Last weekend, hot though it was, we took ourselves out to a Wine and Art festival in downtown Washington Mo. What a great time we had!! As it turns out there was a nice breeze off the way too full to overflowing Mighty Mo, and the air was much cooler than it would have been if we had waited another day and gone Saturday or Sunday either one!

I made two important (to me) new contacts there (artfully speaking). The first a wonderfully pleasant local lady (Ms. Rose Monzyk) who invited me to join her Thursday morning art group, well not her art group exactly but an art group, apparently held at the home of a local watercolorist (from whom I have been dying to take a class). As I work, I had to decline, but I dont intend to work forever and who knows when the opportunity might arise, so after admiring her beautiful work and bidding her farewell for now, I tucked her card away in my pocket for later reference.... Visit her site, it is worth the view www.pleasantinterlude.com

The next person I met, I must say made a big, really big impression on me. I found it hard from the moment I walked into his tent to tear my eyes away from his striking, enchanting artwork! Vincent Fleming ( I am terrible with names, but I will never forget this one!), paints fantasy, traditional, and downright fantastic paintings. We bought two of his prints, wanted to buy an original (but funds prohibited this extravagance) and we will definitely have more of his work as soon as we can. Again, well worth the visit, his website is www.flemingart.com, you will have missed a treat if you do not at least view his site. And I must say the website though well done, does not do his work the justice it deserves. If you ever get a chance to see his work in person, do not miss it!

It is funny who or where we will find the person that inspires us to strike out in a new direction, to boldly go where you thought you never dared, to try a new technique, color or subject matter. Most often I find that those people tend to find us at the most unexpected moments, take our breath away and leave us to think over what just happened.... At least that is what happened to me, on that balmy Friday evening in Washington Mo.

Stonehenge at Sunrise, a fairly recent rendition of mine. No one can claim the images of such a famous landmark, but this is my view of it. Of course I painted it from images that others have posted to various media over the years, I can only hope that one day in the not too distant future, I get to see it with my own eyes! Now that will be a day!!

Art for me is...

I am an artist. My husband of 25 years suggested recently that I had kept a secret from him, all these years, that I could paint. I replied almost immediately that neither did I! I dabbled at it early on, in my teens and 20's, but then through a series of circumstances beyond my control the opportunity to pursue my art was lost to me, for a time. Over the years my husband and I would browse at art fairs and museums etc, and I would say (wistfully) I wish I could do that, I used to paint.... So in our 23rd year, my husband threw down the gauntlet. On Valentines day two years ago, he bought me some paints and canvases and challenged me to put the easel to use, that I bought at a rummage sale and had been dragging around for literally years. The rest is to say, history. I discovered not only that I could paint, but that it was an emotional outlet that I needed and craved, and that now it is as if I JUST CANT STOP!

I invite your opinion.

Please visit me and also see my work on my facebook page - just type into the search bar from your facebook page - you guessed it - thepaintedladysplaceonfb.

One word of warning. MY facebook is The Painted Ladys Place, that is me. NOT me is The Painted Lady. I am sure the lady that holds this moniker is a nice lady too, but she is DEFINITELY NOT selling paintings! LOL!