THINGS THAT MAKE ME SMILE

Today I was busy painting again and was looking at things around me that make me smile and I tought I should share them with you...they may make you smile too! 

This is my new 2010 Calendar by the artist Romero Britto.  I really don't know anything about this artist and the work couldn't be more different from the images I paint but...I LOVE THEM!  They really make me smile....

The next thing that I saw that made me smile was my new red reading glasses...cheaters...they are so sassy!

Then I happened to think about my assortment of colored paper clips...you know, I don't know why but they always make me smile too.

Then I noticed this and realized he definately NEEDS to smile more...especially since he is on the cover of such a great product.

Guess I needed a little break from painting...hope you had some smiles visiting my blog today.

See ya later!

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND STUDIO TOUR: What a blast!

Hello Blogger Friends!

Well I promised a post all about the Studio Tour today so here it is. You may want to pull up a chair cuz this is a LONG one! What a blast it was. Yes...lots of work and my voice is a little scratchy today...but such a GREAT time! Hubby deserves a huge standing ovation for all the hard work in helping out with getting ready and set up not to mention tear down too.

THANK YOU HUBBY!!!

(Artists from the Tour: Starting at the top left side:

Pam Sanders, Will Gibson, Terry Siebert,

Diana Bennette Wirtz, Erica Applewhite,

Cynthia Dice, Me,

Todd Butler and Jay Trinidad)

This was only one of the 7 studios!

(Hubby and Me in front of my booth)

We set up on Thursday to be able to open on Friday morning at 10:00am. The weather had cooled off considerably and many of the artists were very cold but my booth location was a little bit protected and warmer so that was lucky. Especially since I had a skirt on! Cold wind and skirts aren't a good combo.


(one of those plants I can't name that was soooo incredible and the humming birds were all over it... Lobellia something..)



( Another amazing plant...melianthus major...I think, smells like peanut butter, no lie, it really does!)

(my booth nestled in the garden)

(Terry Siebert)

My booth was set up right outside Terry Sieberts Pottery Studio and it was so fabulous. They have this really cool farmhouse that they raised and built the studio under. Right outside the studio is this AMAZING Mediterranean garden area with plants that I can't pronounce the names of. She gets to work and look out at this beautiful scene every day. A little slice of heaven. It was such a beautiful working space, not to mention how great her pottery is. I managed to come away with this little gem:

Thanks to Terry for being such a great hostess and a new friend I will always cherish! Inside Terry's studio artist Erica Applewhite from White Apple Studio was demonstrating how she carves her great block prints. She was selling the most awesome cards. You could count on Erica to bring a smile to your face. A beautiful artist, inside and out. Just look at her work:

Upstairs on the wrap around porch were 4 other artists that I had such fun getting to know a little. Jay Trinidad, who is an amazing photographer along with Cythia Dice who paints the most whimsical dogs I've ever seen along with intricate had cut paper scrapbooking items and other musings. Look at these great cards I got from Cynthia:

(Cynthia Dice and Will Gibson)

Next to Cynthia was Will Gibson who paints these wonderful huge canvases of texture and color.
And next to Will was Diana Bennette Wirtz. Diana has a wide range of style that are mostly contemporary fields of color and landscape. It was really beautiful. Unfortunately I don't have any link to her work.

(Diana Bennette Wirtz)

In the house were Todd and Elizabeth Butler from The Butler Did It. They have hand made furniture that they create which is really beautiful.
And last but not least was Pam Sanders who does collage art and hand crafted jewelry. Her work has a wonderful layered effect that draws you in as you discover all that she has created within each layer.

Friday started out a little slow but had steady traffic throughout the day. It was so fun meeting such interesting people from all over. I couldn't believe how far people came to see the studio tour. It was exciting. Saturday proved to be much busier and I was blessed with a HUGE surprise...there was a man in my booth looking at my rowboat painting titled "Dry Docked", and said "I recognise this painting", and thinking that he probably saw it either on the beach or in the gallery, I asked him where he had seen it and he said...Here

This is the Bainbridge Islander, a local freebie newspaper that showcases local artists work on the cover. This time I was the featured artist and I didn't even know it!!! Hubby had emailed in the picture to the Bainbridge Islander a few months back along with my bio and we sort of forgot about it. What perfect timing! Needless to say Sunday was a huge day and I have to say that I got a lot of traffic from the newspaper. Thanks a MILLION Bainbridge Islander!!!

My goal on Sunday was to sell my first "original painting". The day was almost over and I still hadn't sold my first original. I asked Hubby to "Man the booth" while I went to have my picture taken. Jay Trinidad was offering to take portraits of the artists and while I was doing that wouldn't you know that Hubby was hard at work selling my first original painting. Oldest son came up to the yard where Jay was doing his photo shoot and said "Mom, you better get down to the booth... there is a lady that wants to buy an original painting!". Can you believe it! Hubby to the rescue again. What a guy. So it happened...I finally sold a painting. What a thrill! It was such an encouraging weekend with wonderful feedback on my work. People really liked it!!! This made me very happy! Another "first" to add to my list. So now I take a few days to bask in the enjoyment of last weekend and then it's moving forward to the next show. More artistic adventure ahead!


Thanks for taking time to pop in and read about my weekend. I hope things are well with you.

Blessings,

Meagan

7 days and counting!

Hello,

Happy Saturday to you. It's a beautiful morning here today. I just love it when it cools down at night and the house has a little chill to it in the morning before things heat up again. I actually have a blanket wrapped around me right now! That hasn't happened for quite some time.

Hubby and I got up really early today, 4:30 am, to get oldest son out the door for a regatta. Ouch that's early. I decided to stay up and finished cutting the last mats for some of the prints I will be selling at the Bainbridge Island Studio Tour http://www.bistudiotour.com/ . I can't believe it starts in only 7 days. How exciting!!! We have been working on the finishing touches for my booth. I made a really cute fabric flag banner and hubby made me some awesome card holders out of old raspberry flats.(no pictures yet because card reader isn't working on the computer!) They look so great! Thanks Hubby!!! Hopefully soon after the Studio Tour I will be opening an Etsy shop. This has sure been an interesting artistic adventure so far. Looking forward to seeing where the road takes me in the next few months. It's time to start painting for fall and winter which seems strange to say when the weather has been so HOT...maybe painting some snow flakes would cool me down!

Have a great weekend.

Meagan

SIT AND STAY AWHILE

Hello again!

So here is my latest work of art. It's called "sit and stay awhile". I have been painting a series of Adirondack chairs for the art show I'm in on August 7-9th. You can check out the show at http://www.bistudiotour.com/ . It's one month from today...YIKES!!! "Stay calm" ...that's what I keep saying to myself. I have one more month to paint, print, fold, price, purchase, set up a booth and I'm sure a million other things. But I'm really looking forward to this show. It will be the first time I have done anything like this and I don't know what kind of feedback I will get. That's the part that makes me a little nervous. I know many of you artists out there have done this kind of thing before. Any tips or advice? Would love to hear your tricks of the trade if you're willing to share.

Take care and I'll be in touch soon!

Meagan

Color Study

What is it about this color? Many of my clothes are this color, I've collected it in beach glass, old canning jars and recently I photographed a great old boat with weather worn turquoise on it. I get lost in this color. I am working on a painting inspired by this boat picture and will share it with you when I am closer to being done with it. I hope your day is as happy as this color makes me feel.

Have a very Turquoisey day!

Meagan