As the month of March continues on its course towards April, the delivery date of my art for my first opening of the season looms closer. The Fine Line is the first to receive the newest work!

Sometimes it helps me focus, if I have a theme for a show. I feel I have a more cohesive body of work when I have a centered thought. But this year I had so many images I wanted to paint — yes, all landscapes — but will all of these images work well together?

The answer. Stop and take a look at the whole body of work.

So I carried everything up from the studio and placed them in a wide circle around the room while my PR guru was here and have come to my conclusion… it's working! Happy accident or creative inspiration? The images do flow from one to another rather well.

I’m excited! Now I must get them wired, varnished, and I will be ready to go in 2 weeks! This will help me finish and I can’t wait till you get to see what I have been up to for the past few months.

Early in my career it was exciting to get my work shown, so when I was offered an alternative place to hang my art, I took advantage of it. Exposure was the mantra. Today I am really hustling to just to honor my commitments and have my work delivered on time. For the time being, I find alternative venues must be cut from my itinerary.

But this exciting opportunity to see art should not be missed. You are now in the loop about this show…so mark your calendar.

Starting March 17, a unique art show starts in Libertyville, and will be on display for 6 days. Three women organize a space quarterly, for these brief exhibits. They pull together a group of artists, set it up and then a few days later take it down.

This phenomenon happens a lot in Chicago, had spread to Highland Park a few years ago, and now has come to Libertyville at the David Adler Music and Arts Center.

Though I declined to be a part of the show, I will get to the opening on March 18, from 7 to 9pm. I have several friends showing, and one of my favorite ceramicists, Ben Bates will have pieces there.

I have been working with Condell Advocate Hospital through a wonderful artist rep, who is aquiring art to be part of the hospitals permanent collection.

After looking at four of my pieces, Condell has chosen two pieces depicting spring and summer, that will hang in one of the first floor conference rooms.

I am currently attempting a large painting and working to create fog. When I think I have completed a piece I bring it up out of my lower level studio space and look at it in natural sunlight. I'm not happy with it.

None of my work leaves the house without my 16-year-old daughter critiquing it.
She is an honest critic and I value her opinion. She took one look at my fog painting and said, “it's nice, who painted it?”

I had used my regular palette, but because I used a lot of white, it's not recognizably my painting! Also it has very soft brush strokes. So back to the studio with it. (I decided it would be wise to reference Wolf Kahn's work, and see how he interpreted fog.)

The palette I use originates with Wolf Kahn. He started his career as an abstract expressionist painter, having studied with Hans Hoffman. It was from Hoffman that he experienced the use of wonderful color. Matisse having worked with him in Paris before the out break of WWII influenced Hoffman. Wolf Kahn then applied his palette to landscapes.

As you try new things, they don't always work out, but trying will keep your pieces looking fresh and exciting.

As I create my new body of work, I tend to let other responsibilities slip away, such as keeping up with my weekly postings here. Every available moment I have at this time of the year is spent in my studio. Usually this means a minimum of 10-hour days… sometimes more.

My brain is working faster than my hands, and I am now finally writing things down, so I don't forget. I have at times purchased pre-stretched canvases as a time saver. Pearl in Chicago had a really nice selection with some unusual sizes, but because they have closed, I have been stretching more myself.

As I get older I am finding it rather difficult to stretch larger pieces. I am now reduced to stretching unprimed canvas, and having to do it twice. The first time is to get it more flexible...but what really happens I find that I get buckles. So I let it alone overnight, then undo all the staples and do it again. Then I apply three coats of gesso with a light sanding in between the coats. Having several blank surfaces, I could not stop till the images appeared.

Four paintings are now completed, with eight more to go. Rarely is it an issue for me of what to paint. As I am working on one piece, I find that by the time I get to the finishing touches of that painting, I have already decided what next scene I want to paint, and have a rough idea of the palette I will be using.

To all who can Happy Painting!