After traveling to and attending a family funeral, have received the exciting news that my painting "Werner at Crystal Bridges" will be published in Splash 15!   Thanks to my friends and family who sent congratulations.   I'll unpack now.    

"More powerful than the will to win is the courage to begin."  - Orrin Woodward  

Just got back from a workshop.  Unfortunately, we have experienced the loss of a family member.  I will post again soon.  

"I had seen birth and death but had thought they were different."  - T. S. Eliot

Yesterday while passing my studio window I chanced to look outside and standing there was a four-foot tall crane.   I guess I made some sound of astonishment because it leapt into the air and flew east.  My youngest was nearby so I pointed it out as it flew away.  How odd, and beautiful.   Back to my brushes.

"Just as the bird sings or the butterfly soars, because it is his natural characteristic, so the artist works."  - Alma Gluck

Hope you are having a great St. Patty's Day.  Success!  I have found chairs on which we can both agree.  Now all I have to do is win the lottery.  Dreary weather and bad light today, just the way the cookie crumbles I guess.  Good day for drawing.  Back to my pencils.

"It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness." -  Leo Tolstoy

I've got to get some new chairs.  Nothing fancy, just some club chairs.  I don't anticipate that I will be successful in finding a chair with both style and comfort that will please both my partner and myself, but that is my quest today.  Back to my brushes - tomorrow.  

"I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society."  - Henry David Thoreau

I hope everyone is enjoying the opening reception of the American Watercolor Society's 145th Traveling Exhibition at Art Center Manatee in Bradenton, Florida this evening.  Thank you for supporting the arts.

I listened to a presentation at a local art exhibition recently that began "I don't like watercolors".  Continuing he dismissed ALL representational art culminating in the thought that only abstract or non-objective art "makes you think",  further explaining that someone could "see a stack of shoes" in one piece.  Saying you like non-objective art because you "see things in it" is not unlike saying you like it because you have a liver.  If you want to believe that a rorschach test is art, be my guest.  There is a reason that it is called a test and not art, and that is because it does not lead the viewer - it reveals the viewer.  To "think" while enjoying an abstract or non-objective artwork would involve:  an understanding of the composition; that the color evokes a certain feeling; its relationship to time; understanding symbolism; movement; etc.  That is thinking.  If I were to subscribe to this speaker's art ideology,  I could just go outside and name the items my brain "sees" in the clouds.  That is less than thinking.  With that said, if that is the way you want to experience artwork, knock yourself out.  I can say without hesitation you may learn much about yourself.   But, realize that you are cheating yourself of the full experience  by not exploring where the artist has taken you.  I personally use knowledge of brain function in my representational art.  If you dismiss representational art out of hand, don't look at my work....you might have to think.  

"What I'm looking for in my interaction is critical thinking on the part of the person pitching to me."  - Brad Feld

Terrific trip down to the Camden Daffodil Festival.  Picked up t-shirts and posters, had a great lunch at the Postmaster's Grill, signed some posters and purchased some raffle tickets.  Great crowd and the weather was warm, though overcast.  Went with my dearest friend and was graciously hosted by her family in Hot Springs.  Went to the horse races and won over three dollars! If you are going to visit Hot Springs be sure and stay at the charming B&B Hilltop Manor.  You can contact them at http://www.hilltopmanorhotsprings.com.  

"Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. "  -  Dr. Seuss

I received the letter yesterday stating that my painting "West of Eleven" was selected by the Jury of Awards for inclusion in the American Watercolor Society's 146th Annual Traveling Exhibition.  It will be interesting to see where it will go in the year ahead.  Back to my brushes.

"The broadest philosophy is narrower than the worst poetry." - Henry David Thoreau

Be sure and check out californiawatercolor.com to see the watercolors by Hardie Gramatky.  Click on the paintings to read the delightful, personal descriptions by his daughter Linda Gramatky Smith.  I’m so charmed by “Moon Magic” I come back to it repeatedly.  But “Rock Crusher” - I would have been all over that – - so cool!  Back to my brushes.

"Be beautiful if you can, wise if you want to, but be respected - that is essential." - Anna Gould