Tuscany Open House & Open Studio - Wednesday November 13th

Wednesday November 13th from 11am – 2pm I will be hosting an Information Open House in regards to my upcoming trip to Tuscany as well as an Open Studio. If you cannot make it and are interested in coming by we can arrange a time, just let me know.  Please RSVP by clicking here.

Highlights of the trip:  We are staying and traveling in an unspoiled area of Tuscany near the Coast.  The food prepared by our host family is incredible, fresh and seasonal.  We will paint the gorgeous countryside, street scenes, coastal scenes and vineyard landscapes to name a few.  We will also have day trips which may include, a vineyard, Cinque Terre, the walled city of Lucca and a fabulous Market in Forte dei Marmi.  The Market in Forte is a must do, they sell everything from luxurious cashmere, to beautiful shoes, to wonderful gifts to bring home to friends and family.  All levels of painters are welcome.  The trip will not only be painting but enjoying the culture.  We will provide tons of information about traveling with paints and what gear to bring so no worries there. 

Charlotte In The Fall and Atlanta in the Winter (2018)

Such exciting news!  I have scheduled my next Charlotte Workshop for October 2017 and I have scheduled an Atlanta Workshop for February 2018!  "Exploring The Surface" will include topics like: Color Theory, Value Studies and Simplification, as well as other subjects.  Space will be limited at both venues, so please register early and feel free to email me with any questions.

Charlotte NC: October 25 - 27, 2017 Myers Park Baptist Church has graciously opened their doors to us once again.  To register, click here. 

Atlanta GA:    February 7 - 9, 2018 Binders Art Supplies on Piedmont Road has been so kind to allow us to use their space for three days!  To register, click here.  

Spring In Beaufort

I have to say, I just got back from such a lovely trip to Beaufort NC and Craving Art Studio!  My fantastic host Heather Sink was just as much of a pleasure to be with this year as she was last year!  She is currently hosting a show of my works until the end of May and was so kind to host my three day "Exploring The Surface " workshop.   I love doing workshops in Beaufort so much, we have agreed to do another one next year, once we have dates, we will update everyone! Beaufort is such a beautiful town, full of great people, food and amazing views! For those who don't know, it's actually the third-oldest town in North Carolina, it's a coastal town located in an area referred to as the "inner-banks" and it hosts several fun festivals through out the year.  I just lucked out to be there for the 2017 Beaufort Wine and Food Festival this year!  

Upcoming Workshops

Excited to share some news!  I have secured the dates with Binders Art Supplies in Atlanta (the Buckhead locacation) for my "Exploring The Surface Workshop". The workshop will be February 7-9, 2018 and registration will begin here on my website in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!  I am also planning on an October Workshop here in Charlotte, we will have those dates finalized by early May.  

Provincetown 2014

It is hard to believe how fast a year goes by.  As of today, it was one year ago that I first visited Cynthia Packard in Provincetown to paint the figure. I was so captivated by the experience that I returned in May of 2014 to paint with her again. I am officially hooked on the Northern Cape and on Cynthia!

I left Charlotte the day before school was out, having survived the craziness of May with kids. The journey to Provincetown has a unique way of leaving it all behind. At the very small gate for all the very small planes to leave Boston for several Cape destinations, I begin to unwind.   Once aboard the 10-seater Cessna and cruising over the Cape Cod Bay on a gorgeous sunny day, all stress and to-dos begin to fade away.  It takes a total of maybe 45 minutes to take off in Boston and be at my hotel on the Cape. That includes collecting my bag off the plane and jumping into a cab. It is about as easy as it gets. Although, I am not sure what that tiny plane would be like on a stormy day. But we won't think about that.  

I love the familiarity of returning to a place and especially one I love so much. I dropped my bags at The Anchor Inn and Beach House and headed off to Cynthia's studio and to reserve my easel and unpack my many boxes of canvases and supplies that I had shipped the week before. Then off to rent my bike and look around a bit.  

The workshop officially began on Friday, a group of eight students and Cynthia in her studio at 9 a.m.  She was as dynamic and energized as the trip before. Watching her paint is very inspiring. It is almost like a dance combined with a work-out. She energetically approaches the canvas, makes a mark and get's off the canvas. She assesses and she might scrape it away or move on an make another mark. Her marks dance around the canvas. Never ignoring one area of the canvas and never working in one area very long. The painting reveals itself over the journey. The process off adding paint is equally important to knowing what to remove. She often scrapes the whole thing down and what is revealed can be the unexpected magic.

As I listened and watched her, I was determined to paint differently, to dig deep and really open up. She is a very intuitive and expressive painter which I really admire. Every painting is a journey and expression for her. I have found that my best work comes from this place. Unfortunately, deadlines can pull an artist out of this magical mindset. Cynthia pushed and pulled me to take risk and to be much more expressive. I really appreciated her honesty and passion. I hope to keep the fire burning until I can return to Provincetown to paint again.  I love the series I started there and look forward to stepping in to the unknown a little more often.

We painted for three days and I stayed on for a couple of days to bike and explore. Provincetown is amazing and I really look forward to returning as soon as it warms up in 2015!  I was lucky once again to have a sunny day to fly back to Boston on the tiny Cessna. 

I am back in the Studio working on opening up and look forward to sharing my new work soon.

Provincetown-inspired paintings in progress

Provincetown-inspired paintings in progress

Provincetown 2013

I have been contemplating the long journey up to Provincetown, MA to paint with Cynthia Packard for several years now. 

I am very hard to impress or to even get my attention but  I have been infatuated and intrigue by the famous Packard family for many years.  I have watched Cynthia's incredible and sometimes a little crazy YouTube casts and interviews.  I have read many articles and blogs about Cynthia and her ubber famous Mom,  Ann Packard. 

The time never seemed right and a little bit of hesitation has loomed over me. Something pushed me over the edge this past summer to mail my check and booked my flight and reserved a room for her September workshop. 

From the moment I landed I knew this was a place I would have to return.  Intoxicating views,  forever inspiring imagery,  gorgeous weather and fabulously colorful and creative people.  As one friend mentioned, you came from Wonder Bread and landed in the most open and free spot on earth. 

I immediately made a new friend who gave me a ride from the airport, showed me where Cynthia's Studio was located and invited me to a big party.  What a town. 

Cynthia was unbelievable-  Full of fire, passion and energy.  Almost exhausting to watch her at times.  She is a true artist.  Very pure-  no copy cat here-  she is the real deal.  She reminded me to have a conversation with the canvas and to let go.  Please google her and take a look for yourself.  

I will make this an annual pilgrimage to make sure I remember what is means to be an artist, stay true to myself,  that I continue to grow and challenge myself. 

One of the Two Packard Galleries in town.   They bought an old Scientology Church and converted to a gallery

Cynthia's Palette - pretty cool!

Dingy boats were everywhere!