Merry Christmas!

Here is the Christmas card video that Ray sent to me. It's too good not to share.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-5ar30_tgg

Cincinnati Art Club India Slide Lecture

I've been pretty busy lately and feeling like I want to blog, but haven't had time. Here is a photo of "Slumdog" - the neighborhood - from the air as we flew out of Mumbai and on to Chennai. Amazing isn't it? How it butts right up against those gleaming white highrises.

And now for something completely different:

February 19, 2010.
Ray Hassard and I will be wowing our audience with
tales from our recent trip to India at the
February Meeting of the Cincinnati Art Club.

Not positive if it's possible for the public to come.
http://www.cincinnatiartclub.com/

Here's the blurb that I hope will appear in the art club newsletter, The Dragonfly:

"Just back from their third painting trip to India in six years, this intrepid duo will again delight audiences with tales of their adventures in their own inimitable style. A seven week trip in a foreign land offers its own rewards and frustrations, and preferring a bit more adventure, this duo never takes the “luxury route”.

Their Indian adventure involved more than a tour bus and the Golden Triangle. It was an intimate road lined with cherished friends and friendly people, con men, holy men, beautiful women, beggars, babies, actors, monsoon rains, mountain leeches, elephants, bats, and so much more. Sanity came in the form of teaching a workshop at Adobe Industries in Delhi, and then, it was right back on the road for an unexpected “awakening” in the holy city of Varanasi on the banks of the Ganges River. With time on their side, these artists covered over 4400 miles, revisiting some of their favorite haunts in the south and exploring new locations in both south, central and northern India. And, this crazy pair, tried to paint it all, everywhere they went.

So, if you are someone that says, I NEVER want to go to India, or are afraid to go to India, or want to go but for some reason can’t, this is the lecture you want to attend. Using slides of memorable sights and encounters, as well as some of the art they produced on site, you will come away from this evening with an understanding of the fortitude it takes to travel and paint in this developing third world country. If you attended their previous talks, you know to expect a most enjoyable evening's entertainment. If you missed previous occasions, you're in for a treat."

Breakfast in Mumbai

Something else that is great here is that they serve some great things for breakfast. In addition to Indian specialties, they also serve one of Martin's favorites, Baked Bean on Toast. Of course with a bit of an Indian twist. As we heard from the mouth of one Indian, Indians always put their own spin on everything.
ABOVE: first morning, me drawing.

ABOVE: Parsi Omelette, Toast Butter Jam and a Malarone pill, for malaria! The omelette is yummy! The jam tastes like spreadable strawberry Jello. Top it all off with a Masala Chai, tea laced with spices and hot milk. We hold the sugar and add our own since the Indians make it SOOOO sweet.

Way better than Starbucks ever dreamed or made.

RIGHT: My handsome husband, easy traveler, Martin, also know as "Sherpa Extraordinaire". He dreamed of going to India long before I ever did. 2007 was his first trip, my second. Well, Martin had forgotten to bring a hat, so Ray loaned "the sherpa" the Ohio Plein Air Society golf cap. I'd recently given the cap to Ray, since it's always been too large for me.

Seemed funny to see Martin in a cap like that, but the sun in India is brutal on the eyes, even early in the AM. Too bright not to have a hat to shield a foreigner's eyes.

LEFT: Martin's Baked Beans on Toast. Looks like a rich sauce, maybe they added a little spice and parsley or coriander leaves ? I didn't taste them. I only know he ate them happily.

Morning in Mumbai

We arrived at the airport in Mumbai around 10:00 PM on September 10, 2009. A car from the Hotel Harbour View was waiting to take us to the hotel just down the street from the Taj Hotel and the Gateway of India. After checking in, we headed to the rooftop bar and restaurant. This was my third time in India, and coming back to this rooftop is always like coming home.

Below is the view of the Gateway of India at dawn, from our breakfast table. Monsoon season filled the warm air with a heavy moisture.

