birth. While I miss them, they remind me that I am grateful beyond measure for what life has brought me, for the time I spent with them, and for the love that makes my heart ache in their absence. What a celebration we would have, if they were here with me. 

Then I know, they are, indeed, here with me. They live on, in my heart, in my memory, in my prayers. It is a time to be thankful for all I have had and all I have now. 

And that includes you. 

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THE 101 DOGS project is chugging right along! There are spaces left, for sure, but the list is filling up. Yay! 

The project is fun, it's good for art-buyers, pet-lovers and the generous of spirit and heart. You can check it out by clicking here. 

It's too late for me to finish a painting in time for Christmas, but if you want to give one as a present, I can email you a nice gift certificate that you can print and give to the giftee! Click here to drop me a line and I'll let you know how to proceed. 

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I HAD A GOOD time as the featured artist at the Jack Richardson Gallery in Onancock this past Friday, during the town's Art Walk.

I met lots of nice people who were interested in my painting. Many of them are artists, and it was fun to enlarge my circle of creative acquaintances here on the Shore.

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Dog of the Day 

Yes, I know it's a lot of Koko, but I'm a little in love... 

Here she is snuggling with Smokey, her hero. 

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A Final Thought

"The only time I feel alive is when I'm painting."

- Vincent Van Gogh

Small Fall - and the Art Stroll

Small Fall

Oil on black canvas, 6x6

sold

On the second Friday of very month, the town of Onancock (that's the Big City, when you live in Wachapreague) has an Art Walk. All the galleries in town are open late, artist studios are open late, and many shops are open late, too.

This month, Jack Richardson, a talented and well-known painter who owns the Jack Richardson Gallery, is featuring my art. Yay!

If you're in the area, I hope you will stop in and see the gallery, meet Jack and check out my new paintings in real life. The Walk runs from 5-8 p.m.

***

I happened to be behind a Peter Pan bus a while ago, 

and had to wonder - Just what is Mr. Pan doing? 

Love to hear your thoughts! 

***

Dog of the Day

It's Koko, waiting at the studio door. She's still not a great studio dog, but 

she's beginning to get the idea. She and Abby like it best 

when I have both doors open, and they can include the studio 

on their racing laps through the yard. 

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A Final Thought

"An artist cannot fail. It is a success to be one."

- Charles Horton Cooley

Hitting the Slopes - and Gallery News

Hitting the Slopes

Oil on canvas, 24x36

Available soon at Center Framing and Art

When Lori at Center Framing and Art (56 LaSalle Road, West Hartford Center, CT) suggested I paint a snowboarder and a skier in action on a slope, I was interested and a little scared. I've never painted anyone skiing - or running, jumping, skating, swimming - and on and on. But she was sure I could do it, and I do know how to ski, and of course, that helps. 

So I set off to make this painting, and I have to say, I really love it. Of course, it's a mile from the abstract-y paintings I was experimenting with last week - but there's no rule saying you can't experiment in a couple directions at the same time. 

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BIG GALLERY NEWS! The Jack Richardson Gallery, in nearby Onancock, is now representing me, here on the Eastern Shore. 

Jack is a painter himself, and has a nice gallery on a small street in Onancock, a pretty village just up the road. He represents a few painters, and it feels like I've found a pleasant home for my work on the Shore. 

That's not all the gallery news, either. Center Framing and Art, in West Hartford Center, will be moving in January from the space it's occupied for 42 years. The person who owns that building, and several others in the area, is going to make them into a condo, so Center Frame has to go. Lori, who runs the gallery, has found a new home just around the corner, on Farmington Avenue (next to Max's Oyster). The new place has better parking, and good visibility - so she's excited, and I am, too! 

 Above, Jack Richardson in his gallery. Below, "Route 13 Barns," (one of my paintings) takes center stage in its new home.

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Dog of the Day

 

These two were defending their car, in Jerrell, Texas.

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A Final Thought

"No great artist ever sees things as they really are.
If he did, he would cease to be an artist."

- Oscar Wilde