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!

Last Regular Workshop of the School Year!

Yep!  The last workshop begins April 22 for Tuesday students and April 24 for Thursday.  I still have 4 spaces in the Thursday class if anyone is interested.  Workshop will include working with a model this session focusing on proportion, light and shadows for a couple of sessions.  It will be great!  See schedule below:

Start Tuesday April 22 and Thursday 24

(5 weeks this time instead of 6 weeks)

skip the week of May 12-16

continue thru May 27th and 29th

Fee is only $225 instead of $295

We will continue painting - "come if you can Tuesdays" this summer!  Pay by the class.  Fee $50/class.  Plein air painting!  Yes, we will have warm weather soooooooon!  Please contact me if interested in summer adult painting on Tuesdays!

Thanks!

Thanks to the Leslies and the Mayos for allowing me to do commissioned paintings for them recently! The Leslies wanted a street scene buzzing with people 30x40", and I did this scene from a quaint, charming town on the ocean - Sorrento, Italy. I visited Sorrento in 1994 while there for art school. BEAUTIFUL littel town!

The other painting is more of an impression of the client's husband and two children that she wanted done in the same style as a few painting I've done recently that are less detailed and have an abstract, geometric quality to them. She wanted red and blue sky. I made it up completely - knowing the husband and children and trying to convey their personalities and gestures as simply and possible. I think I captured it, and she certainly thought so! I was proud, but I know it was completely God working in me to accomplish it. Thank you, God!

Thank you Leslies and Mayos!

20% OFF! ....... thru May 3, so HURRY!

Now, you may take advantage of another offer if you missed the deal earlier! To the first 3 to respond, get 20% off a painting commission - any size painting, any choice of subject matter. See general painting pricing and contract. Contact me by responding to this post (click "comment" at the bottom of this post), and we can discuss your idea. GREAT for Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthday or any occasion where you want to give something original and unique! This special offer is only online through my blog and is good thru May 3!

Cool Stuff!

I have to say first, that I LOVE great leather products! I am a sucker for great leather belts, studded and tooled leather work. I just ordered a great belt from Free People that reminded me of the leather cuff bracelet I had as a child. It sports the same lettering font as the bracelet I had that I lost, sadly, by it coming unsnapped as I walked on the seawall of the river at our cabin and falling into the water. Boy, was I SAD! Anyway, the belt I ordered reminds me of that bracelet I had and says, "Here Comes the Sun" and has a sunrise and clouds on the back. It just came in today, and I LOVE IT! It's made by  leather artists Mark Howard and Stowe ? (Stowe Provisions) of Austin, Texas. Check out their site and read more about their work! Some pics...

SPRING AND SUMMER PAINTING - ADULTS AND KIDS!

I have devised my spring and summer workshop schedules and wanted to share so you can include in your summer plans if you so desire:

SPRING PAINTING WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Adults ages 14 - 80

This workshop is a 5 - week block

Tuesdays April 22 - May20

Thursdays April 24 - May 22

Tuesday and Thursday Morning classes: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Fee: $225

$75 deposit to reserves your spot - goes toward fee

6 student limit per class

Sign up a friend, and get $50 off your fee!

Email me to sign up!

ADULT SUMMER PLEIN AIR PAINTING

A LA CARTE SCHEDULE

TUESDAYS 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

(Day and time may vary from week to week!)

come when you can, pay per class, the day of class!

$50/class

Summer Children Workshops!
Ages 8 - 12

August 5-7
August 12-14

All supplies provided
May plein air paint (paint outside)
$195

2 workshops $170 ea.

6 student limit, first come, first serve!
$50/workshop to reserve spot - nonrefundable - goes toward fee!
Reserve now on my "Contact" page of my site!

I'm excited...

...about this new weapon in my arsenal!!! Look at my new camera lens!!! Thanks so much to a fellow OSPer Gregg Hicks for hooking up with the sweet Nikon 70-200mm 2.8 VR lens. It is indeed SWEET! Thanks, Gregg!


Can hardly wait to shoot my location shoots with it and be able to shoot people at a distance and create such nice bokeh at greater distances. The snow is melting, and I'm ready!

Comment?

I have realized lately that some of you don't really know how to leave a comment as so many of you say that you were on my blog - but never a comment do you leave. Simply click on the the comment word at the bottom of a post to leave a comment. Very easy to do!

I love feedback from my posts, so if you so feel inclined, leave something in the form of a comment and let me know you visited.

I greatly need to feel some blog LOVE!

Thanks ahead of time...!

Sister Grace!

I just wanted to toot the horn of my sister's band called Sister Grace! They are a Christian all- girls band that also includes Tina Swindell, Whitney Hubbs, and Stephanie Fenton along with Carole Foret, my twin, who plays drums for the band. They have glorified God with their music in so many ways and to so many people seeking to hear His word through the joyful noise they make. This cd pictured above is their first release, and they will be working on their next one in the coming months that will include more upbeat music from the likes of Donna Summer and the disco era. Read below an email from one of their newer fans!

For your beautiful voices!!! - I listened to your CD all the way to work today and just now getting this email off to you TO SAY "THANK YOU" FOR THE MUSIC!!!!

