Dancing with the Stars

Writing from Maryland today, and posting some photos from

the "Art at the Arnold" Painting and Drawing Juried Competition.

Day One of the Competition we painted from live athletes.

 Day Two, Arnold's good friend, Sylvester Stallone showed up.

Here is my friend Carrie Lewis (center) and I

sneaking into a photo with Sly.

Notice my 3-D sunglasses?

I'd recently seen Avitar, and I wore my glasses

to lessen the glare from the blanket of snow on the ground in Ohio.

The glasses fit comfortably over my regular glasses,

and I forgot I had them on.

Above is a photo of me (far right) with the man himself.

The Terminator, The Governor,

signing his autograph in my sketchbook.

And just after getting the autograph,
here he is looking at my painting.

"This reminds me of the movie, They Shoot Horses Don't They?"

he said. I told him it was ballroom dancing,

to The Matrix. Mr. Stallone said,

"Arnold, it looks like you and me dancing."

So here I was, 'dancing with the stars':

Arnold, Sylvester and my winning painting.

Dark glasses, the key to success.

Thanks to my good frineds Edie Dean and Ray Hassard for the photos.

Columbus Museum of Art Permanent Collection

The Columbus Museum of Art was home to one of possibly only two surviving public gardens designed by renowned landscape designer, Russell Page. The garden has been home to several wonderful sculptures, a reflecting pool, and served as a quiet place in the city to have lunch or take in a concert on Sundays in the summer. The garden was also in demand for wedding receptions and parties.

When the museum decided it would finally start on a much needed expansion, it was a sad day for this garden and it's visitors. The expansion would mean the destruction of this garden.

Late 2008, The Garden Club of the Museum asked members of Ohio Plein Air Society to come and paint scenes in the Russell Page Garden. The Club wanted the artists to make a record in paint in different seasons.

September 2009, the works were juried by a panel of 3 jurors, and about 25 paintings were singled out for a week-long exhibition at the museum. The works were moved from the exhibition site to the garden for a Saturday night gala event. One of the works would be purchased by the Garden Club and donated to the Museum's Permanent Collection. My 14" x 11" oil entitled "The Russell Page Garden in Spring" was selected for purchase by a committeee which included the Museum's Director and the Curator of Collections, among others. I received the happy news by way of text message from my friend Edie, while I was in India.

Happy Birthday Ginger Rogers

Continuing on the dance theme, I'm posting a tribute to the ballroom dance queen, Ginger Rogers. TCM began airing movies with Ginger and Fred at midnight. I watched one in the early hours of today and continued watching again at 7am this morning.

While googling for a photo of Ginger, I found a blog you might like if you like old movies: Hollywood Dreamland, Musings on the Golden Age of Hollywood

Art at the Arnold Press

Links to Arnold Press:

Artists compete at weekend's Arnold Classic

http://www.asfnews.com/generalnews/art-at-the-arnold-winners/

Shall We Dance?

The snow has almost melted here in Ohio after 5 days of temps in the 40's and 50's. I drank my morning tea to scenes of blooming snow drops and a robin gathering worms.

Spring! What better time for the tale of a dance?

"Ballroom Dancing to The Matrix"

16" x 20", oil on canvas, copywrite 2010
Top Prize Winner at the Art at the Arnold

. . . to be continued.