I am back! And 2026 is shaping up to be a doozy….
Do you remember when you were a kid and you would get all excited about being in a candy store… well, that is me right now.
First of all I am happy to bring the blog back. So much to write about! I hope everyone had a great holiday season and are starting off the new year full of peace and joy. For me, I feel like 2026 has started off with bang in all the right ways. Within the first week I sold a few paintings, started a few new commissions, planned out a few new workshops both nationally and internationally (dates to come soon- hint- England and New Zealand and Dominica….) and am booked for 2 upcoming solo exhibitions in Greenville. I also was featured in Greenville magazines over the last two months. Along with TOWN magazine, The Greenville Journal and TALK magazine featured lovely editorials on my work!
Links to the spotlights-
Then, my pastel painting, “Braid” won The Grand Prize 2025 Final in the Dakota International competition and “Shafted” won 4th Place in the Pastel 100 International competition which was just published in the Pastel Journal last week. Images below.
And that was just the last few weeks! I am liking 2026!
So I am like a kid in a candy store clutching my paper bag and looking for the rock candy on a stick…and I have many quarters in my pocket. (Ok, I am old. Money went further in the 70s…) SO much to look forward to and enjoy this year not the least of which is new work percolating in my brain- in sketchbooks, on canvas, on copper and on gritted surfaces. So much to carve out, so little time…
Last year I felt like I was floundering all over- try this, try that. (toss this, toss that…) But somewhere in my little brain a little Jimmy cricket voice kept whispering to just keep going…and something has started to finally click together….
Last month I painted a few rather large oils of interiors of the loft where I live (new for me) and that was fun and fast and I even sold two of them. (detail above) I did them to actually hang in the loft where I am living and while I was at it I convinced the loft to take down the awful artwork we had up everywhere and I curated a showing of work from all the studio artists that have working studio spaces like me in the Greenville Center for Creative Arts next door. The Opening reception is tomorrow night from 6-8 pm, so if you are near Greenville, please pop by the Brandon Mill Loft (25 Draper Street) for music, food, wine and an opera performance from a resident at 7:00 who is opening an opera company in Greenville. Who knew I liked to curate artwork as well as paint it?
Next week I am off to paint with some of my students in Sedona, Arizona, (bucket list cross-off) then back to Antigua to run around with my grandbaby. (he is walking now!) My next workshop will be in Asheville, NC for another plein air workshop on April 22- 25th where we will be painting again at the NC Arboretum. Seriously- I would love for you to join me.
So yeah, I am like a little kid in a candy store and I am excited to see what other goodies are piling up in the paper bag of 2026. Did I mention I got a new Jeep?
Life is sweet.
Yay, yay, and more yays!! And also congratulations! I can’t wait for you to come to New Zealand! 🙂
Me too!
Glad to have you back. Congrats to all of the above. You deserve it.
Thans you my favorite cheerleader!
Congratulations on well deserved honors for your wonderful work.
miss you! hugs!
SO happy for you! Thankyou for your urging to keep at it!!
I feel i’m in a slump and want to work myself out of it, but the focus/passion just isn’t there. I’m recently a widow after caregiving most of last year.
(I met u at Sewickley farmers market years ago) and in OPAL. Advice?
I remember. So lovely of you to reach out again. Healing comes slow. I realized not long ago that my malaise and difficulty painting again was due to something I wasn’t expecting- grief. The body does keep the score and it can patch over a wound, but it takes long time to heal deep. I highly recommend EMDR. It really changed my outlook going forward and helped reset old memories. I found a therapist that specifically helps trauma survivors and it gave me my life back. I was a caregiver at one time too and it is so so hard. Give yourself time, but I suggest painting about what hurts you the most- emptiness, loss, grief. My kintsugi series did that for me. Then other work will come along. I think we can’t jump past the first step. Good luck.