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.