I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT…

- I LOVE YOUR SONGS AND YOUR VOICES

- YOU ARE SO TALENTED AND THE MESSAGES IN THE SONGS ARE SO GREAT!!!! SO POWERFUL!!! SO MEANINGFUL!!!!

- PRAISE THE LORD AND I THANK HIM FOR ALLOWING OUR PATHS TO CROSS!

- I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD TO HEAR YOU!!! WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOU PERFORMING AT THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY'S SURVIVOR DINNER, ON FRIDAY, APRIL 4TH, AT MAYFAIR CHURCH OF CHRIST FELLOWSHIP/GYM. WE ARE EXPECTING OVER 600 ATTENDEES!!!!!

TINA KNOWS ME SO WELL AS WE HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOR SO MANY YEARS AT NASA - AND YES, WHITNEY - I'M SURPRISED OUT PATHS HAVE NOT CROSSED BEFORE NOW…. BUT, ANYWAY….I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WHEN I AM DOWN, FEELING LOW, AND NEED A PICK ME UP - I PUT ON AN ELVIS CD…. (MOST OF THE TIME GOSPEL) AND NOW I LISTEN TO YOU GUYS…. WELL…. YOU RATE RIGHT UP THERE WITH THE MAN!!!!

I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU PUT A SONG IN MY HEART, A SMILE ON MY FACE AND A "TEAR" IN MY EYE - WITH YOUR MUSIC. THANKS AGAIN FOR MAKING "MUSIC TO LIVE BY"

LOVE YOU. BENNIE

Buy their CD from their blog! You won't be sorry!

Idol Stuff!

OK, are you into American Idol? I have become a huge fan! I love that it's a way for those who might not otherwise ever have a chance at becoming a recording artist to catapult them into the industry. I love the competition and seeing classic music mentors coach the contestants. Anyway, all of you who enjoyed Paula Abdul in the 90s can see her just released song and video featuring her and Randy Jackson on base. Click the video to play!

Happy Birthday, Patsy!!!

We got to share in the great celebration of Patsy Stinchfield's birthday party Saturday night! What a fun time at Dixie's with the band "Power of 10" who sang some great party songs from the 70s. We've been to hear Boogie Wonderland with Randy and Patsy before as we love our 70s music. Anyway, just a few snaps. Julia Adams joined Tom and me to the party. See us and then see Patsy breakin' it down on stage, then the lovely ladies of the band. Fun night! Thanks, Stinchfields!

SPOTLIGHT ON...

... Renee Cardoso Frisch! She has been producing some really colorful compositions this painting workshop. She has a signature style with this grid and loose swirls of color within each square that is the background to her painting. Then she paints something on top (in this piece, Genesh, a Hindu god who is part elephant and part boy). I love how whatever her subject matter it is somewhat chamoflaged in the background, and after further study and engagement, one sees the image. She first did a huge Volkswagen Beetle for her first piece (30x40"), and it turned out spectacularly!

Renee has this peice for sale! Size 20x20" acrylic on canvas, $600

Contact her via email at: rcfrisch@comcast.net for more info!

Way to go, Renee!!!

Our Rosemary Beach Experience!

What a fantastic time we had a Rosemary Beach last weekend! I brought 2 of my friends and painting students, Kirsten and Julia, from St. Paul down to the panhandle of Florida for a most fun Women's Getaway Weekend event put on by the wonderful Kim Jameson and Kathy Kemp. Carole, my twin sister, brought her band Sister Grace girls, Tina, Stephanie and Whitney and friends, Julie, Marcia and Leslie. We stayed in a beautiful home given to us for the weekend by a couple from Montgomery, AL. Thanks to them!!! This event draws women from all over the country, and it is to raise money for Caring and Sharing. Enjoy the photos below!
(Blogger somehow messed up the original post and did away with all photos. Here are more photos - out of order, but at least they're up!)

Julia, in her dress she found at Saint Tropez in Seaside, FL! Yes, it looks GREAT! (I'm painting this as we speak!) Painting here!

Rosemary details of great architecture...

Mrs. Kim Jameson's cool bike and personalized tag!

Julie, doing her bench thing!

Kirsten, doing her bench thing!

Julia, doing her bench thing!

Sister Grace, doing their bench thing!

Carole, shopping the sidewalk sale at Saint Tropez! (Check out my blog for a painting of this!)

Dark shadow, me!

Rosemary main street early Sat. morning. We ate at Penzione's the night we arrived - AWESOME FOOD! We ate well everywhere we went...

All of us ate lunch at Cafe Rendezvous - delicious!

My turn to do the bench thing!

All the awesome painting students and their work! Way to go!!!!

Leslie, hard at painting...

The short-haired women's club!
Carole, Kim, and me!

Sister Grace in our beach shoot at sunset!

Mrs. Leslie sporting our weekend t-shirt featuring my "Bathers" painting!

Our first step out onto Rosemary Beach!

All of us except Kirsten and Julia after we arrived!

The early bird "Writers in the round" event with 4 of Nashville's promising great women singer/songwriters! They gave a most enjoyable concert each sharing several of their songs. Great event!!!

Jenn Schott, one of the songwriters!