Below is a photo of a drawing I did that first morning, with Pepto Bismol tablets lying on the lefthand page. Some days later, I was to loose this sketchbook/journal and all of my resource drawings and written impressions from the first week of this seven week trip. It was a sickening disappointment to me at the time. Eight weeks later, at home looking through photos, I was happy to find three photos I'd taken of my book that morning in Mumbai.

I'd bought the Moleskin book the day before we left America. It had extra thick blank pages, 100 to be exact, that I thought would be good for watercolor, but when I tried a petite sketch of the harbor at dawn, the paper resisted the water and you can see the paint beaded up. I used this book only for drawing from then on, and stashed small pieces of watercolor paper into the back pocket in the book, so was ready for a quick painting if and when I wanted one. I did do one, and lost it when I lost the book.

Birthday Drawing

Twas the night before Natalie's 10th birthday. Granddad was busy, Mommy was busy, Natalie was playing a game on the net. I was bored. Remembering I had brought my drawing materials, and "Eh. Voila!" A quick sketch: "Natalie, Age 9" Conte Crayon on Strathmore 400 Series Drawing paper.

Beginning of a long flight.jpg

Landed and off the plane

Landed and off the plane in Newark, NJ. A prop plane, some turbulence for added fun. Enjoyed Big Apples skyline. Mumbai next stop.

Late already.jpg

Our flight to newark is just unloading passengers. So our 12:20 boarding time won't happen. Security went smoothly. They didn't swab my empty turp can this time. My email lists were done in hurry and some not working. Task for india.

AirportColumbua.jpg

Here's Martin with his tickets to Newark and Mumbai. We're waiting for lunch so we can take our Malarone to prevent getting malaria.

NewCameras.jpg

Ray and I got new little Canons for India.

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You Tube Link to Plein Air Painters

I joined the Plein Air Painters website community, and find that I was one of the artists selected to have work in this artwork slideshow. My painting is one I did in England last year, in Porlock Weir, now in a private collection in Florida.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td_V03L1bCA

The slide show is a little over 4 minutes long. Nice music to accompany the slide show.

Here's the link to the site if you are a plein air painter and would like to join!
http://pleinairartists.ning.com

Rush hour demo.jpg

I posted this photo of Edie Dean from my Blackberry phone. On our way to Brewster, New York, suddenly we were caught in accident traffic which stalled our progress for over an hour. "We should get out our easels and paint," I said. No sooner said, the traffic started to move. But only a little. A a dead standstill, I asked Edie to get out of the car and do "a demo" for the pleasure of all the folks who were stuck with us.

The things we do to entertain ourselves!

IMG00095-20090820-1326.jpg

A test from my phone. Here's Michael McEwan, doing a demo. 5' x 6' oil.

My painting: "Lazy Grazing"

Not just any cows, these are Jorn's "stupidest bunch of cows ever."
Mr. Roland Jorn is the maple syrup king of Door County.

10" x 12" Oil on RayMar Panel.
Copyright 2009.
This painting was sold Sunday afternoon at the gallery.

Started this painting on Thursday morning at 8:00 AM. Next day at noon we had to turn in all of our work for the Gala Preview. Three to four paintings would hang on the wall, and at least two in reserve in the back room to hang when paintings sold.

Well . . . the cows hadn't cooperated earlier in the week, so this was one last chance to look for them. I only had an hour to paint this morning since I was required to paint from 10:00AM - 3:00 PM at a designated location. These weren't the cows that I went looking for, but they were cooperative cows just by being there. Mr. Jorn said, "These are the stupidest bunch of cows ever." My friend, Jon Browning, also says that cows are stupid. Who knows. I just know that they are curious, and the moment that you find a bunch you want to paint, you stop, and get out of your vehicle, and they all get up out of their reclining positions and come forward and block the view of them that you wanted to paint. (Kind of like painting in China, or India.) Now you have to wait for them to realize that you are going to paint, get bored and go away and be the cows that you wanted to paint in the beginning.

