Well, our local Amador County Fair is over.  Summer, the time of county and state fairs, is always a great time for friends and family. I love doing watercolor demos and visiting with the fair goers.

Here are some pics of my demo

and of the fair window I created for the Amador Stars (our local cancer support organization) this year.

This is the third year for my window experience.  I love doing it for the Stars.

I just use large sheets of cardboard, acrylic paint and my imagination.

The theme for the fair this year was County Fair Safari, It’s a Jungle Out There!

It’s always an interesting process to brain storm ideas for the theme.  This year I used artist Henri Rousseau for inspiration.  He painted marvelous jungle paintings. I remember seeing one at The Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco.

I also wanted to bring in the county fair animals that I’ve used in past years.

And, of course, probably most important, I wanted to bring in the Stars.

Here’s where my Stars friends, Rita Nunes, her daughter, Janet and granddaughter, Olivia, Nancy Swensen, Carol Woolsey, my mom, Lucille Morrison, come in.  They all contribute to the window, either by helping with the set-up or by painting the wonderful imaginative stars used as flowers in the jungle.

My dad, Ken Morrison, helps me with the technical aspects, making it all come together.

We have all been touched by cancer in one way or another, so we have a special bond.

The San Joaquin County Fair is coming up soon.  It runs from June 16 to June 20, 2010.  My demonstration time is Saturday, June 19, 2:00 – 4:00 pm.  This will be my 3rd year to demonstrate my watercolor techniques in the fine art building…. This is your chance to ask questions and watch me work.  Also to see some fine local art work.  It’s always a great time for family and friends!  Hope to see you there.

For more info and directions to the fairgrounds:   http://www.sanjoaquinfair.com

On April 14, 2010 Young’s Vineyard, in Amador County, California, released their new wines at a large two-day party on the beautiful vineyard grounds. Delicious food was served, music played, and wine tasted as people chatted and enjoyed the warm weekend weather.

I was so pleased to be the new artist for the six different wine labels.  I deviated from the Arabian Knights theme on only one label… a mermaid for the white wine, Jour D’Ete .

When I had finished painting the label designs, vineyard owner, Annette Young and her team, wine-maker Nancy Steel, and vineyard manager, Kelly Hernandez, picked out which  image would go with each wine.  I know very little about wine, so tasting and listening to these women talk wine-talk was interesting and enlightening.

For each label design I used a female model or combination of models, costumes either created by the model or researched and modified in multiple drawings.   My models are friends and acquaintances who have graciously agreed to be photographed and painted. My drawings and watercolor paintings were 4″ x 16″ in the long narrow format unique to Young’s previous wines.

The Zinfandel was my favorite wine, but I found that each person I talked with had their own preference.  It was fun to hear the party-goers discussing which label was their favorite as well.

Photos by Bill LaVallie

My heartfelt thanks to my friend, Beth Hartline for moral support and photos, Bill LaVallie for professional photography… and to Annette Young, vineyard owner, Nancy Steel and Kelly Hernandez for being so much fun to work with.

To see more photos go to Bill LaVallie’s website, look for Galleries and click on Young’s Winery Release Party 4/24/10.  http://lavallie.smugmug.com

On April 24 and 25, 2010 Young’s Vineyard in the Shenandoah Valley will release their wines for 2010.  My artwork will be on the labels.  There are six wines being released, 5 reds and one white.  Each wine will have a different label in an Arabian Knights theme.  Come and enjoy the fabulous wine and see my labels!  Go to www.youngsvineyards.com for more information… big gathering of wine tasters, friends and family.  Hope you can come.

Huddled around me are the members of the Southwest Washington Watercolor Society, during my three-day workshop in Vancouver Washington.

Here I am showing Bonnie a couple of fine points of the portrait

The beginning glazes on my portrait

Hamming it up

Here’s most of the group… (I regret that a couple of students missed this photo)

My sincere appreciation goes out to all the hard working artists in my workshop.   I wish you all good fortune in your artistic endeavors.  And a big hug and thank you to Sheila Martinson, president of SWWS and my hostess for the week.

I was honored to judge the fall art competition for SWWS.  Congratulations to all the winners! Best of Show was Cheryl Roberts, for her beautiful painting “Venice Canal”.  For more info on the show and pictures of the winning artwork  go to:  swwswatercolor.org