April 16, 2022
The veil has finally lifted after several years of oppression from a word called Covid. Decades from now they will be studying us in history books. I have lived 65 years and never experienced a time when two years of your life could be altered so much. You miss out on the birth of your grandchild, graduations, moments in time you will never regain. I was lucky to have a solitary hobby to keep my sanity. Painting has always been the best release, a chance to transfer anxiety to paint on a canvas. This week my paint tubes popped and I cranked out a slew of paintings depicting spring. Subliminally, I must be good and ready for spring flowers to burst this Covid bubble. Goodbye masks, I'm ready to dance in a ballet of blossoms!
April 1, 2021
So I have moved to a new studio which is conveniently located across the street from my home. Hoping to paint much more with my fabulous spot that lets me create while I people-watch walkers in Five Points. Life is good!
Aug. 16, 2017
You might have heard we moved studios. Actually, we moved up in the world from Moondog Cottage to Moondog Fine Arts located at 721 West Morgan Street in Raleigh. Stuffed in my small studio with huge canvases combed with color, my friend and photographer Ellen Sabin and photographer friend from Dallas, Texas were focusing on artists at work. I reaped the benefits of their exposure excursion with some cool shots to share. I hear there are more to come from her friend Gayle Nogle that I am excited to see. Will share when I get them.
If you haven't been by to see us yet, please do. We are open by chance but are happy to meet you if arranged in advance.
Aug. 16, 2017
I just finished up another oil painting class at the Florence Thomas Art School this summer. My students were amazing, such talent! Always a treat to see my repeats and all the new - some from far away. Was so excited to find two students drove from Chicago to take the course. The best part? I lived right around the corner from them on Timberlake as a little girl. You can see a photo of me painting with my Dad as a child on my ABOUT page. That was taken in the basement of our Barrington home on Timberlake. If you haven't tried a class yet, Florence Thomas Art School offers a great selection of courses throughout the year. And it is located in my favorite mountain town of West Jefferson, North Carolina.
Jan. 7, 2017
My friend Carolyn Johnson called me Christmas Eve-Eve and said "You think you might be to paint Earl (her husband) and the band live tonight at their last performance at Southland?" Let me think about this - a loud huge party with beer spilling everywhere painting virtually in the dark on a 36 by 48 canvas - ahhh, "NO!" I felt terrible saying no though because I knew she wanted to surprise him. So I did the next best thing, I flew down to my studio and whipped out a painting. Now, you have to understand that I am painting from a video Carolyn took of the band wearing sunglasses playing outside but Carolyn wanted it of them on stage at Southland. Oh, and I forgot to mention, Earl is the drummer and she also wanted him featured front and center as the focus. Another challenge since the drummer would be the smallest person in back. Oh well, no one likes a challenge better than I do so I got to work sending her updates along the way. It was really fun to paint and it turns out Earl loved his gift Christmas morning, still soaking wet in oil paint. Now what big surprises could 2017 possibly hold? I do have something up my sleeve but you'll have to wait and see.
Feb. 15, 2016
My daughter, Maggie, called me last night to say it was 6 degrees in New York City. "Will you be walking to work in those temps?", I asked. Everyday she and her co-workers get their exercise by taking a hike over the bridge from Brooklyn to Soho. Thinking of her amazing fortitude and determination to get her Fitbit steps in for the day, I painted the bridge back in my toasty warm studio in Raleigh. Pleased to share my interpretation of her daily pilgrimage I was informed that it was the Williamsburg bridge she crosses not the Brooklyn. Oops. Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed my artistic visit to this Big Apple treasure on canvas which is now sold, being packed and shipped to Manhattan for another lover of the bridge to enjoy. All is well that ends well. Oh, and by the way, Maggie says when it hits the teens, she hits the subway.
Aug. 31, 2015
Every artist needs a Dr. Joel Yates in their life. You see Dr. Joel is obsessed with teeth and he should be since he is a fabulous dentist in the High Country. Over the years he has commissioned me to paint all kinds of subject matter that highlight teeth. From an old mountain man to a close up of a wide mouthed grinning donkey, my oil paintings line the walls of his sprawling dentist office on main street in Jefferson, NC. His latest request currently sits on my easel drying in Todd. I have to say painting a Beaver was a new experience for me and I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the crazy looking paddle or ah... I mean tail. Lord knows what will be next!!
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