Remembering Julie...

I couldn't believe it when I got the email from a mutual photographer friend Johnny Magnoski with the subject line "Julie Steiskal has passed away".  I was in shock and desperately starting clicking on the Star Tribune link in the email telling the tragic story.  Read the whole story! She died a hero!

I know my friend's death seems tragic, but if there's a blessing in how she went it would be that she was in the great outdoors, in water and helping another individual.  That's what Julie LOVED!  I got to know her from the great community of photographers here in Minnesota that found each other on a photography forum called Open Source Photo (OSP).  She, Johnny, and I planned a huge event here in St. Paul at my house last year.  We had about 30 photographers for the 3 day event in which we did photo shoots and had meetings on the business side of the photography business.  Julie and I shared several lunches and coffees together over the last year, and I was so impressed by the beauty of the kind of person she was  - so upbeat, positive, funny, and she was an excellent writer, too.  Her Christmas card was one of my favorites this past season in which she had a beautiful image she shot of a spruce tree with snow in her yard with the moonlight in the distance.  Her writing on the other side was some of the most beautiful I had ever read.  See her website and blog for more musings.

I will surely miss Julie, but her spirit will forever live in my heart!

Claire

Plein Air Painting & Kid Art Camp Update!

You will want to make plein air painting Tuesdays with Claire and others! No need to commit to any of the days, just come if you can. We will be painting in several different locations over the coming weeks from June 24th thru July 22nd. Cost for class is just $45 or pay for all 5 sessions ahead of time and get a discounted rate $200. Classes are from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. Meet at my house by 8:50, and we will travel to our spot to paint. We are at Selby and Western to paint architectural street scenes tomorrow June 24th.

Also, I still have one or two spots left in each of my kid art camps! If you know of someone that might be interested, tell them to come on and bring a friend. We will be painting color mixing and will paint at least 1-2 paintings! Fun, indeed!

Last week while in Alabama, I had the pleasure of attending the Huntsville Madison County Auburn Club Annual Party & Awards Dinner where my twin sister Carole and I painted live. Our piece was auctioned off as part of a fundraiser to raise money for scholarships for Huntsville students to receive and attend our AUsome Auburn University.

What did we paint? Aubie! We did a collaborative piece, painting taking turns, on the same canvas. That was a first for us and was very fun! And the greatest thing was, Aubie loved it!

If you don't know Aubie, he is the mascot for Auburn University's football team. He is also the number one mascot several years running in the nation! He is pure entertainment.

Thank you to Larissa Chastain for hooking us up with such fun event. It was great seeing so many people passionate about our awesome Auburn.

Tom's and My 13th!

Tom and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on June 10!  We were in Alabama with my family to celebrate.  We had a wonderful Italian dinner with all my brothers and sister and my Mom and Dad along with most of my neices and nephew.  It was pretty low key there.  Once we got home, Tom surprised me with a painting I had seen at Cafe Latte and loved last winter.  The painting was by artist Michael Schmidt, and he does fabulous work.  Check out more of his work here!  I love this fan and tomato.  Sorry for the bad angle, but it was the best I could get after we hung it in our narrow kitchen hallway.  Tom bought it after I had said I thought it would be great over the kitchen sink.  Too big!  It's about a 3' x 3'.  Love it!

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!

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!