Hope's Art Journey

Little Marsh     10 x 8

I've had the photo I used for this painting for some time.  I would say it is probably in the Cedar Key/Yankeetown area of Florida.  Since I had just pushed to finish a large painting to enter in the Wildlife show, I decided to use the remaining paint and whip out a small painting.  That's a joke since I had to mix more paint and I didn't whip it out.  The part that was so appealing to me was the center part with the marsh grasses.  I had to leave a palm out because it did not fit and modified the trees on the right.  Then, the plants in the foreground were not as easy to paint as I thought.  I have not found them in our plant books so I can't call them by name but my neighbor says they are in the Calla Lily family.  And, since there was so much in the foreground I added clouds in the sky and the birds.  I like painting large better but this was good for me.  It made me simplify the scene.

Two paintings were entered into the St. Augustine Art Association's Wildlife Show and the 30 x 30 "Wild Grasses" did not make it.  However, the 36 x 24 " Wild Palms" did.  I'm grateful for that and look forward to the show in August.  It's always a good show.

Meanwhile I am getting work ready for my one person show at Arts on Douglas in March 2017.  The show is going to be called "The Best of  Thirty Years", etchings, mixed media and acrylic paintings.  I have been through every existing etching plate to find those that are frameable.  Some of the plates have so much scraping in areas that they are not pretty.  Others were only etched to add color to the main plate and there is very little image.  This is a challenge but I feel it is worth doing as it brings the end to the etching experience in my life.  I hope to sell the remaining prints of the remaining etchings and the plates.  I only plan to keep a few.  This is also part of my paring down and simplification of storing stuff.  I want to show to be a celebration and thanks to all the people who have supported me.