Almost on a Roll....

"Two Red Boats", 11x14 oil on panel

    Well, that was quite a storm!  Here I was finally being a good blogger all enthused about blogging about my wonderful weekend in the lavender fields.  Eager to show you the paintings on my easel in the field as they were underway and then the finished product.  Then the derecho struck last Friday around 10:30.  The WHAT?  Yes, I had never heard of a derecho and you would think that being alive as long as I have I would have experienced such a storm at least once.  I am quite certain I haven't.  It was like a category 1 hurricane smashing through in a half hour with no notice.  Actually we had about a minute's notice.  We were watching tv around 10:30 when the program was interupted to announce the imminent severe weather bearing down on the Washington DC metro area.  The weatherman never finished his sentence before the power went out with a blam!  The power stayed out.....for us until late Monday afternoon.  Sadly, there are still homes without power.  Besides the power we lost phone service both land line and cell until Sunday morning.  I think that was the worst.  People couldn't even get through to 911!  Add to this we are in the midst of one of the longest extreme heat waves in recent history.  Triple digits all week.  Relentless.  Until this evening.  We are having more storms but mercifully not severe and it's cooling down. Maybe I should keep my mouth shut.  I am becoming a little superstitious.  Enough about the weather.

          I haven't taken photos.  I haven't painted this week.  I DID tear apart the studio, dump a load of junk, reorganize and purchase a Todd Reiffer work station from a friend who is a pastelist and for whom the station did not work.  I have been coveting one for some time.  I was right to as this is the perfect addition to my studio.  Now I am really psyched to get back to work.  I will upload photos.  Really I will. Unless there is another derecho and power outage.  There I go again!

        ON EXHIBIT:  The little plein air painting above was juried into this month's show at the Art League Gallery.  It was painted last September at Fletcher's Boat House on the Potomac.  You can see it on the easel on the banks of the river if you go to archives and read the September 3rd 2011 post.

"Jack's at Key Bridge" 9x12 oil on panel

     ALSO ON EXHIBIT:  For the Bin Gallery at the Art League this month I submitted this painting of Jack's Boat Rentals under the Key Bridge.  I painted it either last July or the July before, I honestly don't remember but the date is on the back.  I thought it was a good theme for this month.  I love the colors and activity at Jack's and it was fun to paint it.  The arches of the Key Bridge make the location special and a desirable subject.

      SO, WHAT'S NEXT?  The show at the Salmagundi Club just closed and so has the Club.  Renovations will begin in earnest and this was the last exhibit in the main gallery until the work is finished. Therefore, instead of a summer exhibit in the gallery we are having one online.  I will have two paintings in that show and will let you know when, what and give you the link.  I am still trying to decide which two I want to enter.  I also just sent two entries off to be juried for the Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional show which will be held in Bennington Vermont this September.  I sent my two New York paintings from the Ratner show and I have my fingers crossed.  Then in August the "Scapes" show takes place at the Art League gallery and I am also pondering which paintings to enter there. There's plenty going on and plenty of plein air outings looming so if I can nail myself down to the computer I will let you see what is being produced....soon.