So here I am, at the beginning! Not a bad place to be, really. In the spirit of introduction, I could label myself as wife, mother of four, retired secondary art teacher, illustrator and now full time painter. I could also say reader, friend and lover of all things chocolate. Some are more relevant labels, and there are more, but they all shift and overlap and it's the best we can do when we attempt to share about ourselves.
The kids have flown the coop, two recently married, and I decided if I was to have a go at painting seriously, there was no time like the present. So here I am... blogging.
Although most of my painting life has been illustrative in watercolor, since I have retired, I have been using oil. The painting in the photo on the left is Linnaeus Flower, and is one of a series I am working on inspired by the rich beauty of stained glass. Some are designs inspired by pre-existing stained glass, such as this one from the beautiful ceiling in the Tulsa Garden Center. I was attending a garden club meeting there with my sister. I am considering other paintings of the various flowers we saw in the adjoining garden (The Linnaeus Teaching Garden) - especially one including the statue of a little girl.
At any rate, the photo, despite its questionable quality, has been deemed "blogworthy" as it shows the painting in The 25th Annual Canton Fine Arts Exhibition at The Village Theater until November 4 (open to the public M-F 10am-2pm & during performances; visit www.cantonvillagetheater.org for schedule). It's an excellent show and well worth a visit, if you live in the area!