It's been a busy summer.  I normally do 6 to 8 art fairs a year but I've built up so much inventory, I've scheduled 20 art fairs from June until the second week in December.

Since it's going to be a rainy weekend here, I lucked out and had this weekend free.

Next Saturday, I'll be in Dover, NH and their Apple Festival.  The art fair protion is a new show on the fringe of the Apple Festival.  I hope many of the Festival goers find our location.

Oil Pastel blending tool

We were having a discussion in the Oil Pastel Forum, of the Wet Canvas Web Site, on the tools we use to blend our oil pastels. I prefer paper stumps but one of my WC friends recommended using pipe insulation as a blender. I gave it a try but I still really prefer my paper stumps. I found the insulation to be a bit unwieldy. It kept knocking off things off the table, my brush holder on the floor among other problems. I also found them difficult to use when trying to blend a delicate passage. However I found that if I held them a bit farther back along it's length when attempting to draw, it automatically created an abstract.

At Ampersand Gallery, Newmarket, NH

One of three paintings currently, showing at the Ampersand Gallery, Main Street, Newmarket, NH. The Show runs until the 18 of December.

It's a $100 show, with no art work over $100.

Showing at Exeter Town Hall Gallery

Two paintings currently showing at the Exeter Townhall Gallery, Exeter, NH. Unfortunately the gallery is only open weekends from noon to 4 PM. I will be sitting the gallery on the last day of the show, Dec 18. I also have 15 of my giclee prints there, available for purchase.

New Hampshire Open Doors

I will be at the Mac's Apples, 230 Mammoth road, Londonderry, NH this Saturday and Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM. I will be demonstrating my art as well as offering my original art and giclee prints.

I really need to be more active here.

Three of my recent oil pastels

Haikus and Art

Currently entered in the Exeter Townhall Gallery for the next three weeks. It's a combination of poetry and art. A poem written for each piece of art or a painting made for a poem.

I write Haikus (Americanized version, three lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables) for some of my paintings. Haikus are short and unpretentious (like me). Occasionally I write the Haiku and then paint a subject evoked by my Haiku.

This painting was done a number of years ago when I was in a darker place.

"Adrift"

"Adrift on a dark,

Dark sea I dream of what never

Was and never will be."

This painting has won four awards in Juried shows ranging from Honorable Mentions, to a first place in Pastels. I've shown this for many years now but have never been able to sell it.

Another autobiographical Haiku and painting: "Into the Sunset", as an old (really old) retired Air Force Pilot, I feel this is quite appropriate.

"Into the Sunset"

"The sunset beckons.

I fly the valley of clouds

Tracking the beacon home."

This one also won awards but one judge criticized the repetitious cloud shapes in the lower half of the painting. I guess she couldn't see the hand of God reaching out to receive me. This painting sold the first time I put it up for sale. The patrons are the judges who really count.

Londonderry Art Fair

My Monet's Pond was one of the paintings sold at the Londonderry Art Fair last weekend. Even though I did let a gentleman haggle me down about 50% on two paintings, it turned out to be a good Saturday. I just wanted to get the first sale of the day out of the way. (My artist friends always give me a hard time when I do this. In fact they give me a hard time on my pricing in general. They should be higher??????)