Street Fight

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I got home from Italy a few days ago. I have a theory that the better the trip, the worse the jet lag. And this was a pretty SPECTACULAR trip!! So it's taken me a little time to recover.

Please forgive my indulgence if I post a few more photos than usual. After all, this was my last workshop! With a fabulous batch of students/kids!

Here is a view from the Uffizi art museum. Our very shic hotel/studio was over to the left from here by a few streets. All the downtown stuff was to the right.

Here's the inside of our studio space where we met and worked each day. These gals were dedicated. I barely had to crack my whip.

We saw lots of great art, and I (for one) learned more than I ever knew I didn't know about it.

We ate a LOT of amazing food, in one gorgeous location after another. There MAY have been some flirting with the cute Italian waiters, but I'm not confirming anything. (what happens in Italy stays in Italy...)

My entire class got to take a cooking class one evening, which was very fun!

On the last day, we drove out into the countryside and toured a winery, tasted all their wine, and ate lunch - not necessarily in that order (who can remember!)

In general this trip involved wine. Kind of a lot. And did you know Italian wine doesn't make you feel bad the next day? Or at all? That I will confirm.

At any rate, I want to thank Debra & Ivano Zamperla for hosting us, and my 13 kids who were courageous enough to tackle people painting in Italy. I couldn't have asked for a better workshop finale!!!

One Blue Bulb

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Hello from Germany & Happy Mother's Day! I got an email from a friend/previous student who happens to be in the area, on a river cruise with his wife, so we had a lovely reunion the other day. Also I had a visit from another friend/previous student and his wife who live in Zurich, which isn't far from my mother-in-law. It's been really wonderful to see old friends!! I've barely had time to paint, but as promised here is one I did before I left home.

Family Three

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And here's family number three. We had such high hopes for little Johnny, but he turned out to be not a terribly bright bulb. But we think Mary Jane is a shoe in. : )

Light for Cups

sold. (6x6in.)

I have 2 things to report. First, I have new ARTBYTE to announce! It's all about painting white and includes lots of information about how to mix white, mapping out values successfully, exaggerating color so it works, etc. This lesson includes a full demonstration (with voice-over) of the painting above, and applies to any level, oil, acrylic and guache. It's called "What Color IS White?".

Second, we're home! My family very much enjoyed driving through/camping in Montana and Wyoming. We got to see Glacier, the Bighorns, Yellowstone and the Tetons, among other beautiful things. We didn't see any grizzlies or other bears, but we did see a moose and its baby (luckily, from the safety of the Jeep).

I didn't end up painting at all, which was probably for the best. I spent tons of quality time with my family instead. I posted just a few pictures on Instagram, in case you're interested.

A Rosy Point of View

sold. (6x6in.)

I read this very interesting article recently about creativity and failure. It really made me think. It just takes a few minutes to read, and I highly recommend it if you're a creative type.

Standing Still

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Unfortunately, wide paintings never look good here. And it's too bad because I really like this one. It has everything awesome - cups in a stack, bottles, polka dots, a spoon AND a lightbulb! So please, click on the image and look at it big. For me. Thanks.

And click on this book-peek too. <-- This one is a list of things to keep in mind while painting (IMHO).

Light and Cups

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I was lying on the couch in my studio yesterday, staring up at my still life shelves with abandon. Suddenly I had an inspiration and raced to put this together! I love it when that happens. I think I'll take to lying on the couch more often.

Bulb Bits

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These lightbulbs are incredibly satisfying to paint. In other news, I got a tattoo today! I know some of you are thinking - crazy girl! But I designed it myself, and once I got past the pain - let me pause for moment to say, "OUCH!" - I am quite happy with it. It is all covered up at the moment, healing, but I will post a picture very soon. This has been in the works for years, years.

Waiting for Ideas

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I thought I'd play around with my lightbulbs again. They are a challenge in seeing. I find I have to squint until they are total blurs before I can translate the important bits.

Light on the Bulbs

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I had a sudden desire last week to paint lightbulbs. We've replaced most of ours in the house with LED, so I actually had to go and buy some of these "classic" ones. Which took a while (procrastination). Which is why I'm just now getting around to painting them. : )