Jeez, they are stupid. They could have just stayed lying down and looking good, and that would have made it easier on all of us. But no, once they are up and wandering off, they just keep moving. So . . . I feel fortunate that I could get a painting of them at all before they walked over the hill at the back of the painting.

I took a workshop with Ken Auster who said that if you paint a group of anything, you only had to make one of the things look like it was, whether it be a person or cows, or whatever, and the viewers mind would fill in the rest. It's a good thing to remember. What I hate about this photo image of my painting is that you really can't see the true colors in this painting. The cow colors look pretty good, but the rest of the field and trees just don't represent the colors of this painting. So take it for what it is and know that it had more greens and violets, pale oranges, even if it was a misty kind of morning after a night of rain.

My Painting: "Eagle Harbor, Ephraim"

I had intended to paint cows the morning I painted this.
But, you can't trust a cow. They didn't show.

11" x 14" Oil on RayMar Panel
Copyright 2009

Since the cows failed me, Plan B was to head to Gill's Rock, a working fishing village at the very north end of the peninsula that is Door County. To get there I passed through Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, and on the downhill approach into Ephraim, Eagle Harbor looked pretty good. As I drove past the parking lot for Ephraim's beach, I saw open parking spots. I pulled in. Other artists had the same idea. Mary Ann was painting on the side of the road as I came down the hill, and on the beach were Debra Groesser and John Stewart Pryce. I got out, made the commitment to paint, and from where I was, there was also shade.
Standing where the parking lot and the beach come together, next to the opening in the hedge where folks come and go - and steps from my SUV - I had a wonderful view of the beach, the wetlands, and the harbor in the distance. Not many folks were on the beach yet, and it was fairly quiet.

Here's the photo of my painting on the easel once I decided I had nothing left to say with my brush. I'm glad I thought to take the photo since I didn't take photos of my work later.

Talking about what I had to say, it is the most important thing that an artist can ask themselves before they paint. What I wanted to talk about in my painting was the most distinctive feature of the harbor view, the church steeples nestled into the hillside in back of the marina. Just knowing that helped me figured out the composition and also to simplify all of the stuff one sees out there.

A grandafther who passed me painting as he entered the beach with his family kept coming back to check on my painting. Among other comments he would say, "You're doing great!" or "Wow, the painting has really progressed." Of course I was painting in a competition and sale. I wanted him to be aware of that and tried to give him the booklet about the festival that the organizers gave us to pass out to people we met. His wife said she knew all about the Plein Air Festival and stopped him from taking it. Bummer. I had hoped he might come and purchase this painting that he loved so much.

We needed two paintings on the wall by 5:00 PM on Tuesday, and I was excited about this painting. So I framed it and took it back to Fish Creek and The Peninsula School of Art to hang on my spot on the gallery wall. Talk about hot off the brush!!! I didn't see it again for a couple of days. But it was a good advertisement for me, and it turned out to be one of my most popular paintings. It sold in minutes, and I could have sold it many times.

My Painting: "Tomorrow's Promise"

All the Door County Festival artists were required to paint
sunset on Wednesday night at Anderson Dock in Ephraim.

8" x 10" Oil on RayMar Panel
Copyright 2009

Here is the painting I did from the very end of the dock. On my walk to the end of the pier, I passed many artists, already working away. I felt I was late getting there, but it was only 6:00 PM. Sun wouldn't set for another two and a half hours!

For my painting, I decided to focus on the sky, not the marina or boats. It had been quite some time since I'd painted sunset. The evening breeze was exhilerating; the smell of the water said I was home; as did the sounds of the water lapping against the pier, and the gulls crying out. I enjoyed painting that evening and felt alone in a crowd, but not lonely.

Many, many people stopped to talk and ask me about the reddish underpainting I often use. I had some great conversations that evening. My favorite was with a man from Australia who was retired and had all the time in the world to paint, but something was stopping him. I finally said that it was most likely fear. I handed him a linen panel and my card and told him to email me when he'd finished this painting. He lives in St. Louis, and most likely will be out there painting with Shawn Cornell. He was fun to talk with and said he'd watched me painting for about an hour.

