MY KIND OF SHOPPING

My friend Joan introduced me to my new favorite store. Watson Kennedy .  If you ever get a chance to go it's in the Pike Place Market area on 1st Ave. in Seattle.  This store has such amazing merchandising.  They do fantastic color stories with their displays and it makes the most frugal of shoppers want to open their wallet.  If you manage to walk out of the store without a purchase in hand...I can promise you that you will leave the store with your head spinning and full of great ideas.  I was able to ask the clerk if she would allow me to snap a few photos to share on  my blog and she was so great to let me.  So if you can't make it to Watson Kennedy here are a few peeks into their great store...Hope you enjoy!

Have you got your field trip to Seattle planned yet?

Art Walk

Good morning...

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to go to the Seattle Art Walk.  I believe it's on the first Thursday of every month.  Sad to say that I had never gone before so it was all new to me.  I will definately be going again!  I went with a group of artists from Bainbridge Island that wanted to go over to see the opening for a much loved artist from Bainbridge, Claudia Mckinstry.  It became obvious to me how loved she is when we got to her gallery space.  It was full of her fans...but did I mention the weather that night?  BUCKETING!!! I am not kidding...the skies unleashed and have continued to.  So considering the weather...her fans REALLY love her. And she is a lovely woman and magnificent artist.  Check out her website here for a real treat.  I have been so blessed to be surrounded by truely amazing artists.  I was lucky enough last summer, at the BI Studio Tour, to be set up next to Erica Applewhite.  She is such a great person and a very talented block print artist.  You can see here work here.  Erica and her Mom Jill just had a show opening in Tacoma at the Sandpiper Gallery which is called Vessels.  The show will run from November 6th to the 30th.  I love her chocolate donut with pink icing and sprinkles and I am lucky enough to have one.  The other artist that I have become friends with, along with his great family, is James Bernardin.  He is an incredible childrens book illustrator and you can see his work here.  Jim has a new book out that was written by Candy Chand which you can purchase at Amazon called "The 12 Prayers of Christmas".  His Book Jacket Illustration is stunning and according to Jim and the reviews I read, it sounds like a real keepsake of a book. Like I said...I am blessed beyond belief to be surrounded by so many talented artists.  Erica and Jim went to the Art Walk with me and are part of an artists group that I have just started up.  This event was only our second meeting which Erica arranged.  We are meeting once a month and I can't wait to see what happens with our group.  Exciting times ahead!

I wanted to share another one of my recent paintings with you from my holiday series.  I call this one "Vintage Christmas".  This one took me right back to my childhood when my Dad and my Sister and I would go up to the Mount Baker Forest and get our tree cutting permit with which we would fullfill our quest for the perfect Christmas tree.  My parents had built a New England Salt Box house which had a very tall ceiling in the living room.  It needed a TALL tree.  So we would go to find the perfect 16 foot tree to bring home.  Some of the best memories of my childhood.  By the way, we did not have a red truck but we did have a yellow Cutlass and the tree was usually longer than the car!  What a sight..

Have a great weekend.

Meagan

Restored order.

Last night was a sleepless night. I got up early with Hubby to catch the ferry to Seattle for a shopping trip. It was all about getting ready for the Studio Tour. We went to a store that sells display goods and one that sells paper goods and one that sells packaging etc...etc...etc. Tonight Hubby and the family helped to set up the booth (tent) for the studio tour. Feeling so much better about things. Feels so great to have a plan. Does anyone else do that thing where when there is so much to do you do nothing because you can't think straight? Man...I'm the worst about that! May explain why I couldn't sleep last night. But now all the planets have aligned and there is restored order in my life. I HAVE A PLAN!!! This is very good. Almost as good as chocolate. Which has been missing from my diet today...hum...need to fix that. Maybe tomorrow, I'm tired.