Bleeker Bookshop

6x8 oil on panel - sold
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From a corner book store in the West Village. They set tables outside on the sidewalks for people to browse. I rather got distracted from painting by all the books. I do love to lose myself browsing among all the wonderful and inspiring written words. I have this desire to paint books. The covers themselves can be so interesting, but I suppose its already been done...

My theme here seems to be aimed at cozying down rather than painting and then packing for our trip.

The Beignet Beat

12x8 oil on panel
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As promised... though i missed a day and will load up today....
This is going to Castle Gallery with me for the reception on Thursday. Its a fun scene from Cafe du Monde in New Orleans and I thought I'd show you the frame on it too. Coffee and beignets reminds me of hot cocoa, which reminds me of cool weather, which makes me long for fall. We're still sweltering in triple digits here.

As a side note: My laptop hard drive died last week and I lost all my stuff on it so if you had emailed me recently and I haven't responded... please write again!

Castle Gallery Reception

The invite says all you need to know, except that I have sent new work to them! So over the next few days I will post some of that work. We're mainly going to Indiana for my sister in law's wedding and I hope the family won't mind that I worked this in.

Summer Solstice '09

12x16 oil on panel - sold
Ask Castle Gallery about this painting.

Castle Gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana, will be hosting a summer artist's reception on Thursday evening, Aug. 20th. If you are in the area, you should definitely get over to see the gallery and meet some fabulous artists.
Timing was such that I am not going to be there... until a week later! On the 28th, I will be in the gallery for a visit. More details next week.

Moses Botkin Monthly Challenge

This month's subject was my pick. And I chose something that has challenged me before. An unmade bed. I think the difficulty is the pattern of the sheets on top of the folds and rumples. As it turns out, I didn't quite get into those sorts of issues. I saw this scene at my parent's house in Florida recently. They've had this bed for ages and its the one I now sleep in when I visit. I had gotten up one night late and when I came back, the perfect scene presented itself.


The Old Brass Bed
10x8 oil on panel - PURCHASE
(c) 2009 Robin Cheers


"Asleep in the Window Seat"
18x24 oil on canvas
(c) 2009 Marie Fox



Expedition on an Unmade Bed
8x10 oil on board
(c) 2009 Diana Moses Botkin



Wine Night
8x8 oil on board
(c) 2009 Michael Naples



The Boys
9x9 oil on canvas
(c) 2009 Vicki Ross



Unmade Bed
12x9 oil on canvas
(c) 2009 Silvina Day

Checking In

I have nothing to show or report here, but wanted to check in and tell my friends that I decided to take the rest of August to do some housework. I am redoing my kitchen! So I am painting, but not in the usual style. My cabinets are aged, orangey, builder's grade wood and I am painting them white with a "glaze." Its something I've wanted to do for a long time and owing to this heat, I figured some indoor projects would be good. And now, my primer coat is dry and I am going to get back to work! Wish me luck!

Final days in Florida

I did get to see the wild horses on Cumberland Island. I was so excited. We took a private boat tour with Captain Carol of On the Water Adventures. I highly recommend this tour. There is another boat tour company but this was smaller (and private!) and she was able to take us up into creeks between the marsh grasses in search of manatees and up to the beaches close to the horses. She also had a lot great information to share. Like the story of these horses. Apparently the island was owned, at one point in the good ole days, by the Carnegies. When their horses got old, they turned them out to "pasture" and let them become feral - they bred, more horses were let loose, and/or brought in (Lipizzaner and mustang stallions) and the population is thriving. Very neat.

Welcome Back

Back from Florida and my hope is to hang onto those good vacation feelings. No stress! Right?

Good news in the mailbox. Paintings were accepted to show in the American Impressionists Society 10th annual national juried exhibit at Saks Gallery in Denver and also in the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club 113th annual show. Both shows are in October.

For those in the Fort Wayne, Indiana area, Castle Gallery will have an artist's reception Aug. 20th for their annual Summer Show. This worked out poorly for me, I have to be in town the NEXT weekend for my sister-in-law's wedding.

This week, new works will go out to Polonaise Art Gallery in Vermont (soon undergoing a name/location change) and new works shipped a short while ago to Tidewater Gallery in NC. And I must get back to painting. Remember that no stress comment?? :-)