My entertainment, other than the sky, was listening and talking with a man and his two boys, ages 5 and 6. He was teaching them to bait hooks and cast their lines into the waters just beside where I was painting. He was patient with them, and praised them when they did a good cast. We got to talking and he and his boys were going out the next day on a friends sailboat, a boat just like the one "he'd traded in for his two boys.

In prepartion for a good time, they'd bought a Jolly Roger flag and he got them hats and eye patches. Kooooool!

What I didn't know was that I had taken a photo of that ship the day before the competition started. It was moored in the Fish Creek Harbor. You can see the flag and red furled sails in my photo even though I never noticed it until I downloaded my photos a week later. I'd like to have had a ride on that. I used to play pirate.

Prepping for India

I am not a fast or accurate texter, but in preparation for my upcoming 7 weeks of painting through India, I have set up my Blackberry so I can post directly to my blog. It will mostly be a photo and a little text.

But, longer emails will be sent to those who wish to receive them, but most likely without photos. If you would like to receive those emails from India, usually one a week, please send me your email address and I will add you to that contact list. debrajoycedawson@earthlink.net

I am also investigating other ways of posting to my blog and it goes to all who receive my email newletter.

My painting: "Summer Dazzle"

One of my two most popular paintings at the Festival.

12" x 9" Oil on RayMar Panel, wearing Black Hackman Frame

This is one of those paintings that people just loved.
The drama of the light, enhanced by a fine black Hackman Frame.
I could have sold it at least 10 times.

On the hunt for subject matter that was talking to me, I happened upon this marshy area shortly after sunrise. For me, this was a slice of heaven. The site was a kick back to my childhood, growing up on the water in Maryland, playing, crabbing and fishing from the row boat built by my grandfather, Edward Ittner.

The boat tucked into the reeds, and the blazing light on the water, quietly screamed, "Paint me!" There was a stillness along this ruelle with water on one side and summer cabins "with a view" on the other. Folks were sitting outside chatting, easing their way into the day and gazing at the scene after watching the sunrise. I asked if I could park and paint their view. I was set up and painting by 8:00 AM.

Mary Ann said she was going to paint at another spot up the road. In that time, Dennis the photographer came by and took some shots of me painting. We remembered each other from my first year at Door County. The folks from the house came out to watch and talk. The lady of the house wanted to buy the painting of her husband's boat as a surprise for him for Christmas. I could only sell these paintings through the school, and explained that this painting, which was going well, would most likely go into the sale on opening night. We discussed my coming back later to paint another, and exchanged contact info. This led to a commission and another sale.

The woman in the cottage next door brought me coffee and chatted about the festival. It was a great morning. I felt totally relaxed, and enjoyed the journey.

My Painting: "Hay Bales, Egg Harbor"

Here is the first painting I did after we got our panels stamped.

10" x 12" Oil on RayMar Panel. Copyright 2009

For some reason, they don't stamp the panels for the competition until Noon on Sunday. First thing you do is get stamped and what else? Go paint, of course! Mary Ann and I had discovered this spot either Sunday morning, or the day before. In addition to hay bales, this property had an extensive garden filled with glorious delphinium in many shades of blue, bird houses, statues, and a bunch of colorful stuff for painting! Inside the 100 year old barn - which a few years back had taken a direct hit from a tornado but has now been rebuilt - is an antique shop. We stopped for the hay bales (and a bathroom), and also to ask if we could paint at this site. While the antique shop sits on the original barn floor, the rest of this complex structure consists of rooms to rent!

I took this shot of my painting while it was still on my easel just after completing the painting. There is a lot of glare in the sky area especially, and it's a bit washed out, but it's the only shot of this painting that I got outside the frame.

