Another small work (just over 3" x just over 6") that will head to the Waterfowl Festival next week. Lucky and fortunate was I not to lose power during the big blow yesterday and last night. I know tens of thousands are without and I hope they will not be without for too long, so I am very thankful to have weathered the storm relatively problem free. I shall endeavor to put the time left this week to good use and get a couple more small works done. Good thing I dug through reference on Sunday evening to have things lined up, just in case!

In the final push toward the upcoming Waterfowl Festival here is a small (a tad over 3" x 6") work just off the drawing board. I hope to get several more done in the next 9 days, but that depends on which way Sandy heads over the next 36 hours and if we get hit and lose power for a time.

Arriving on my doorstep yesterday, my copy of the just published Strokes of Genius 4: The Best of Drawing/Exploring Line caused a moment of deep breaths as I opened the box and to my amazement and pleasant surprise, found one of my two included works gracing the back cover of the volume! To have work included in the book is quite an honor, this being the third time I have had works included in this series, two in the 3rd installment and five in the 2nd. But to find my work on the jacket just about knocked my socks off. I am grateful to North Light Books, Sara Laichas, editor and Rachel Rubin Wolf for her initial selection of my work. A quick leaf through last evening found a host of incredible works representing the very creative results of artists from across the globe. The book is available now through the North Light's web site bookstore, Amazon or perhaps your favorite local bookseller.

A spectacular day at the races yesterday . . . the fall meet of the Virginia International Gold Cup Races. The weather was just about perfect, the fall color gleaming nicely, the colorful crowd and silks adding just the right splash . . . and the wonderful horses! Lots of images to be gone through today, but here are just a few I pulled out now to remind myself of what a great day it was. As always, I have the copyright on the images but please enjoy them here on my blog page.

Finished up later yesterday, this one weighs in at just shy of 9" x just shy of 18". It's the last of the larger new works that will go to the Waterfowl Festival in three weeks' time. The next couple of weeks will be occupied with getting some smaller works done, maybe ten or a dozen and that will be it for the Festival. Again, if you are near the eastern shore of Maryland, a visit to the Festival is well worth the drive . . . great art, great things to see and do in the fall weather!

I believe I'm within 'spitting distance' of completing this one, maybe later today?

A bit more of the current work -

There's something

new

taking shape

on the

drawing board.

At the opening of this year's 'International' at the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport several weekends ago, I was delighted to hear that my work, Stretch, was honored with this year's Marine Environmental Wildlife Award. My work has been honored with this award several times over the last dozen or so years but that does not diminish my gratitude to the judges in their selection last month. The exhibition/sale remains on view at the Mystic Seaport Museum through the end of this year.

The honor and recognition are appreciated, but studio focus now is on the upcoming Waterfowl Festival, which opens a month from today on the beautiful eastern shore of Maryland in the historic town of Easton. I believe this will be my 21st year of being a part of that wonderful assemblage of fine art, sculpture, wood carving and crafts. It always is a wonderful weekend filled with the flavor of fall and since all art venues are now situated within walking distance right in downtown Easton, it makes for a very easy way to experience everything in one day's visit or plan an overnight stay and sample some fine dining in one of the town's top rated restaurants. There are several beautiful B&Bs in Easton proper and surrounding towns and a half dozen fine, nationally known hotel chains right in town or in St. Michaels to the west or Cambridge to the south. Check out their web site and 'come on down'!

Completed . . . image is roughly 11 1/4" x 8 1/4". . . another of the works that will go to McBride Gallery, my gallery in Annapolis shortly for the opening of their Autumn Celebration of Art.

Unknown Bridges - 20% Discount

Blurb, the online book publishing site, is running a special discount on my 'Unknown Bridges' book now through October 22. If you order any of the versions of it you will receive a 20% discount by entering the code FANS at checkout. If you would like to add a copy to your library, just click on the link to it in the right hand column. You can preview the book, which documents my 2008 solo exhibition at the Woodson Art Museum. Check it out!

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On another note, here is the current work as I sit down to the drawing board this afternoon -

 (posting at 12:30)

 

Continuing on the same theme that seems to be current, here is what's on the drawing board at the moment. I'd say about 10 hours into it. Lots of layering going on right now to build up the deep shadows and textures.

Ostensibly finished up yesterday, could not photograph it till this morning. Completed now, image size 9 1/2" x 22 1/2" and headed to McBride Gallery later in the month for the big Autumn Group Show.