August 2021

August is without a doubt my least favorite month of the year. It’s unbearably hot and humid. These are the two-a-day, sometimes three-a-day shower days. Add on the fact that my hot flashes are completely out of control, and it’s just miserable.

Heat and humidity are just the tip of the iceberg lately, though. Atlanta is overrun with crime. A neighbor of ours, someone we knew, was brutally murdered in our beloved Piedmont Park. And as of this date, no arrests. I can hardly stand to see the flowers at the Charles Allen gate. Katie always greeted us warmly when we ate dinner with her at the bar at Campagnolo. She made an excellent Negroni. She was kind, sweet and easy going. I’d been walking at the park on a pretty regular basis, but I don’t think I can go back right now. I’d feel better if we could get an arrest. 

As far as art goes, it was a very busy month. I dropped off art at Acworth, Johns Creek, the Atlanta Artists Center and Anis Cafe. I picked up my painting from the Booth Artists Guild show at the Booth Museum, and I’m submitting pieces for consideration at the Booth Museum’s Downtown Gallery. I also spent a lot of time at the gallery in Roswell. 

ACWORTH ARTS ALLIANCE

My paintings are up at the Acworth Arts Alliance. We visited the gallery right after the show went up. It’s a cute place. My three paintings are the only abstracts, so it’ll be interesting to see how that goes. 

 

ANIS CAFE

Anis Cafe chose two of my paintings for show in the restaurant:

 

ATLANTA ARTISTS CENTER

These three paintings have been juried into the Small Works exhibition at AAC. The show runs from September 8th through November 10th.

ROSWELL SQUARE GALLERY

I’m spending 2-3 days per week up in Roswell. On Thursdays I’m giving free abstract painting demonstrations, which has been a lot of fun. It started slowly, but it’s definitely picking up. I really enjoy it because it gives me an opportunity to share what I’ve learned over the years and it means I am practicing and painting abstractly. This past week I decided to spotlight one abstract artist each week, so we started with Franz Kline. I’ll be covering Richard Diebenkorn, Mondrian, de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Hans Hofmann and many more.

PAINTINGS I WORKED ON / COMPLETED

Here are some snaps of the paintings I worked on and/or completed in August:

I’m still doing a lot of drawing. I try to draw every day, but I don’t always hit that target. But it’s at least 3-4 times per week. Sometimes I draw on Procreate, but I also work in my sketchbook.

My flower class with Elizabeth Floyd is over. I enjoyed painting with Liz, but I was very disappointed in the last two set ups. She appears to be juggling a lot lately, so maybe she just didn’t have time to devote to our last few sessions. 

UPCOMING

I need to submit two paintings for consideration for the next Booth Artists Guild show at the Downtown Gallery. I’ll take care of that this coming week. 

My workshop with Chris Groves is coming up soon! I’m soooo excited to attend an in-person workshop, and I’m even more excited about the techniques we’ll be learning. Cannot wait for this!!

I’m also looking forward to picking back up with my Plein Air painting group. 

READING

This is going to sound a little crazy, but I’m reading Robert Greene’s “Mastery” for a third time. Robert Greene is one of the smartest people I’ve ever come across, and “Mastery” is the very best book I’ve read for how to build a craft, moving from beginner to apprentice to master. He breaks down a lengthy process into bite sized pieces and gives step by step instructions for maneuvering through the phases of mastering a craft. Every time I read it I learn something new. It’s an invaluable resource. I’m also picking at his “48 Laws of Power,” which is also extremely helpful. This book is not about amassing power, but rather learning how power plays work so that you can protect yourself. I think it’s very interesting that it is the most read book in prisons and by those working in Hollywood. Chew on that. 

PERSONAL

I’m thoroughly enjoying my time at the Roswell Square Gallery. My fellow artists are talented, knowledgeable and friendly. I love them. They’re becoming like family. We are currently preparing for the annual Roswell Arts Festival, which will be held September 18-19 on the square, directly across from our gallery. 

And we celebrated kitty birthdays this month! Otis and Julius turned 9 last week. 

I’ll be back very soon with another update. Lots more to tell you!