I painted with Mary Ann Davis and Tom Nachreiner. Tom said he had a spot. We followed him and low and behold, his spot was also ours. Mary Ann and I had discussed painting from the parking lot/garden area, but Tom had noticed this side of it. We trudged our stuff up a small but steep incline at the side of the road and stood in an open field to paint. They stayed side-by-side, catching up; I walked around and decided on this view. So at the end of a couple of hours, this was my first painting completed during the competition. I felt good about it, especially since we needed to have two paintings on the gallery wall by Tuesday evening. My view of this site was totally different from Mary Ann's and Tom's who focused more on the bales themselves. I had a great time painting, and I liked the sense of place and light that I felt I'd captured. I rarely paint clouds, so when it came time to title this work, all I could think of was "I never paint clouds." I left it at the gallery on Monday without a title, and in the end it received the mundane title I'd hoped to avoid.

Here's another photo of my paintings for sale at the silent auction on the night of the Gala Evening. Here's how the sale works. Palette Sponsors buy a ticket to attend pre-planned events involving meeting the artists, watching the artists paint, trolley tours to painting artists, and sometimes accompanied by sumptuous buffets with drinks.

On the opening night, artists have their best three or four paintings on the wall for sale. The gallery is all ablaze with flowers and a wonderful buffet of food, with outdoor and indoor bars, and music. The Palette Sponsors have first chance to buy the paintings in one of two ways. The artists price is displayed on the tags on the wall. During the first hour of the Gala, a buyer can purchase a painting directly for an additional 15% over the listed price simply by writing their name on the sheet. If a buyer really wants a certain painting, that is the time to buy it. After that first hour, a silent auction begins, and continues for two hours, with each of four sections of the paintings closing in 15 minute increments during the last hour.

I sold the two paintings at the bottom during the opening minutes of the Gala Preview and was fortunate to meet the folks that bought them.

Fish Boil YouTube Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMpbRSzB2yE

Blue Chairs and Three Inukshuks

I took this photo of something I tried to paint but failed at, or should say, didn't have the energy to keep going. It was a really hot afternoon, and standing on that grey stone beach with the light reflected all around me, under a white umbrella, and after having painted all day, I just gave in. It was the first day of the competition and our time to meet with the Palette Sponsors of the Festival. The color of the chairs grabbed my imagination. Once I started this painting, all kinds of subtle colors just popped in front of my eyes in the shadows of the piled up stones.

As I mentioned, I've just come back from Ontario, Canada. When we are there, we always visit the Gallery Indigena which features mostly sculpture by Inuit Artists, but also paintings, prints, and carved masks - in addition to cards, jewelry, moccasins, etc. This year there were many carvings of these stone piles, and I found a small card talking about the meaning. Evidently they represent "man". In the long lonely distances one must travel in the north, to place one of these tells someone that you are on the right path, that someone has been here before you. I small pocket token of this symbol could be carried for healing properties. I find them charming, and a bit mysterious. It was nice to see a few of these stone structures in gardens as we walked around in Stratford. Here is the gallery website address: http://www.galleryindigena.com/ - I haven't even visited it yet. I usually come home with a small carving that was talking to me. This year there were three asking to come and enrich my life. I couldn't decide, and so saved the money for India.

Group shots

Left to Right:
Artists Shelby Keefe, Jack Wahl, myself, Frankie Johnson.Below is another of my favorite paintings,
this one by Frankie Johnson.
I spent many a childhood hour in our Montmorency cherry tree with my sister Rhonda. We picked cherries for our grandmother, who would later turn these into pies. This painting held a lot of memories for me. I should have bought it.

Frankie also had a great Quick Paint painting which I'll post later.


Just another wacky group photo. We were all ready to let our hair down a little. The awards had been announced, paintings were selling, and we were ready to spend some time together before the next mornings quick paint and live auction.

Back row left to right: James Richards, myself, Tom Nachreiner.
Front row: Shawn Cornell, Mary Ann Davis, Sterling Hoffmann.

A painting left undone.

I wanted to paint this lady working the plein air booth at one of our required locations. I asked if she minded if I paint her. She said yes, I could do it. But before I got my easel set up, she and another worker were moving the entire set up. I thought that this would have made a great little painting, but it wasn't meant to be.

