A Rare Portrait

A few months back I was asked if I would like to participate in a special art exhibit.  I would paint, and donate, a portrait of a child with a rare genetic disease.  As you might suspect, I got more than I gave.  When I dropped off the painting, the coordinator of the exhibit, Patricia, acknowledge the challenge of painting accurate portraits.  I then found out she had two children with genetic disorders.  The comparison of a lifetime of challenges vs. a few hours creating a portrait are such opposite extremes.  This will be the second exhibit and the number of artist who volunteered have tripled, some asking to do additional portraits.  The foundation is called the Rare Disease United Foundation, but Patricia's goal is to make the world know these disorders are not really rare.  There are over 7000 different genetic disorders affecting 30 million Americans; so there are lots of opportunities for future portraits.

Please check out my beautiful model Brenna's website, who has Harlequin Ichthyosis
 http://www.blessedbybrenna.com/
And the website for the first wonderful exhibit.
http://rarediseaseunited.org/programs/beyond-diagnosis-art-exhibit

Setting the Bar Higher

This coming weekend I will be part of an outdoor art exhibit in which I'm honored to participate.  It may look like an "art festival" if you drive by and see the tents, but it is much more.  It is a small group of juried artists whose work is of a high caliber and who paint in the traditional representational/realistic style.

One Pear

When I was first asked  to join this group, I felt it was a significant milestone in my art career.  My fellow talented artists are an inspiration, set the bar higher and make me push myself to reach that bar.  After three years, it also feels like a reunion of friends.  Our host, the proprietors of the Sunapee Landing Trading Company, make sure we have fresh coffee and homemade pastries in the morning and refreshing drinks throughout the day, all set up in the shade of an enormous apple tree.

The show is a reunion in other ways, too.  I get to see some of my NH cousins and the wonderful woman who purchased "One Pear" my first year is now a friend and has been a fabulous host each year.

The 3rd Annual Fine Artists Exhibition is held in Sunapee, NH down the road from the famed League of NH Craftsmen's Fair.  Click the link below for more info.
http://sunapee-landing.com/Fine_Artists_Exhibition.php
https://www.nhcrafts.org/craftsmens-fair-overview.php

Three Paintings At Imperial Gallery

Our local Jerry's Artarama has created a great gallery opportuntiy for many artists.  Each month they adorn their walls with a diverse group of paintings from local artists.  They don't charge a fee for hanging, they don't take a commission and they provide refreshments for Open receptions, this month with live music!  

Thank you Jonathan and the team at Jerry's for your hard work and dedication to the "emerging" art community.

Don't Call it an Art Festival!

Sara Two
SOLD

Last week I was honored to be a "founding" member of a small Fine Art Exhibit in Sunapee New Hampshire.  I was told to refer to it as an art exhibit, not an art festival, and the experience warranted that distinction.  The caliber of artists was superb and I felt a bit like the rookie of the group.  There were only five booths and the foot traffic was slow, but the Quality, not Quantity, of the customers made the difference.  I was more successful at this event than the Narragansett and Wickford art festivals I participated in earlier this year, even though rain kept us zipped up for much of the time.  Thank goodness part of Saturday and all of Sunday was rain free.  Sad to see Sara Two go, but I had "fun" haggling with a gentleman from Iraq.  Nothing like wheeling and dealing with the pros.

Gilbert Stuart Homestead
SOLD 

The Quality of my accommodations was 5 star.  I got to spend time with my cousins Pam, Kevin and Erin.

The Quality of our hosts, Sunapee Landing Trading Company was superb.  They offered us shelter from the rain, caffeine in the morning, lemonade and hot dogs in the afternoon, flushing toilets and lots of interesting antiques to browse through when riding out a downpour.  They posted some pictures from when the sun was shining.  If you are in the area, be sure to stop by their store.
http://sunapee-landing.com/Fine_Artists_Exhibition.php