Vote tomorrow

I am planning to vote in the elections and I hope everyone who can vote gets a chance to do that as well. Not to sway anyone one way or the other (because at this point, it is actually probably too late anyway), but I am planning to vote for the Obama/Biden ticket, and at least one reason is because Obama seems like he has a brain, and that will be a nice change from the current president, who doesn't really seem to have one at all. Obama seems like he can think on his feet well, too, and seems like he will be a much more inspiring president than any we have experienced in recent years. Hopefully, whatever the outcome, things will be better. Good thoughts to all.

Some tips

This is just a note for anyone who may run across this and may be interested. Wetcanvas is a great online artist community, and basic membership is completely free. There are many excellent forums for various types of artwork - the ones I typically hang out in are the soft pastel, watercolor, sculpture, wearable art so look me up if you want.

A common way to find artworks or items on Ebay from Wetcanvas members is to look for 4wc as a keyword. Your kind support of artists everywhere is greatly appreciated.

Another inspiring blog to read is by Paul Dorrell, proprieter of the Leopold Gallery in KCMO, and author of "Living the Artist's Life". He is an incredible person, and a true friend of artists everywhere. You can check out his blog at http://www.pauldorrell.com/.

If you would like to check out the MidAmerica Pastel Society, their website is http://www.midamericapastel.org/. This is an excellent organization, and membership is completely open to all for a mere $25 per year. There are many benefits, including almost monthly newsletters (also available to download from the website in pdf format), almost monthly meetings with various topics - in October, we're having Jim Wallen, an excellent performer of stories dressed in period type costumes and several members do pastel demos - we normally have a packed house when he shows up! MAPS is under the IAPS, so some benefits exist also from that relationship. For more information, please visit the website.

I'll try to add some more artwork soon, and thanks for visiting. Truly, I hope all is going well for you and your loved ones!

another entry

Hi:

I had forgotten completely that I had started this blog until today. I will try to make regular updates. I had noticed that other artists on the wetcanvas website were creating art blogs here, and I thought that it might be good to join in.

Here is a pastel painting I worked on after I had started it a few years ago during Kim Casebeer's workshop. I still have a few tweaks to make to it, but it is mostly finished. The image is in soft pastels on a 300lb rag cold press watercolor paper, that I think I coated with Golden's Fine Pumice Gel, and the image itself is about 14x16 inches. This is from a spot in the Flint Hills close to Alma, Kansas. It was a completely beautiful day.

May 2006

I am preparing to send 3 pastel paintings purchased off the AbsoluteArts website to a city close to Milan, Italy. I tried sending them three days ago from UPS, but I found out for international shipments, a phone number is needed, and I didn't get one of those from the AbsoluteArts representative, so I let her know, but she hasn't gotten back with me yet.

This is my second sale, and I am so happy about it! I am so curious about how the buyer found my work. He reported wanted one at first, but after hearing about the cost to ship just one, bought two more because the shipping would be the same. I sold my first painting about two years ago through a gallery in Brooklyn, NY, another sort of interesting story, and that painting is in a Manhattan law firm. (That's cool!) It is amazing to think that these three paintings I am getting ready to send off will be in a country where so much great art work originates both currently and historically.