Me and My Paintings

Here's a photo of me with the work I displayed at the Gala Opening on Friday night. We had the choice of displaying three or four works. Mine weren't too large so I decided to hang four. Most folks did.

I can't say how good it felt to deliver it, get all of the paper work done, and get it on the wall. Whew! It was a long week, grueling at times, but I was pleased with the work I had done.

Now, if only I'd gotten decent photos of it.

The Canadians

At left is Doug Swinton, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and on the right is John Stewart Price, from Ontario. I think it is safe to say that Doug was a real treat for anyone that met him. He was always quick with a joke told with a great Calgary accent, eh?

John Pryce was just a really nice guy who sold a ton of paintings! He painted mostly 16 x 20's. At the end of the opening for the public, John brought out another painting - with cherry trees. We were standing across the room when he told me about this painting and I said, "Let's go see it." I liked this painting, and asked if I could get a photo of it. No sooner had I taken the photo, I said to John that this painting would sell. We turned away for a moment and when we turned back, it had sold! At that point, John had sold five 16 x 20's.
Here is the photo of the cherry tree painting.

Door County Winners

First Place: Colin Page

He's is a delightful young man, and a heck of an artist. That car painting at the bottom was one of my favorites - and sold immediately. One of his favorites was the painting that hangs above it of chiars at waters edge. I lightened this photo a little so you could actually see his face, but in doing that I had to sacrifice some of the impact of the paintings.

Congrats Colin on you're well-deserved win.

Second Place: Tom Nachreiner

Tom was last year's first place winner, and was certainly a favorite with the locals. His painting of the blue truck was my favorite by him. Gosh one would think I was in love with car paintings, but when they are painted as well as these two artists did them, who could resist. Below the truck is the painting that Tom did when we all got together to paint sunset.

Third Place: Shawn Cornell.

From St. Louis, Shawn is pictured here with his wife, Elizabeth (r) and (l) is Diane Miller.

Diane and her husband, Bill, were the host family for the Cornell's, and were also my host family two years ago.

Unfortunately, somehow, I missed getting Shawn's work at the Gala in any of my photos. He had a wonderful large painting of a cherry tree. The cherries were late this year and on the trees during the competition. I do have some nice photos of Shawn and his quick paint that I will post later.

Canada and Back

Been at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. WOW. Awesome stuff. Thought I could blog about it but there is a tedious learning curve for me concerning Blackberry. Thought I could post photos from the BB but it was more complex than I wanted on a vacation. Just typing this from the back seat of a van is a pain. But hope to work it our from home so maybe I can post from India.

Blackberry Challenge

Why Go to Wilson's?

Sterling, Mary Ann, Jennifer and myself went to Wilson's for lunch, and to relax from a week of intense painting. We ordered burgers which were very good.

While we waited for our lunch, we entertained ourselves with the table-side jukeboxes filled with songs from the 50's - 80's. Songs like Respect and Hot Rod Lincoln took us back and had us dancing in our seats.

Now here's a reason to go to Wilson's. Look at the size of the sundae in this boy's hand. He seemed to be in shock, and I couldn't resist taking this photo of him with this concoction.

And of course, when you've had your fill of food, treats and music, you have to pay your bill and customary to leave a tip. Here's what Sterling did to the dollars that we were leaving for the tip. Would love to have seen the expression on the face of our waitress when she came to clean the table.

Fun at Wilson's, Ephraim, Door County

Here's the man himself, Sterling Hoffmann from California. I met Sterling one evening while painting on the beach alongside Kami Polzin at the Meet the Artists night. While Kami and I were painting, Sterling quietly came on the scene with his easel. I'd forgotten a trash bag, and he offered me one he had recycled from delivered newpapers. In trying to hook it to my easel, I saw it was a double bag. Right away I noticed that there was something special about Sterling. He was concerned about the environment, and had made these bags, one for trash and one for recyclables. I said to myself, "He's either from California or Colorado." Sure enough, I was right.

