Last weekend my home studio was open as part of the Open Studios Tour in Amador County, put on by the Amador County Arts Council.

I had a lot of enthusiastic visitors and buyers.  Some of my students and artist friends came by.  It was so much fun having people drop by to see my studio and my artwork.

Tracy Lewis is a wonderful contemporary watercolorist. Her work is absolutely yummy, innovative and a bit macabre as her blog title attests: http://lollipopmacabre.wordpress.com. In the past, Tracy has taken some of my workshops and classes, but, she also studied with two of my former teachers, Sabina Turner www.sabinaturner.com and Sacramento artist/teacher, Gary Pruner. Her work, while different than mine (and our teachers’) has some common threads. It’s fun to see those threads being pulled in Tracy’s own individual direction.

Dan Petersen the co-judge of the 43rd Motherlode Art Exhibition is an equally, though different, inspiring artist and man.  His watercolors of the majestic Sierra Mountiain region are full of color and amazing detail.

Dan says:  ”My ultimate goal is to pay homage to the One who created it all and allowed us the privilege to live in it and look at it.”

See his work at: http://www.petersenwatercolor.com/contact.html

“Art is important. We tend to think it is a luxury, but it gives people deep pleasure because beauty is the personification of hope that something grander is at work. To make beautiful and heartfelt works is job number one.”

This is a quote from Gil Dellinger’s blog which I found very inspiring this morning.  Gil just judged the 43rd Motherlode Art Exhibition.  I received a Merit Award and wanted to find out more about Gil’s philosophy and work.  You can too at:  http://gildellinger.com/blog

My return visit to the Southwest Washington Watercolor Society in Vancouver is set for October.  On the 5th I’ll be judging their Annual Fall Art Show to be held at Vancouver Mall.  Then on Tuesday, October6th – Thursday, October 8th I’ll be conducting a workshop focussing on putting children into paintings.   On the evening of the 6th, I’ll also do a brief talk about the show and the winning paintings.

See their website and newsletter for further information:  http://www.swwswatercolor.org/newsletter/0909_SWWS_Newsletter_Web.pdf

I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and to meeting new friends.

This pic is from my 2007 Spring workshop in Vancouver.