It's hard to believe that this year is already half over and I've yet to add a single post! Then again, with minor surgery, a broken thumb and a back problem, there are just a few reasons for the delay. I Haven't even been able to paint for 3+ months with a cast on my right thumb making drawing, painting and even typing difficult, if not impossible. A thumb cast hits the space bar frequently on the keyboard, so typing was quite limited and required a lot of patience!
There has been some painting this year, albeit not as much as usual.
First, I will post the paintings completed at the end of last year. There's a mix of watercolors, pastels, and some mixed watercolor & pastels. One was a Christmas commission - the sheep in the pasture requested by someone familiar with British sheep. Several have sold. The rest are awaiting interested parties!
I did manage to complete one watercolor and 2 acrylic paintings before my medical situations made painting impossible. Here's the little watercolor: Spring Song Sparrow.
I'm calling this one Windblown of a little Bluebird dealing with a windy day. This one already has a buyer, but I haven't yet mailed it out to her!
The most recent one that I've completed, start to finish, in 2025 is a portrait of a Great Blue Heron in acrylics measuring 15x30". I'm delighted with how it turned out - especially since I haven't painting in acrylics for several years.
I am sad to report that I no longer have any gallery representation for my work. That was a tough decision, however, the current chaotic times do not bode well for selling artwork, unless it's to the very rich - and I don't know anyone who is in that situation! Rather than spending money paying for gallery membership, I've simply decided to keep on painting for FUN and the total enjoyment of the process and let the paintings remain unframed and in drawers!
Happily, I do one one SOLO exhibit in the near future at Foxdale Village, a Quaker owned and operated in State College for senior citizens and others needing varying levels of care. It is an extraordinary home that provides plenty of opportunities for residents to maintain their hobbies, passions, attendance at the various cultural events provided by Penn State University, and so much more.
My exhibit will be from September-November 2025 on the 2nd floor of the main building - a long well lit hallway with perfect hanging apparatus available for the entire length of the hall. This floor houses the library, the sewing studio, the art studio, and I don't know what else, other than a large social room for the grand openings of all exhibits at the facility. I will have a retrospective of several of my art forms: watercolor, acrylic, pastels, and art quilts all hanging in this lovely space.
My membership to the Bellefonte Art Museum remains strong, and every year all artist members of the museum are invited to participate in the Christmas show and sale that occurs November-December. I also have a few pieces in their gift show, Twiga. I routinely exchange any remaining unsold pieces for new work each season.
Looking forward to a little cooler weather in central Pennsylvania - Autumn will be very much welcomed in these parts!
