Proud Mother of A Petsmart Graduate

This photo was taken this afternoon. After 8 weeks of intensive study, Olive the rescue beagle and I completed our coursework at Petsmart Academy. We received our diploma after completing a complex test of our newly acquired skills. I can now sit, stay and wait 30 seconds before I eat a treat. Olive can now walk me on a leash and command me to give her treats. Really though, the little dog did very well. When I first adopted her she was quite nervous as she had been in a cage with a small run for 3 years. She was used in some type of scientific research. It took her about 3 weeks to feel more comfortable and even like doggie treats. Now, her education looks promising if I continue to practice her skills with her. Remind me, will you?

They Brought Their Own Shopping Bags in Tuscany Long Before It was Trendy.........

I painted this little sketch the other day as a demo in my watercolor class. I used a photo for reference that I took in the Tuscan hilltown of Cortona. Today I went to our local supermarket carrying my own shopping bags and feeling very smug that I had remembered to bring them along. As I studied this painting tonight I remembered that the Europeans have been bringing their own shopping bags to market for a very long time. Why didn't we copy this idea a lot sooner? My own mother used to make fun of my grandmother because she got off the airplane from New York carrying a shopping bag, wow she was trendy way ahead of her time!

It's Official, We Are Going To France to Paint

A wonderful opportunity fell into my lap in May. The chance to teach a workshop in Durfort, France in a home especially restored into a retreat for artists! It was touch and go as I contacted everyone I know who I thought might be interested in going to France to paint. Just this week, I was given the ok to go ahead with the workshop this coming Sept. So, I and a small group of students will be setting off to paint here in early Sept. This is a photo of the typical buildings and wonderful shutters we will be painting.

Lets Go Out For Dinner Tonight, Dear

Can you tell that I am home and procrastinating from painting. So far, I have updated my blog 3 times, spilled bright red ink all over my very old carpeting in my studio and dropped a strawberry somewhere under my desk where no one can ever find it excepting a swarm of ants. I finished this watercolor yesterday from photos taken 2 different years of the same restaurant. The colors of the peach walls and the sort of lilac-purplish doors motivated me to paint it. Now I would like to have dinner there. Too bad the restaurant is in Tuscany, don't think we'd make it back in time after dinner to put the dogs out.

New Look

Home on a Saturday and trying to jazz up my blog so it will look like a fun place to hang out and look at my paintings and laugh at my semi-clever writing. What do you think?

Cortona Door and Tom

My watercolor classes and I painted this door last week. I stood in front of this door in the town of Cortona with my first traveling student, Tom. We both leaned against a pile of lumber which was just the right height to use as a desk. Tom was a talented painter and wonderful student and friend. He always had a smile on his face, never complained and always enjoyed art classes and painting. Sadly, Tom passed away last month and is sorely missed by myself and all his watercolor pals. I know we are all kind of waiting for him to amble into class with a grin on his face. I hope he is upstairs painting a rainbow.