I'm Off to Wisconsin & Minnesota

The Studio will be closed* until August 5 when I return from the Door County Plein Air Festival where I am an invited participant in a busy week of painting & exhibiting. Then over to Duluth to visit friends. Then solo drive back. I hope to make some good paintings, meet some new people, see some old friends, learn something about the art of bonsai, set a personal high mpg record in my Prius, listen to two audio books and see miles of landscape and sky!

In the meantime my paintings can be seen at The Butternut Gallery, Schulman Gallery at Luzerne County Community College and EMCA Auction show. Check my website for more info.

*closed to bears & birds, too....see previous entry.

Last Visitor Gets to Choose

The Summer Exhibit and sale here at the studio was a big success...34 paintings sold! and many prints and pots. Despite the diminished selection to choose from the last visitor came at 9 am Monday and took whatever he wanted!

Rosalita (fearless Australian Cattle Dog) and Leo (her backup black lab) tried to deter this big male black bear, but he pretty much treated them as pesky flies. I've never been happier that my dogs have excellent recalls. They came in the house and we barricaded the doors and windows.

I knew I was tempting fate leaving my bird feeders up this summer and I am just glad no one got hurt. The bear had a beautiful black coat and was quite handsome with awesome brute strength. (we tried to bend the metal pole back again).

All of the rest of our many visitors were much better behaved...thankfully....and when he arrived I was going around the garden telling my daughter about the "exciting" re-appearance of the Rudbeckia maxima in front of the greenhouse!!!