Example of cool sign of all the businesses on Main Street

                                                         'Fifty'

                  With Cam of Raw Nucleus with Curtis Salonick in background

                                   with Bob Kelly from the YMCA        

Mike Lombardo and Mary Kroptavich said to be prepared to speak at the opening Thursday night.  The opportunity didn't arise so here are some things I was going to say.  The number one question people ask:  'what do the numbers mean in my work'?  They always go up to my age.  I used to put the numbers high if I felt it was a good year and low if it wasn't.  My perception has shifted and I now know that within a year there can be good and bad. That being the case the numbers now go sequentially and are often inside a square like a calander.

 A patron/student/ friend  came for an art lesson last week and brought all the mailings (show announcements and Christmas cards) I have sent to her in the past twenty five years!  It was so amazingly kind of her to keep them .... the sort of thing a mother would do.  I separated them into reccurring themes: figure, nature, object and abstract.   Often the mark making being the same whether abstract or representational.  

The figure is usually in motion.  The painting 'Fifty' came from being a yoga retreat with my sisters.  The teacher, Bryan Kest said being able to bend over is one move you never want to lose. I feel it's such a joy to be able to move the body and it's a place where mind can be turned off or at least quieted : ).  

 A friend/patron suggested I do more nature paintings since I'm outside all the time and feel so entirely grounded by mother earth.  This show depicts nature painted on silk charmeuse  which is my way of doing 'watercolor -like' paintings, big!  I love the immediate response of how the paint moves on the silk and the vibrancy of color.  I also have more abstracted figure works which show a layering of acrylic and obsessive numbering and mark making.

What a treat to be part of the art in Pittston!  The city asked me to do a mural which is at the end of Main Street  several years ago.  I have  had the honor of working with Judy Greenwald's art classes at Pittston Area High School, doing two murals - one of which is on Main Street (Greetings From Pittston) and one that is to be hung in the courtyard of the high school.  And now a show at Art e Fecks which is up for a month as well as works which will stay throughout the year.  So many people have come together to make Pittston a destination point.  Amazing what the arts can do for a community to raise the aesthetic bar! 

The residents of Rolling Mill Hill were included in suggesting improvements for the Spruce Street Park in Wilkes-Barre.  A concrete wall measuring 52' x 8 1/2' and a side wall measuring 11' x 8 1/2'  proved a perfect place for a mural.  Children, animals, nature, diversity, historical image as well as the words Rolling Mill Hill were suggested subject matter.  While painting I observed the neat 10am -2pm program available for children with lunch activities and daily story hour.  Overhearing Dr. Suess among other favorites was a first while painting yet one I truly enjoyed!  

From the playground swing she said "why are you doing this?", I said "to make it nicer for you."

The grandfather.... I guess its true..... a picture says a thousand words.....

This was commissioned by the mother of the son - perhaps a future surgeon?  Time will tell.

Today I received an abundance of thank you notes from the Tunkhannock art Core group and their art teacher, Debbie Donowski.  It was full circle as the theme of our residency was GRATITUDE.  Boy, did this ever blow me away - and I am so grateful for the time they took to write me handwritten letters.  Truly made my month!   THANK YOU!!!! 

My art residency ended yesterday with a great art trip with twenty three 'core group' sixth graders.  We were so thankful to be welcomed with open arms at Marquis art and Frame, the Sordoni art gallery, the Wyoming Valley art league, Wet Paint and Linde Headquarters in Pittston.  At Marquis we saw part of the amazing hubcap exhibition which was the brain child of Ken Marquis. At the Sordoni we saw the Syracuse Art collection of Japanese woodcuts.  The gallery provided materialswe so the kids could do their own mono print.  President Don Armstrong of the  WVAL gave a tour of the circular building and we saw the members juried exhibiton.  At Wet Paint owner Steve Taren showed us his unique building with the machines used to create tee shirts, cut out and wrapped vehicles.  And lastly we were given lunch and tee shirts at lunch at Linde Headquarters in Pittston and viewed four floors of artwork which rotates three to four times a year. 

Today teachers, school board members, parents and grandparents arrived at 7am to a breakfast (with the band playing) to honor the 'unveiling' of the backside of the school 

steps.  An art core group of twenty four sixth graders diligently worked under the guidance of me,and art teachers Debbie Donowski and Krista Truesdale.  This is the twenty first year the middle school has had an artist in residence thanks to the persistence and hard work of Debbie.

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What a great night in Scranton, Pa! Thanks to all who came out on a rainy cold night to see art!  Live music was coming in from connecting Adezzo coffee shop.  Thanks to all the well wishes, email responses, texts, flowers - so appreciated. xxoo

                   Birds eye view in great gallery space - the Laundry Building

               In front of 'As Above, As Below - Blue lines" series

            me with two of my most favorite little people who're growing too fast....

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the kids are very excited to be adding a 'message' and art work to their school

      art core sixth graders working of back riser for school steps

        we put the unfinished boards up to get a glimpse of progress made

The past four weeks, I have been the artist in residency for the well established program started by art teacher Debbie Donowsky.  She has had a working artist come for the past twenty one years to do four classes with each student.  This year we focused on gratitude - each student in the school did a mixed medium project for which they were grateful.  Twenty four 'art core' sixth graders met every day to work on the back risers of the schools steps with the theme also being gratitude.  Books, school, family, friends, food are just some of the examples of what the kids depicted.  April 18 there will be a breakfast with all the works hanging around the school and an 'unveiling' of the finished steps. 

Here are some commissions I have done in the past several months.

 The goalie of the commissioning father is going to be in the olympics some day.  And - she's only in eighth grade! 

The cats were commissioned for the cats owner - the one on the top right was close to passing over the rainbow bridge.  What a wonderful reminder of her four legged friend being outside with her buddy - soaking up the blue sky and fresh air. 

One of the two pieces done for CASA in Wilkes-Barre to add some meaning and brightness to their newly painted office in  Wilkes- Barre.

They said it was well worth waiting till January to receive their Christmas present painting.  I have the sneaking suspicion Lucy Lu and Riley Rue are very well cared for..... 

He said , " I would like an abstract painting for my new apartment" - We looked at the space and agreed some warm colors, perhaps some squares, and??? were in order.  I culled everything I knew about him.  Where he lived, worked out, and worked.  Knowing his very most favorite musician is Bruce Sprinsteen, I weaved over layers of line, texture and color lines of his most poignant, poetic lyrics.  And numbers of cours going up to my ripe age of 49.   Here it is shown from studio to above couch.  

She said, "the painting was an enormous hit!! Best gift I've ever given John by a landslide."  So enjoyed doing these three gorgeous faces looking adoringly at the recipient of the painting!!!

It's always nice when someone takes a picture of a piece they've purchased from me hanging in their home!   I seem to be partial, as of late to squares and triptychs* :  .*Artists sometimes create a triptych, a series of three panels that are meant to be displayed together. You can use the noun triptych to describe three paintings that are deliberately hung together, as one piece.

When looking for the perfect gift for a loved one or friend, consider commissioning a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork.  I gladly accept commission work, and  love to create something special for you and or your loved ones.  Personalized paintings, dog portraits, house portraits, and hand-painted silks are just some of the many items that make wonderful holiday, birthday, wedding, and anniversary gifts. 

The fastest way to grow your creativity and imagination is to use it!  

       'Coming Home from Scranton'    fabric paint on charmeuse silk               

               'Trees and Tulips'   fabric paint on charmeuse silk 

Nature Grounds and Inspires me regularly and I say THANK YOU.