My friends Lori & Woody have a particularly handsome dog, Mr. Connor Dingo. Above you see a preliminary sketch for the painting, followed by his final portrait, done in oil.
"Paying Attention: Contemplations en Plein Aire" opened on Friday, August 2, 2013 at Studio Blomster in Guerneville, California. It was a truly exceptional experience to see my paintings filling a gallery, and to have such a large group of people looking at them. The gallery looked absolutely gorgeous, thanks to the work of David Blomster, who not only hung my paintings beautifully but also provided elegant flowers, food and music. The charming Tobe Sheldon of Sheldon Winery poured delicious wine, and the food was catered by the fabulous Hi Five restaurant. Thirteen paintings were sold that night! It was an evening that I will undoubtedly always remember.
"I love to hang a show," David Blomster of Studio Blomster in Guerneville once said to me. I never understood the creativity that went into hanging a show until I watched him do the work. Over a three-hour period, I observed him carefully consider the placement of twenty nine of my paintings of all different shapes and sizes. Then he measured each painting individually before hanging since each framed piece was in a unique frame, and the pieces on stretched canvases were of different sizes and shapes. He was patient and persistent throughout. I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to have a show at his gallery.
