News! Our new Kayser addition!

TINA!!! 

 Yes, meet Tina Kayser who we adopted last Sunday after several visits and research on Cairn Terriers over the last few weeks.  She's a great little soul!  Very feisty, energetic and sweet as can be.  Thanks to the Radomski's for raising such wonderful Cairns and all the time, energy and love they extend to them.  Tina is now 21 weeks old, so she's not a real young puppy.

She is already well on to being house trained after only a few days.  She walks quite well on leash and loves people!  If anyone is looking for a cute, fun Cairn, the Radomski's still have another male, Rocky - very handsome!

What a GREAT time!

Just got back from Carmel, CA where Carole and I took a wonderful workshop with Artista Creative Manifesta where we learned encaustic painting. Encaustic painting is ancient way of painting dating back to 1 BC. It was practiced then and then again in later centuries not to be seen again for many centuries. Now, it still isn't very popular, but I plan to do it again I loved it so much. Encaustic painting is painting with beeswax producing a glaze effect over your painting. Like melting candle wax, this paint dries within about 2 seconds of applying. Therefore, you must work fast and layer paints onto your supports. This process lends itself well to more abstract styles of painting, but I found it challenging to employ my more representational style to the process, too. FUN! Carmel was so beautiful and an artist's paradise boasting over 100 art galleries in a square mile. The beach was GORGEOUS, too. Here are some pictures from our time there.

Look for some pictures of some of my paintings on my painting blog next week.  They're being shipped right now.

Carole on Pebble Beach

Me, on Pebble Beach.  We just stopped on the roadside, went up the little hill and found paradise on the other side!

from a restaurant that had such a magnificent view!

The beach from Ocean Ave. in Carmel

Sunset, as Carole and I headed back to our hotel.

The Artista studio which was founded years ago by Ansel Adams!

Mr. William Harsh, our great encaustic instructor!  Check out his work here!

Carole, hard at work with her painting.

Our wonderful group of women coming from New York, DC, Canada, Mexico, Minnesota, Alabama and California!

Leslie's Shoot!

I had one of the first shoots of the season now that our weather is finally turning warmer!  Yea!!!  My sister Carole and I first ever worked with Leslie 2 years ago during our model/talent shooting event here.  Leslie was hugely pregnant - BEAUTIFUL!  We wanted to shoot again after baby, so we did last week and had a great time.  Location is what I do, and we found so many cool spots just around the neighborhood here in St. Paul.  Leslie is hoping to do some print modeling, and we hope to use some of these images.  Thanks for a fun shoot, Leslie!  You were fun to work with!

If you're interested in a shoot, be sure to check out my site and contact me.  Also, you can join my email newsletter at the top right of my blog to receive and take advantage of specials I offer.

When the cat's away...

... look what happened!  "Blue Jori!"

Several of my students got together to paint together at Julia's house the week I was away a couple of weeks ago.  The ladies did a great job, and Gay painted a portrait of her daughter Jori with only a blue (not sure which one) and white making only a tonal painting which is really neat.  The results are astounding!  She really captured a likeness, too.  Gay has been painting only for 9 months.  She is really getting into her soul deeply and tapping into her creative part.  AWESOME!  Way to go, Gay!