Exciting news!

So excited to announce that I will be in a show at Campbell Pottery from November 10th to December 9th, with the opening reception on November 17th from 1 to 3! This is a show with artist Brian Payne, ( check out his beautiful watercolors) and me!! This is going to be a beautiful show and I would really appreciate seeing some familiar faces at the opening reception!! I have been very busy making new gourd pieces for this show!
         Also in exciting news, we have become grandparents! Our grandson Eli was born in July and we went to meet him in Oregon in august! He is so cute and it is hard being so far away!

While there I painted a mural of a large tree and wildlife in his nursery! A big piece of my heart to leave there since I am so far away!!

Besides all this ,it is canning season here at home!! I have lots of tomatoes and beans etc. waiting to be preserved!! Hope you are all having a wonderful summer and ready for fall!!

Edinboro Art and Music Festival Show

I was so thrilled to find out I had won the Edinboro Art and Music festival art show patrons Choice award for my gourd Harris's Hawk! What a nice surprise!! I haven't had time to post on here about it due to this being the busy time of year! If you would like to see this show , better hurry as it is over this weekend on June 10th! There is a new show opening on Friday though at Graffiti Gallery in Oil City! This is my first time participating in a show at this Gallery! the opening is from 5 to 7 PM. Come on by and check it out!
  We just returned from a fun trip to mid coast Maine to visit our daughter! That is such a beautiful part of the country and I really loved seeing our daughter! This short visit had to get me my ocean fix for the year as we will only be landlubbers for the rest of the year! I took in as much of the sound of waves and the smell of the ocean as I could while there!!

Hated to say goodbye as usual but then it was back home to all the mowing and gardening that needs done! I also have more art shows coming up and need to work on some new pieces for those!! 

Don't forget Campbell Pottery On the Farm show!!

The " On the Farm" art show at Campbell Pottery is set to start next Saturday April 7th with an opening reception from 1 to 3 PM. I delivered my 3 pieces on Friday so they will be there ready to meet you!! Some of the proceeds from this show will benefit local 4-H clubs! I was a 4-H leader for several years in a horse club in Mercer county! I loved working with the kids and the horses! I hope to see you for the opening reception!

Madame Butterfly

Here is my piggy gourd all finished and ready for the art show! I named her Madame Butterfly! I have really enjoyed building this gourd sculpture! I loved looking through my gourds to find the ones that were most like the body part I needed! Then figuring out how to cut and attach them in the most lifelike manner! I loved this one so much that I started another one which is a dolphin!

A new show coming up for Campbell Pottery

 Just got an announcement for a new show at Campbell Pottery in April! It will be titled " On the Farm"and will benefit some local 4-H programs! One possible entry I am working on is this gourd sculpture of a pig! I am thinking she will be an abstract pig of many colors but we shall see how it progresses! Pigs hold a special place in my heart as we had a pot belly pig when my kids were smaller and loved her until she passed away at age 10!

This completed project is made from a gourd piece that was carved and painted and coiled with pine needles and then a chain. After that it was mounted on an art board which was painted in a dot style. It is titled  "connected" and is my way of expressing how creatures on this earth are connected and what happens to one interacts with all of life on this planet!! I so wish we would be more mindful of that and take better care of this planet!! I recently have found out we will be grandparents and it

is more important to me than ever that these creatures are around in the future!!

alcohol ink paintings

I have been taking a little break from the gourds and have been working on some alcohol ink paintings! I really enjoy the fluid uncontrollable nature of the inks! After making the paintings on yupo paper I have been mounting them on wood substrates that I woodburned on. the last step is to cover them with resin! I am happy with the final result!!

I can also make prints of the paintings before they were mounted on the wood! 

Let me know if any of these catches your eye!!

I also made owl #2 out of gourds and hornets nest paper!! He is still available!!

Arts on the riverwalk and Franklin Applefest

My gourd featuring a Harris's Hawk will be on display at the Arts on the Riverwalk in New Castle at the Confluence! I also entered a photo of an eagle I took on our trip to Alaska! The festival is on September 9th from 3 to 9. Artist reception is from 4 to 6.  The art will be on display until October 26th. Please go to the art on the Riverwalk facebook page and vote for my artwork !!! I have also signed up to have a booth at Franklin Applefest this year! Come and visit me from October 6th to the 8th!!