Thanksgiving with the family






We're back from Phoenix (Sun City West) where the Carlin siblings collided at Mom and Dad's with our assorted entourages, children and significant others. It was wonderful.
I did a pastel portrait of Mom while there and my brother Clint took a movie of the process and sent a speeded-up version of it to me this morning. So fun to see the portrait happen in the course of a minute or two!
Now to walk off the extra pounds I came home with....

Karen's dog, Dinah.



This is a 12" x 12" oil painting on gallery-wrapped stretched canvas, so the deep sides are also painted with the continuation of the water. Dinah was a bit younger in this picture, playing in the Guadalupe river with her tennis ball.

I painted this yesterday while at the River Art Gallery in La Villita. It had been a long while since I got to "demo" while working there, so it was nice. Talked with a lot of people as they were coming in and leaving the gallery.

Today is our book group so we're busy putting the house in company-ready condition. So many art events lately have resulted in a bit of a pile-up. Thank goodness for Flylady.com for helping to keep my house functioning. Silly name, great service.

Happy Ashley




This is a 16" x 20" oil painting on stretched canvas for the husband of my friend Mary. The dog's name was Ashley and she died a few years ago. Cute photo was tiny and in a collage of photos of Ashley. My sister scanned it in and sent it to my by email and I printed it out and worked from that. I may look at it again tomorrow, but right now I'm happy with it.

Hope looking heavenward....



This is a a pastel of Hope Manfredi, one of my YaYas. We're celebrating her birthday this evening and I did this painting of her (11 x 14) on black pastel paper. My first on black. What a challenge! I hope she likes it!



Last night I got Third Place in the Portrait show at Coppini with my Self Portrait. The best part was my YaYas were there! Mary, Karen and Hope came! I really appreciated their being there. Kip Dollar was there, bless his sweet heart. Morgan came with me, so that was special, too. And several of the students in my pastel class were there, one of whom took Second Place... Ron Watkins. For his large oil painting, "The Hunter." Of course I didn't give my friends any warning that I was taking their pictures, so they all look serious and thoughtful in these shots. Kip was standing next to me, so I missed him, darn it. Good refreshments and decent wine, friends and art surrounding you... great combination!






I'm all sunburned from my morning at the Rose Garden Elementary School today. What a blast!

I talked to hundreds and hundreds of third graders, 30 or so at a time, for twenty minutes each. My voice is a little rough because it was outdoors and it was right by Randolph Air Force Base and the jets were constant and low. I did more talking than painting but did manage to get the thing roughed in. I was painting from 9:30-12 noon. The photo of the still life set-up was taken at the end of that time, so the shadows are all different from the earlier morning when I'd sketched it in. I had a canopy, but if I'd been under it, I would have had no direct light source and been too far from the children to really talk with them. They were fabulous. Great questions, great comments. Sweet, earnest, interested faces. I was representing a "Fine Artist" in their annual Artisans' Fair where the kids are introduced to dance and theatre and music in the form of bands as well as individual musicians, potters, a caricaturist and a chorus. Wow.

Yesterday was my pastel class at the Coppini Academy. I so enjoy this group of people. Each one is really pushing forward. Haven't heard any whining whatsoever. Love it!

Tomorrow is the awards/reception at the Coppini for the current portrait show. I've been told I've gotten an award. Come have refreshments and see the great collection of portraiture represented! 7 pm. 115 Melrose Place.

Fall Fair at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens


Yesterday was fun. I did a few more monochromatic oil portrait sketches in a shared booth with Kim Roberti. Loved the time with Kim and with Karen. Our friends Pam Kirk and Carolyn McElroy also came by. I got to do a portrait of Carolyn yesterday. The fellow in the picture is Manuel, the brother of Elsa, with whom I shared a work day at the River Art Gallery.
Today I'm trying to write. Yikes! It's going so slowly!!
Send me your good wishes for flowing thoughts and flashing fingers.

NaNoWriMo sluggy start

Ok, I'm already behind. I spent the evening having dinner with my sister and Karen, talking with Jeff who came to pick up the booth grids for Brendy, listening to Karen's first words on her novel, reading "The Artist's Way," which stresses writing, but did I write? Some. I'm only 600+ words in and so already 1000 words behind.
Sigh. Today is clearer. No patients. No errands beyond getting gas and and oil change. So writing is what I'll do. Really.
No, really.

Pastel classes going great!

Yesterday was the second pastel class and two other students have joined us. I'm so pleased by the great mix of people. Everyone is really working their hearts out. I leave those three hours completely energized. I should have taken photos of the work each is doing. I'll try to remember to do that next Tuesday. There's still room for two more people comfortably, four in a squeeze.
I entered three portraits in the Coppini show. What great talent is represented there at Coppini!
Today begins National Novel Writing Month. I'm defying the strong suggestion to start something new, and intend to finish what I started last year. I reread last year's efforts and feel a bit more ready to wade back in now.
Saturday I'll be at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens for the Fall Fest Art Show. I'll be doing the monochromatic oil portraits for folks who sit for them there, again for $40. in order to keep my sitter's chair filled and to get the practice at the quick oil portraits. Come keep me company or sit for a portrait!