The Summer of George

I love Seinfeld. In one episode, George Costanza proclaims it to be "The Summer of George". Okay, so for the character, it's because his fiancee has died and he finds himself able to date and his parents have moved so he has the house to himself. Totally different situation (and my name isn't George), but otherwise exactly the same.

In July, I won second place in Da Vinci Art Alliance's "Seven" exhibit. http://www.davinciartalliance.org

"Hope I", Second Place Winner in Da Vinci's "Seven"

"Hope II"

"Hope I" and "Hope II" are painted on barn boards in the most literal sense. My father replaced the barn doors on the farm where I grew up and I salvaged the old boards. It's a wonderful surface to paint on, you can't fake the weathered, aged appearance. Believe me, I've tried.

What an honor to be chosen as an award-winner.

"Seven" will be traveling to the Noyes Museum of Art, Hammonton, October 1 - 30, 2010, with an opening reception on October 1, 5:00 - 8:00 http://www.noyesmuseum.org/hammonton.html

One of the coolest things to ever happen to me, I now have a studio at the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts (RRCA) in Millville, NJ.  http://www.rrcarts.com/

The RRCA is a huge community gallery with big classrooms and artists' studios. It is the perfect setting for creativity. An art library outside my studio door for inspiration, Macs lining the walls for research and design, various artists and art lovers roaming about. This has been a dream of mine for years now. The third Friday of each month in Millville is a celebration of art and music. Galleries stay open late, musicians line the streets, and the studios are open at the RRCA. Last Friday was my public opening and it was wonderful. I couldn't keep track of how many were in attendance. Very much looking forward to next month's third Friday, which will also be the opening reception for the studio artist's show downstairs at the RRCA. The reception is 6-9 pm, Sept. 17. Be sure to come upstairs to visit the studios. If you'll be in town at another time, give me a call or send me a message. I'd be happy to meet you there and show you around (if I'm not already there).

In health news, it turns out I don't have lupus. No one knows what's going on with me, but my hands are much better than they were. Not much problem painting as long as I pay attention to the warning signs and take a break. After the studio opening, I had the expected crash, but it wasn't terrible. I'm feeling pretty much back to normal and looking forward to going in to get some work done tomorrow.

What I'm working on: Work for the studio artists' show, including one huge piece. There will be comic books, spark plugs, and fans. Stay tuned. Then, I need to get my butt working on a couple of commissions I've had on the back burner for a while.