JUST 2 MORE WEEKS...!

My twin sister Carole and I are headed to beautiful Jackson TN September 13th for a destination workhsop! We will be teaching at the awesome gallery Art Under a Hot Tin Roof. We are so excited and look forward to being with those who have enrolled already. I know there are a few spots left, so consider meeting us there and get ready for a great time painting!

Call my studio to enroll: 651.983.2743

Enjoy a quick art lesson to whet your appetite!

Coming from out of town and need a place to stay? No problem! The Old English Inn has a block of rooms blocked off for YOU. So get a friend and come join us!

Photos of Art Under a Hot Tin Roof

The Entrance:
Kat, the owner, has this cool wooden man right at the door.

Straight ahead from the door is the jewelry gallery full of awesome handmade jewelry. You gota see it!

This is the large gallery area where we will be holding our workshop. It is big and spacious with amazing natural light. I love the bleached wood floors.

This is the view looking out toward the front. Those windows are actually doors too. If the weather is good, we'll step out on the sidewalk and paint plein air!

This workshop is open to the first 12 who send in their tuition.
$325
Includes all supplies
Here is the schedule:

Thursday Night the 13th: 5:30-7 Meet & Greet
Carole & Claire will live paint
Friday the 14th: 10am - 4pm Workshop
Go After It! Painting Workshop with Carole & Claire
Saturday the 15th: 10am Critique/Q&A Session
5:30 -8pm Art Opening featuring Carole's & Claire's latest work
& Student Show (if you want to exhibit your work)

Tag! I'm it!!!

OK, some cool photographers on OSP are playing some sort of game of tag. I've been tagged, so I'm supposed to name 8 random facts about me, so I will - no problem! I love reading fun things about people as it helps us to get to know each other more personally. Here goes!

1. I should've been a dancer.
2. I'm easily spooked!
3. I hate arrogance in people.
4. I cry easily (like hearing about LeAnn's camera gettng stolen at a wedding.)
5. I laugh at the most inappropriate moments (like when people trip - Carole and I used to sit and watch people trip over this one brick sticking up on Auburn's campas near the cafeteria. Lots of laughs. We all tripped on it at one time or another!)
6. I get irritated when people can't return a "Hi, how are you?"
7. I've been in 2 movies.
8. I'm trying to be more like Jesus - a feminine Jesus.

*Facts subject to change without notice!

I'm tagging:
Jenny Driscoll
Johnny Magnoski
Jessica Claire
Christina Tiechroew
Fred Eagan
Bumatay
Liana
LeAnn

The ShangriLa Resort in Orr, MN!

We are now on our last vacation of summer before school starts next week. We are here at the Shangri-La Resort owned by the Richardson family. We started coming here with our friends the Lynchs who were friends with the Richardsons, and now this is our 4th annual trip here. This resort has 8 cabins located along beautiful Pelican Lake in Orr, MN about 3.5 hrs. north of the twin cities. It's a week of simple living - no tvs, no cell phone use, no other phones, and now they have wifi in the main cabin allowing me to make this post! Anyway, it's a chance for simple, slow living that is such a wonderful break from the faster pace lives we normally lead. We cook out together most nights, watch some of the most incredible sunsets over the lake, have bonfires (though this year NOT because of potential fire hazards with the drought going on). Lots of kids here, the same ones each year, so it's fun to see how they have grown and changed from year to year. I love shooting pics all week long, so I will be sharing some with you! Enjoy!

A shot at last night's sunset. I think shooting sunsets are so cliched, but I'm so compelled to shoot them here at Orr! I think because the sky is so big and we face directly west over Pelican Lake. It's just simply gorgeous! Tim and Lisa in the pic!
Tom shot this of me in front of a quintessential barn in Orr. We had to go down someone's dirt road to get this shot!
Tom Richardson bathing Duke!



Olivia on the dock...


Our TV for the week! Gorgeous views and sunsets!



Had to shoot a pic of the ducks...


Grace fishing off the dock...

Tom and Sam fishing off the dock...
Tom in the cool kayak that is propelled by these pedals. It can scoot pretty darn fast!

The boys playing "sacrifice" on the Rave...


Tyler hanging on the side of the kayak as we took him out to the Rave. Long, cold swim...

The big rock Tom and I found!

We also found this great, old cabin with tongue and groove corners. Very cool!

Olivia on the front of the kayak...

B & W snap of Grace on the dock. Where is Sam? Hard to catch with all those boys. Pics of him later, I'm sure!

Duke, one of the Richardson's new Westie pups right after his bath. Cold!


Dylan on the dock - great hair and freckles!
Benny - one of my favorite subjects to shoot. Find his pics all over my website with longer locks than he currently sports...

Dylan and Benny getting ready to set sail on the banana floats.

SENIOR MANIA!!!

Look at all of these good-lookin' seniors I've had the opportunity to work with! Seniors are probably my favorite kinds of shoots because of the creativity involved. Some are pretty particular in how the want to be photographed. Take a look! Book now for your session!

SISTER GRACE!

Ok, it's an incredibly exciting time for my twin sister (Carole) and her Christian band Sister Grace! They are releasing their first CD this Friday August 17 with a big kick off live concert on the square in Athens, AL our home town. Wish I could be there! I know my friends here in Minnesota won't be there either, but please check out their site and blog and check out their CD featuring Kevin Holly who is a seasoned guitarist currently playing with Percey Sledge and Little Richard and Kevin McKendree who is the keyboard player for Delbert McClinton - awesome talent on the first CD release. The band consists of Tina Swindell (singer, songwriter, guitarist), Whitney Hubbs (keyboard, vocals), Stephanie Fenton (guitarist), and Carole Foret (drums, vocals). You will be touched by their music! Rock on, gals!!! I'm so proud of you all!!! God Bless!

JUST OFF THE EASEL!

Just did this one today! I love chairs! I saw this in an old Anthropology catalog, and there was this chair with not much detail and not as intense light. I put my own spin on it. It's a 10x20" - so simple, fun and lovely.

Getting some paintings done for my show next month at Art Under a Hot Tin Roof in Jackson, TN. This image is in the same spirit as my "Live in the Moment" painting (3 women in the backseat of the car) which you can see on my site in the painting gallery. I'm not completely decided on a title. Any ideas?

My Beloved Cousin Jodi...

This is a picture I just found in the bottom of my button drawer (along with other old photos) of my Aunt Jerry and my late cousin Jodi who died of cancer a year ago July 1st at the age of 43. I didn't recall having this picture, but I must've snapped it one of the last times I ever saw her when I visited Lake Charles, LA a few years ago. I'm so happy I found this picture as it really shows the kind of person she was - forever an inspiration to me as someone who loved her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ profoundly and also loved her family and friends in much the same way. She was always one of my favorite cousins so fun, vivacious, funny, and loving... I'm not too surprised I found this picture in my dresser drawer after so many years. Just always a reminder never to let a day go by without saying you love the ones you love.

God bless you, Jodi! I love you forever, and I know that you are dancing for Jesus in your heavenly eternal life.

Love,
Claire