Teenagers and artists choose interesting paths.
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| Teressa studying painting in Rochester, many moons ago. |
Yesterday, I got two registrations in the mail for my
Rochester workshop. Kamillah started painting with me when she was a junior in
high school, working at a local diner so she could afford art lessons. Now she’s
a graduate architect, studying for her boards. Her sister Teressa is in nursing
school. It’s a joy to see these kids embrace adulthood with such grace.
Kamillah once painted with me on a late spring weekend in the Adirondacks. We
were at an inn that hadn’t opened yet for the
season. It was blowing and snowing, as the higher elevations tend to do this
time of year. Kamillah is tiny, and I was concerned she’d be blown off the mountain
and right into half-thawed Piseco Lake. Summer eventually showed up that year, as it will this year—at some point.
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| I get to teach in some mighty gorgeous places! |
After I got their registrations, I opened my Little Book of
Workshops. As of today, I have:
- Three openings for Color, Composition, and Technique, June 2-3, Mendon Ponds Park, Rochester, NY.
- Three openings for The Age of Sail, June 10-14, out of Rockland, ME;
- Four openings for Sea & Sky at Schoodic, August 5-10, in Acadia National Park
(I don’t know about Exploring
Rye through Paint (May 11-12, Rye, NY); contact the Rye Arts Center for information about
that.)
That puts me about exactly where I am every year at this
time. Suddenly, when it warms up enough for people to think about painting,
those slots fill up.
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| Will I have a chance to paint in the surf this season? Who knows? Photo by Ed Buonvecchio. |
Meanwhile, I—like every other plein air painter—anxiously await jurying results. Most are not in
yet, but what I have promises an interesting summer ahead. On the 27th, I
fly to Santa Fe, NM for Santa Fe Plein Air Fiesta.
William Rogers
from Nova Scotia is in that event too. That means I’ll see him twice this
summer, since he’s the Honorary Chairman of Parrsboro International
Plein Air Festival in early June. The roster
at that event is like old home week, including many artists I’ve painted
with for ages. That includes, of course, Poppy Balser.
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| Nova Scotia is one of the world's great beauty spots. It's a privilege to paint there. |
I’ll be at Ocean Park’s Art in
the Park in July. That’s really six old friends doing an ensemble act
together, as we've done for several years. At Cape
Elizabeth I’ll run into Janet
Sutherland for the second time this summer. She’s a crackerjack painter and
a regular at Castine, but we seldom get time to say more than a few words to
each other. If only I could slow the tape down!
In August I’ll be back in New York for the Adirondack Plein Air Festival.
And other than that, the jury’s still—literally—out.
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| Barnyard lilacs, by Carol L. Douglas |
Except for one other thing, which is perhaps the biggest
thing of all: in September I’ll be an artist-in-residence at the Joseph
A. Fiore Art Center. I was raised on a farm, and I’ve got a deep affection
for agriculture. This will be the first time in several years where I’ve
isolated myself to paint reflectively, rather than tearing around in a car
painting fast. I’m terrifically chuffed.
