I will have two of my paintings, both winter scenes, hanging for the season at Prairie Blue Studio.  Prairie Blue will host several concerts in the newly remodeled space, and art work by several artists will be featured.  My paintings, "Deer in a Snowy Woods" and "Silent Retreat", were painted a few years ago, when we had some snow.  There's no sign of snow yet, so I don't need to get out my cross-country skis, I'll just paint snowy scenes instead.

Thanks to Art on the Prairie committee for asking me to provide a couple of new pieces and my business cards to be on display in the DMAC building.  Even though I can't be there, I will have representation.

Due to health problems, I will not be hanging work at Art on the Prairie this year.  Anyone wishing to see my new work or take another look at work they have previously seen, please contact me at my home.  I welcome visits to my studio.

I am back into wax work with one new mixed media encaustic almost complete.  A mixed media oil and wax painting with collage subject of jazz, is now being framed.  I'm hoping to get more new work ready for the Art on the Prairie show in Perry, Iowa, November 9-11.  Every year artists are assigned new spaces for this show, with my last year's space in the Hotel Pattee, perfect, I am waiting to pass judgement on this year's space in the DMAC building, just south of the Old Carnegie Library.  Hopefully, everyone will make there way to this building.  Music, poetry, and art will be the focus for the entire weekend.  It's really a great time for artists and art lovers.

We are heading home from the beautiful upstate New York show at Bolton Landing, Lake George area.  What a great time, going to the property of the late sculptor, David Smith, where a few of his hundreds of abstract sculptures were displayed.  I spent time with our host whose family knew Smith, so there was "inside information".   Many other famous artists visited David Smith here where he had his welding studio (which I saw), including Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, Kenneth Noland and others.   Another artist who lived near Bolton Landing, Weber Fulton, was instrumental in bringing David Smith to the area.  Her work is considered among the earliest Abstract Expressionists.  I saw some of her work and it appears to be a transition between Abstract Expressionism and Impressionism.  This is the place where Georgia O'Keefe spent summers at the Stieglitz compound, the property of her husband New York photographer, Alfred Stieglitz.  I did a few on-site watercolors and a few sketches of Lake George, but really enjoyed kayaking on Lake George, the largest body of water I've kayaked.   Des Moines show comes down as soon as I get home.  What a summer.

Encaustic paintings can be manipulated in so many ways, reheating and scraping out areas that aren't working uncovers some wonderful results.  One of my small encaustics just wasn't working, until I reheated and scraped.  Wow, now I love it.

The reception for the St. Mark's Lutheran Gallery show was last night, and it looked wonderful.  Tim Florer and Tim Reese, son of famous wildlife painter Maynard Reese, did a fantastic job of hanging the show, the guitarist played beautiful music, the crowd was large during the entire evening.  I enjoyed meeting so many new people, and visiting with old friends who follow my work, including two of my biggest collectors.  It was a great night in a perfect gallery space.  The show continues M-F from 8-4 through September 20 at 1105 Grand Ave., West Des Moines.