Fall flowers for a perfect fall day

I sketched (except for the text) this fall bouquet with dry twigs, Chinese ink and watercolor. After reading Ch'ng Kiah Kiean's Tutorial from USk 2013 in Barcelona, I gathered a handfull of twigs then whittled them with an X-acto knife hunched over a wastebasket in the gallery.

Getting back into sketching

After 5+ months of producing oil paintings for the show, I haven't had much energy to pick up a brush...or even a pen. Finally I was able to sketch a few fall bouquets along with a friends kitchen when we visited beautiful Georgetown Maine.

"A Year of Learning to Paint"

40+ paintings finished and the show is hanging!!! 
(At Clayton's in Yarmouth, Maine)

In January of 2013 I had to teach myself to oil paint again after years of letting the paints sit in a tote bag with the tops dried on so tight I needed a pliers to pry them loose and stacks of unused canvases collecting dust in the storage unit. I decided that I would do this entire show without buying any new supplies—to use all the paints, canvases and brushes I already had.

A most amazing, challenging, disciplined and creative year of learning to paint.

 Hanging the show with my amazing friends Patti and Elizabeth.

 I never thought I would get here—DONE...for now...

The Perfect Day of Surfing

16 x16 oil on canvas

(Final painting for the show)