This photo of Sterling was taken not long after we turned in our paintings for that evenings gala preview. It was lunch time, and we decided to go for something to eat. Sterling drove. He took us to Wilson's, famous for ice cream, homemade rootbeer, burgers. I'd only seen it, but here is Marc Hanson's painting of it. I love Wilson's because of the red and white striped awning.

Door County Necklace Competition

I knew there was a reason that I should have taken a photo of the black rubber band necklace I saw at the Magic Jacket boutique in the Top of the Hill Shops in Fish Creek. Can it be a real competition if there are only two necklaces? Maybe not.

Okay, Contestant #1: the Black Rubber Band Necklace. You'll just have to visualize it.

Contestant Number 2: the zipper pull necklace.

Don't remember this model's name but met this very nice lady on the first meet the artists night. Saw her all week. She was a big fan of James Richards work.


Contestant Number 3: the bow tie necklace made by featured artist Sterling Hoffmann. What this model doesn't know . . . she is wearing the necklace upside down. Who wins?

The Best Part, the Artists

The best thing about doing an event of this kind is meeting and getting know other artists from around the country. The artists in this blog entry are not the only great artists who were at Door County this year, they are just the ones I have some photos of.

Here's Bill Schneider. I know mostly from Oil Painters of America,
and had just seen him in May at the OPA national in Santa Fe.
He's painting at sunset at the Meet the Artists Night.

Shelby Keefe from Wisconsin, multi-tasking during
the Meet the Artists event.
This was Shelby's 3rd year in the Door County Festival!


Next up is John Stewart Price from Ontario.
I met John this day painting at Fine Line Designs Gallery and
was always happy to spent time with this artist from Canada.
He was someone I felt I known for a long time, a hell of a nice guy.

I love this next photo. The young man, Colin Page.
I first met him on Facebook. We had a little Puerto Rican connection.
It was certainly a thrill to meet a young artist that paints as well as he does. I did overhear him say with no pride,
"I do know how to paint."
And . . . he does.
Here he is wowing the crowd who've watched him work.
I joined this group of folks, and met him in person for
the first time shortly after this was taken.

Last years top winner, Tom Nachreiner from Wisconsin.
Tom has the ability to make you feel you're his friend from
the second you meet him.
He's a ball of energy with a winning smile and smiling Irish eyes!
Here he is at the start of a painting he completed on the grounds
of the Woodward Gallery - I think.
Tom is coming to teach a workshop and jury the
Ohio Plein Air Competition in September, but
I'll be in India painting.

Next is Kathie Wheeler from Wisconsin.
I first met her at a dinner given by Diane and Bill Miller.
Kathie was quiet. It was hard to tell if she was tired, shy, or both.
I did rib her a little during dinner, called her "the chosen one" - hey,
I'd just seen the new Harry Potter movie and love Snape.
So why the chosen one?
Cause she won her spot in the Door Co. Festival.
Artists can register to paint the quick paint,
even if they aren't one of the festival artists.
The winner of that competition becomes part of next year's Festival.
Congrats Kathie, I enjoyed meeting you and watching the
the bidding war over your quick paint.

This lovely young lady is Kami Polzin from Minnesota.
I met Kami in May at the OPA National Exhbition in Santa Fe.
It is always a pleasure to see Kami.
She is a friendly person and a solid artist.
We are wondering where we might next meet.


This one is me, working on a painting that didn't make it.
An old car - it's sitting in those trees.
There is something voodoo about going to the Door for me,
I always seem to forget my painting hat. So I have to stop at a truck stop to
see what they have. This one was too big, but the brim was good against the sun.


This is almost a photo of Lori Beringer.
It's the painting she was working on at the Meet the Artists Night.
I loved her palette, each and every time I saw it.


And . . . Debra Groesser from Nebraska.
What a sweet lady, and a dynamite painter!
Her husband was also a great guy and a wonderful support system
for her during the week. They were a good team.


So just a sampling of the wonderful artists I met and painted with last week.