New Painting, Old Paintings, Two Trips and An Art Exhibition

Where has the month of August gone?  I can't believe it is almost September and that fall is just around the corner.

My last post featured two shows that I did the first weekend in August.  Just a few days after that weekend we left for a trip to visit family in WV and NC.  We were home less than a week when we left for another trip to the UP for our daughter-in-law Sarah's family reunion.

Our first trip was spent spending time with family, first with Roger's cousin and wife in WV then to NC with our son Mark and his wife Leslie and their oldest son Michael who had come from GA  to be there with us.

When in WV I took this photo of one of my first slate paintings done in 1977 which they still have hanging on an entrance door.

Here is another painting from the past that I took at our son's house in NC.  I did this one around 1987.

When we were in NC we spent time playing games and roaming around a few picturesque little towns in the area.  We stopped into a Goodwill store where I bought this jacket for $5. As soon as I saw it I had to have it.

The reason it was a "must buy" for me is that it was a match to my "Fancy Felines" painting which I sold at the Corey Lake show.

The trip to the UP was fun.  We did a little sight-seeing and spent lots of time with Sarah's family.
The most interesting part was where we stayed.  It is the Birch Lodge and Motel on Trout lake.  It has a long history.  I'm not going to go into all of it but just tell you a little.  It opened as the Birch Lodge and Hospital and Sanatorium in 1912.  It went through various owners over the years and in 1964 the 8 room brick motel was built next to the main lodge.  What was fun in a creepy sort of way was we had the feeling we were staying at the Bates Motel.  There was the big old house and the mid-century motel next to it.  The rooms were clean and neat and well taken care of but you felt like you had stepped back into the 60's when you walked into the room. ( Every time I went into the bathroom I thought Norman was peeping in the window and you can gurss how I felt taking a shower) The main lodge was a combination of each decade from early 1900 through 1950. For the full history Google the Birch Lodge, Trout Lake, MI.  Here is a photo taken from the lake when we were on a pontoon boat.

As soon as we got home from our travels I finished this "Fun Flowers" painting and chose other paintings to hang in an exhibition at the Commission on Aging here in Three Rivers.

Back in May I got a call inviting me to show my art at the COA for the months of September and October.  When I asked how they found out about me I was told they saw my work online.  I hung the show yesterday.  Here are some photos of the art I am showing.

This last painting was on a wall by itself.

Now that my traveling is done and the show has been hung it is time to get ready for the art guild holiday show.  I have some ideas for some new subject matter tossing around in my head and am anxious to get started putting them on canvas.

Two successful shows and a few new craft items.

It was a busy weekend.  On Friday evening I showed my art at  "Sass in the City" in downtown Three Rivers and on Sunday I took part in the Corey Lake Orchard Show.  Both events were well attended.  I made lots of contacts that may lead to more shows in the future and also sold some of my art. The local newspaper covered the show on Sunday and a photo showing my display and me interacting with a customer was on the front page along with the article.  I don't have that photo to show you but do have a photo that I took myself  at each of the shows.  The first is Sass in the City and the second is Corey Lake Orchard.

I talked to many people at both shows and I was surprised to find out some of them knew who I was because they had seen my art in places it has shown in the area and remembered my style.  Also some of them owned paintings done by me that they bought at these places.  I realized that after being in MI for less than two years my name and art is gaining recognition!

In the last week before these shows I finished a few craft items.  I did two boxes and a domino train station.  Here are photos of these items.

I will be taking a break from painting for a few weeks.  I have two trips planned.  The first to NC to visit our son Mark and wife Leslie and also see our grandson Michael who will be visiting at the same time.  I'll be home for a week then another trip to the UP.  We have never been to upper Michigan and are looking forward to seeing more of our new home state.