September Sunflowers

Sometimes I hesitate to paint sunflowers because so many other artists do, but I couldn't resist this bunch a friend gave me last weekend. It was a rainy day and these were perfect to  play with to cheer things up!

A little plein air study from our vacation in California.  Carmel beach is a haven for dog lovers! And for the dogs of course-they run and play for hours. It is so charming (and clean!)

Conservation Area

It's been the busiest month ever and a great start to summer after our never ending winter.  There's so much to catch up on this blog; I will have to start with this picture and go backwards. We have a beautiful conservation area that features this pond-it is always stocked with fish so families come visit to fish and enjoy nature. I'd like to do a series from this area portraying the life that it has; people and their dogs are always playing and walking the trails and having picnics.

Oh, and this is a new paper that I LOVE! It is Khadi handmade Indian paper. It has a wonderful soft feel, and watercolor is a dream to paint on it. The color stays fresh and it holds water well, and the paint lifts nicely. Not too expensive either, maybe $1 per "12x16" sheet.

Indigo Bunting

A beautiful indigo bunting came to the feeder on Mother's Day! What a nice little gift; it's a first time visit from this bird. I struggled for a while to find the right color blue to paint him and finally settled on Brusho turquoise, which was the perfect shade. They really are this color!

Susi

Susi the turtle is 60 years old-her owner has had her since she was 6! We visited with her family in Germany when my son was on a scholarship there.  She was fascinating to watch; slowly meandering through the house and garden, stopping every so often to smell someone's feet! We've stayed in touch with this family ever since, and I really wanted to do this little portrait for them since she has been part of their lives for so long. Who would think you could get so attached to a turtle?

Imagine Gallery Exhibit

Well this was a lot of fun! The Imagine Gallery in Skaneateles hosted a really nice First Friday event and art reception for me as a guest artist for the month of May.

It was a family affair for the Panzarellas, who own the shop;  Joe and Jane (Sarah's mom and dad),  Sarah and husband Jeremy, and their two small children Aurora and Jasper.

They were organized, did press releases, hung the paintings and made great little labels for them, poured wine, and chatted up the customers. Many of their own friends came to support the opening and bought some things as well.  All I had to do was have some wine and talk to people!  I'm very grateful for all they did.

               Very excited to be represented in a local gallery!

Imagine, a craft gallery and jewelry store located in the heart of Skaneateles, will be hosting local Skaneateles artist Christy Lemp for May First Friday, the kick off to the First Friday season. A reception will be held Friday May 2nd 5-8pm with refreshments and musical entertainment by Imagine’s house band The Occasional Suspects. The exhibition will be hung for the month of May. Christy’s work can also be found on the front cover of the Skaneateles phone book, look for it in July!