Wine, and Wine-Related...

While I was in my painting mode a week ago, my camera went out completely. I had to do the whole research, check it out thing and obtain a new one. So I got it yesterday and am able to post some new things today. You can tell that I am getting ready for my booth at the Wine & Culinary Festival...everything is wine-related.

This is another line-up similar to one I did several months ago. The shot was taken at the same time as the previous one. (During a women's weekend at my friend's vacation house on the river in south Louisiana. We saved all the wine bottles on the rail of the deck. Of course I had to take copious amounts of pictures of them.) This painting is 24x36 and will sell framed for $900. It is entitled "Classy Reunion" thanks to Loree from Santa Barbara, a new internet friend.

This is one I did as the first of a set and was not sure I liked it. But input from others has made me like it more. It is small by my usual standards...6x12. It is entitled "Burgundy" and sells for $100. I have not done the others in the set yet, but hope to get to them one day.

My friend Tracy came up with the idea for this one while visiting one morning as I was preparing to start a painting. She said that she did not know one wine-lover that did not have a container of corks somewhere in their posession. So I got mine out and threw them in a bowl to see what I thought. I went nuts when I saw the interesting shadows created under the sides of the bowl. This one is 24x20 and is $450. The title is "It Was a Very Good Year".

Another (and not the last I can tell you!) cork painting. This one is 8x16" and is $125. The title is "Uncorked". I love the way this one turned out. There is always something to be learned when you are painting something like this where there are so many variations of essentially one color.

I feel like I am going in ten different directions as usual. Mike's family from Georgia has been in town for the last week and we went with his two brothers and their wives to the coast for two days. So I am unpacking and catching up after having been busy or away for this period of time. I have a couple of faux finishing jobs pending. I need to get on them and be done with them so I can return to painting!

A couple of interesting things have happened since I last posted. One, I also did not get in the Gumtree Festival in Tupelo. I got in last year, but this year when I am painting better than ever, NO. Go figure.

But I did get a response from a gallery owner that I met in Orange Beach (Another quick trip we went on in the last couple of weeks....No wonder I get little painting done!) My friend Teresa was in The Merrill Miller gallery and called me off the beach to come meet her. I was glad I did! Her place is beautiful and a perfect fit for my style of work. She checked out my stuff that I emailed to her and called and told me that she liked it and wants me to bring her some pieces when we come down for the Orange Beach Wine & Culinary at the beginning of May. So don't think the "when one door closes another one opens" thing is wasted on me here.

Another rejuvenated connection is pulling at me as well. While on the Coast I visited Negrotto's Gallery that has carried some of my work in the past. They were the ones that sent me the info about the Wine Festival in the first place. So I stopped by to thank them and see their remodel and I was blown away...what used to be a nice little frame shop has expanded and is now a beautiful gallery. They were so excited that one of "their" artists had been chosen for the festival, so they took my photo and wrote up a press release for the Coast paper right there on the spot. Of course, they want some new paintings and I want them to have them, too.

Then, today I got an email from the Southern Breeze people (the sponsors of the festival) wanting to know if it was okay to give my name to their screen printer person that is doing the festival t-shirts for them. They said that he really liked my work and may want me to do something for him. Wait, I think I feel a breeze, is that more and more doors opening?

But first I have to be a big girl and go measure for this faux-finish job. I have to get some of this out of the way before I can get back to painting.

As my dad keeps saying to me, Life is Good!