Bluegrass Jam

On Sundays there is a Bluegrass Jam at Flamingo Isle Flea Market in Bonita. The musicians rotate sets on a small stage beneath a salmon striped tent which probably holds 60 or so people. Adjacent is a bar that serves drinks and a limited menu of burgers, dogs, bbq & and nachos. Sunday fun in SW Florida and it's free. The impromptu jam invites all 'musicians at heart' to bring their instruments and join in any time or just hang backstage and soak up some knowledge from the pros, some of whom have recorded with well known names. I'm hoping to get some people paintings out of the shots I took. The music was great!

Christmas

This is a photo of my friend's house in Dedham. The 'other' Martha Stewart. Oh yeah, you're thinking, there can't be two. Well there are, only this one was too busy doing it all (just her) that she didn't have time to write all the books. This house looks awesome at Christmas.

Billings Farm Woodstock Vermont

Tom and Colin Joe & Jim the Percherons I spent last weekend in New Hampshire with my brother Tommy, my sister in law Anne and their two little boys, Ryan, 4 and Colin, 2. On Sunday we took a trip to Billings Farm in Woodstock, Vermont which is a working dairy/breeding operation started by Frederick Billings . Me , Ryan & Anne

Yellow Tea Mug

I found this cool yellow mug in the GoodWill store, of course. There is no tea in the cup, just the spoon and the bag. I worked with only natural light here which lent the dark area lots of color. Sorry about the glare. I'll post the finish on Just Painting.

Coba Mayan Ruins Adventure

We were permanently cured of our desire to visit ancient Mayan Ruins on our recent trip to Coba. Don't get me wrong, the Pyramid site is awesome and the Cenote was equally so. The walk through the underground caves at Aktun Chen amazing as well. BUT (you knew that was coming) the humidity in Mexico is 95% and the walk from the bus to the Pyramid was a mile and a half ;) You could ride a bike BUT again, you'd miss the guided tour since most were on foot. Sticky and hot is how I'd describe it. We did enjoy our tour guides and the nice lunch we were served in an out of the way Cantina where a few cats and roosters wandered about while we ate. I know, cats? Roosters? Mexico? What were they serving? It was good what ever it was and we sure were hungry. Here are some photos from the trip. The top photo is the Caves at Aktunchen and the second one is the Cenote at Coba. That's my husband in the yellow shirt making his way down the steps of the pyramid at Coba. I'm over climbing pyramids in the stifling jungle heat ;) Still, it was fun.

Studio 439

This is my studio standing alone on the fourth floor of the Codman Building. It's interesting to see the building as it was and as I am one of the last to leave, I've had a front row seat to the transformation. 4th Floor Artists hosted 13 Open Studios here that I know of and I participated in 12 of them. It was fantastic. I hope the people who live in these condos are as inspired by the energy of this old building as all the artists and Codman Lovers who've come and gone. This place rocked!

What Can I Say?

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What Are The Odds?

Another Praying Mantis? What are the odds of seeing three Praying Mantises in three weeks? The first in the new studio, the second at Codman and today I was in the dunes of Truro, painting with the Three Amigas, Kelley, Roz and Paula, when yet another Praying Mantis landed on my umbrella. Is this a sign? I'll post the painting on Just Painting when I finish it. Meanwhile here are the Three Amigas.

The Codman Mantis

I'm not sure what the significance of a Praying Mantis is but when my nephew and I were sanding the floors in my new studio late at night, a Praying Mantis flew in the window and spent some time with us. We put him out side when we closed the screens. Last Friday I was at my Codman studio packing when this guy flew in the window and settled on the floor. I scooped him up with a piece of paper and set him on the windowsill where he remained late into the day, 'praying'. Later on before I left he was upside down 'praying' above my window. Is this a sign?

Codman is Mad

This sign is posted in the hall somewhere in the Codman building. I think I can guess who put it up.

Abandoned Blog

Abandoned blog Abandoned blog! I've been avoiding posting because the demolition of our building is underway for about 6 weeks now and it's been pretty depressing. I'm putting up some before and after shots here. The good news is that my new space at the Sandpaper Factory has 7 windows and is the same vintage as the Codman thus it has similar ambience. Also, there are skylights on the roof of the SP Factory.

My Studio

Here are a few pictures of my studio and building. Our building has been sold to a developer and zoned for condos. The kiss of death

Birthday Bash

Here's the whole family assembled for Mama's big Birthday Bash last Saturday. That's me next to the chair (we were supposed to PhotoShop Uncle Joe into, but I think we forgot to take a picture of him to add) and that's my Mama in the pink shirt standing behind me. It was a great time. I have to add a photo of Ryan & Colin at the beach Sunday morning. Little New Hampshire boys with their toes in the FREEZING cold water.

The Codman Building

This is the building that houses my studio along with a bunch of other soon (depending on zoning, loaning, and approvals) to be displaced, artists. It's being zoned for condos. We've had a long run in this building, something like 14 or 15 Open Studios. I always felt a connection to this building and I'll miss it it when it's gone. The end of an era, for sure. Check out my fellow artists at Plain Street Studios. These photos were taken right after Open Studios when everything is cleaned up and the flowers are still fresh.

Stormy Sky

We're being buzzed by heavy storms with mini tornadoes in them in the Counties North of us. I went out to take pictures of the amazing sky. I also shot this great picture of the front of our house with the little triple palm tree and Wendell silhouetted against the window watching his mama.