A BIG Thank you to Debbie for falling in love with my fiddler watercolor painting and taking him to his new home.  The painting is very special to me and I hope she loves it always.  Thanks again!!  

A lot about being an Artist is delivering artwork to shows and picking up artwork Last week I spent a few days picking up work from several events.  I then bring them back to the studio and rehang, rearrange .  Some pieces have to come off the wall and stored.  It gives me a chance to rethink what's working and what is not.  So Friday, I unpacked the bags of artwork and rehung and rearranged I finished up with a little vacuuming and dusting. So tomorrow, it's studio time again. 

Yesterday, Sunday the 29th was the reception and awards for the 49th Hopkinsville Art Guild's Pennyroyal Art Exhibition. I was very honored to receive the Carolyn Fuqua Memorial this year. The Exhibition was full of wonderful paintings, drawings, photography and 3d pieces. The refreshments were exceptional and I saw a lot of Artists Friends from Nashville, Clarksville and Hoptown. Lots of familiar faces and a lot of new (young) talented artists.  Thanks to the HAG for hosting this beautiful show.

After two restarts, a bad bottle of masking, it is finisheed!  Cheryl loved it and so did her family.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to be able to paint it for her.  It's a watercolor 14"x 20" and I think it turned out very nice if I say so myself.  I hope every time they look at it, they love it.  

It's late and I'm trying to finish up the last details on some graphic work I've been commissioned to do  I earned an Associate Degree in Advertising Art many, many years ago.  I worked for the State of TN as a Graphic Artist before going into teaching Art.  While I worked at the state I finished my BFA degree in Art Education.  I loved working as a Graphic Artist, it was just a lot of fun most of the time and the people were GREAT that I worked with.  It was rewarding but nothing like teaching was.  Teaching was the hardest job I've ever had and the most rewarding.  The worst part about teaching high school was I didn't have the camaraderie with my peers as I did at the State but I got to meet a lot of wonderful and talented young adults.  Several of these talented students went on to college and now have careers in Art! They were very impressive even in high school and more so today. 

Sadly, this is the only photo I have of me teaching in the classroom.  It was about 2000 at Dacula HS in GA. 

The commission piece is finally finished after two restarts. I have a pen and ink commission to finish up (I hope next week).  But if it goes as crazy as the last one, I might finish by Christmas.  I'm still having problems with my eye and I can only work when the lights are right. I have to have day light outside to shine through the window and all the overhead lights on. So it's best to work 1- 5.  I can't work at night even with artificial light.  I called an eye specialist and asked if there was anything that could be done for the PVD (Posterior Vitreous Detachment) and they agreed with my doctor,  NO! Most people get to where it doesn't bother they but mine is attached right beside the optical nerve. So I still see a black dot most of the day.  

I'm working on a commission.  A Beautiful Old WHITE Home.  So I went to mask out the areas on the house I wanted WHITE .  I worked for a while and thought, 'I think this masking fluid is old'.  So i threw it away and got out another bottle.  I went to remove it yesterday and it stained the bright white paper an ugly brown.  I needed the Bright WHITE of the  paper in those areas.  I placed I couldn't even lift it off the paper, just made a big mess.  The photos below show the brown color it stained it and the gummy mess it left behind. 

​ I started over today. .Not a happy painter.

I'll have five pieces in the Show! .

Tuesday, I worked at the DAC Downtown Artist Co-op = no studio time!
Wednesday, I went on a Gallery Hop with the Tennessee Watercolor Society = no studio time, Photo above
Thursday, I practiced with the All Strung Out Dulcimer Group, it's music,it's Art = no studio time.

I'm very proud to have received two awards last night at the 2019 DAC Regional Art Exposition.  My Pen and Ink drawing, Trees in the Fence Row took a 1st place award and my Acrylic Painting, Day is Done placed 2nd in Non Aqueous Painting. The Exhibit will be up for the Month of August at the DAC, 96 Franklin St., Downtown Clarksville, TN.  Closed Sunday & Monday, Opens at 1-5 T-F and Saturday 9-5.  It's a beautiful show with a large number of regional artists represented.  

Thank you to ours Juror, Ann Blair Brown out of Nashville, She is both a studio artist as well as a plein Air Artist.  (Click on her name to see her work)..