Yellow Pitcher with Sunflowers, 12"X12", acrylic on canvas, $125 There are three new paintings of mine at the Up Front Gallery, 48 Front Street, in Issaquah...if you walk by, you'll see all three in the window...or come on in!  www.arteast.org     The Yellow Shadow, 12"x12", acrylic on canvas, $125 While I was working my shift last night at the Up Front Gallery, the enthusiastic Karen Abel was there in the classroom area getting ready to teach her class:  Introduction to Glass Fusing.  I was impressed with her set-up; it was well-organized and inviting.  Once she started teaching, I was even more impressed. Besides being a competent glass artist, Karen teaches in a way that is conversational, warm, patient, informative, and fun!  I'm not a glass artist, but I determned that I will take a class from her with some girlfriends just for the cool experience.       The Purple Shadow, 12"x12", acrylic on canvas, $125 Remember the next Issaquah Art Walk is Friday night, September 3.  It is a great time to wander down Front Street, or take a free shuttle to Gilman Village, and look, eat, drink, chat   ...and maybe buy some art!

I spent last week on Shaw Island in the San Juans with our dear friends, Willy & Vreni Borner.  Tom flew in by seaplane for the weekend.  Life Is Good!

The Borners have generously allowed me to set-up my art studio in their living room.  You can see the big tarp, my portable easel, my newest painting, and so forth in the photo.  I use acrylic paints, not oils, and I am careful!

"My" Art Studio is behind that glass window in the front of the Borner's home.   I can feel the end of the floral series coming now; I have completed almost 20 paintings in this group, mostly oils.   I was wondering when inspiration would hit for my next body of work.  I have it now!    A return to landscapes...this time of San Juan Island scenes.  Paint what you love!

My art work is on view at three gallerys this summer.  Many of you have asked when you'd have the chance to see my paintings locally, and here it is!   I appreciate your excitement and enthusiasm as I build this new chapter of my Life! 29 Pegs on the Wall!  Members' Salon Show Up Front Gallery, 48 Front Street North, Issaquah, WA. July 2 - August 1 www.arteast.org   BRUSHES with the Land Gallery By The Bay, Stanwood, WA.  June 18 - July 18 www.gallerybythebay.com 2010 City of Kent Summer Art Exhibit Centennial Center Gallery, Kent, WA June 4 - August 27 www.kentarts.com

Yesterday, we drove to Stanwood, Washington, to the Gallery By The Bay  www.gallerybythebay.com , to drop-off my pastel painting, Evening Light in lssaquah.  This piece was juried into the show ‘2010 BRUSHES with the Land’, which runs June 18 through July 18!  Here I am with the wonderful Gayle Pickens, owner (right) and her delightfully friendly co-worker, Melinda (left).  Both ladies have such great energy! Tom and I made a road trip of our travels and explored Camano Island all afternoon, including a walk on the beach.   An hour north of Seattle, and it felt like we could have been 1000 miles away; the landscape is so gorgeous and relaxing.

Have you read The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey?  My copy has yellowed pages (I have read and reread it since 1982) and lots of yellow highlights underscoring important sentences.  Now, as I'm rereading it again, I realize how much painting and tennis have in common.  The inner game, for both activities, is mastering the "art of relaxed concentration...aiming at a kind of spontaneous performance when the mind...seems at one with the body, and finds surprising ways to surpass its own limits again and again."  The joy of being part of a community of artists is just like the joy of being on a tennis team!  I may not move as well on the courts as I did in 1982, but I enjoy playing the game more than ever.  I am less afraid of a blank canvas than I was in 1982, and enjoy the process of making art more than ever!

For the month of May 2010, three of my oil paintings are on view at the Up Front Gallery (48 Front Street), in Issaquah, Washington.  Link to their web site:  www.arteast.org

The oil paintings are part of my newest body of work which features the same red pitcher and flowers (classic still life).  I have been working out the challenges that different viewpoints present to me.  I always use the same strong light source.  Sometimes, I do a painting in black & white to get the values locked into my brain and hand and brush.   I went by the gallery today to snap some photos and was so excited to see the natural light streaming through the windows onto my work!

Patrick LoCicero in the house!  Actually, we are in his house (his studio)....see his work at:  www.patricklocicero.blogspot.com and www.patricklocicero.com.

Sue and Lyn have joined me in the Mentoring gig with Patrick.  We learned so much and got the individual attention we sought.

Tom and I drove to Bellingham last Friday night, April 23, for the opening of the Northwest Pastel Society Exhibition at the Blue Horse Gallery www.bluehorsegallery.com .  I had a piece, "Invitation to Dream" accepted into the show.  The backstory on this piece:  finished it once and didn't like it, so I drenched part of it with mineral spirits to try to recoup the sanded paper (pricey) and the pastel pigments starting flowing.  I pushed and pulled on the pastel parts.  Let it dry.  Then, went over it with more pastel.   My social goal for the Opening of the Exhibition was to speak to three people I didn't know.  Goal accomplished and exceeded!  Tom and I had a great time together and spent the night at our favorite Hotel Bellwether.  Dinner and conversation at Hearthfire (and a wonderful bottle of celebration chardonnay).

I have made a full recovery, but last fall, I had a bleed that took out my left frontal "executive function", which is pretty ironic if you know that my former work-in-the-world was as an executive.  This one-minute clip of me was filmed as part of a promotion on the 100th anniversay of Swedish Hospital.  I was more than happy to participate and say my "thank you" out loud to the staff at Swedish.  Follow the link and find me in the middle of the bottom row:  http://local.ads.nwsource.com/swedish100/

I have an original painting in the 4th Annual 100’ of Art Auction at UP Front Gallery in Issaquah! There are some amazing pieces in the online auction and all bids start at only $50.  Proceeds go to artEAST, the umbrella organization that helps support both art on the Eastside and the gallery. My painting is #21; check out all 100 pieces at http://arteast.org/auction2010/list.aspx.  Of course, the best way to view art is in person!  Final bidding is Friday, April 23.     Orange Poppy 12'"x 12" acrylic