The Sketchbook Project 2010

Im getting in the swing now...Two more entries! This is the LINK to my profile on Art House Co Op

What a crazy week! We carved over 70 pumpkins for an installation to benefit Camp Sunshine. Next week is the end of the quarter and I have two shows to think about getting work ready for.

Here is...

- you would pick pumpkins

- you would gaze breathless

The Sketchbook Project 2010

New Project!

The Sketchbook Project from The Art House Co-Op.

My theme is "If you lived here."

Here is my cover and one of my first pages. My book is sectioned into four seasons. My goal is to express the smells, sights and things to do that pleasure the senses in our beautiful state with the change of the seasons. The book is due in January. They go on tour all over the US in the spring of 2011 including at the Space Gallery in Portland Maine. More info to follow.

Final Installment!

I know I have a full time job when it takes me almost a month to post two very small paintings!


On July 31, 2010 I sat on my front deck for the first time since May 22 to do a small pastel of the view. At the same time my facebook artist pals entered into a month long painting challenge. I decided that I needed to at least try.

My decision was to do each daily painting in the same medium, on the same basic size support and of the same view. I thought that would allow me a chance at success. I learned a great deal during this exercise and here are a few of my lessons:

- about 5 paintings in I realized how dedicated Monet had to have been because I surely could NOT see doing more than five or six views of the same place and he did YEARS worth
- after the 7th painting or so I started to find a focus for each painting such as shadow, mark making, color scheme or mood
- each new painting was the fuel for the next one...I CAN do this
- even when I thought "this looks just like the other ones" once on the wall the newest one claimed its own unique place in the collection
- I do have favorites but not one of them takes first place over the experience of the process
- I LOVE PASTELS
- I LOVE FOG
- I LOVE MOVING WATER
- I LOVE THE DRAMA OF THE SKY
- when I devise a plan of attack I can more easily fit painting into my life

- I NEED to paint, I feel better when I do

final paintings number 31 and 32........it's been a rewarding participation