The 88th Grand National Exhibit!

"Jesse Waiting" 20x16 oil on panel

     I think a trip to NYC might be in order as my painting "Jesse,Waiting" has been selected for the 88th Grand National Exhibit sponsored by the American Artists Professional League!  The exhibit will open this Sunday, November 6th at the Salmagundi Club at 47 5th Avenue, NYC and will be on view until November 18th. A reception will be held on Sunday, November 13th from 12:00 until 5:00.
    
     This has become my favorite national exhibit as it includes paintings, drawings and sculpture by artists from around the country. The work is always high quality and I love that drawings are included as they so rarely are. The drawings selected in prior years have been very good but this year there are some really extraordinary pieces to see! I don't envy the awards committee as selecting winners in all categories will be a challenge. This is my 6th year participating and I am thankful the jurors have once again chosen one of my paintings, particularly this one.

     This is a painting of my eldest granddaughter painted a couple of years ago. I rarely do figurative work as it is difficult to find sitters but Jesse was a willing model and a good one!  I painted her in a wistful mood with my mother's silver sitting on the window sill. Actually the sitting was shared with three other artist friends of mine and we all contributed props and clothing. We used the main salon at a local private school as it provided a variety of views and antiques as well as a terrace.  We all did photo shoots of Jesse and created CD's of our photos which we shared with one another. I had the advantage of being able to have Jesse available to me here at home when I needed live reference for the painting :-)  I hope you like this one!