Pleine Air Festival

I confess, The competition itself was nerve-wracking. And it was hard to find subjects when everything was so manicured. I tried a study in orange and then froze. Jim got after me and gave a lecture about "thumbnail sketches." (He was just as grumpy as Mr. Folland ever was.) So in desparation I called my dear friend Mary McBride (at 6 am) and asked if she had any kids she would let skip out on school. The result was a fun day in the children's garden for Simone and Peter. We took a ton of pictures and truly they were so cute, even Sandra Rast of Deseret Book fame,

joined in and took some pictures of them. I painted all day and night, cropped a wet painting, framed them and drove in a frenzy to the water tower. And was pleasantly surprised to see Sandra Rast of DB fame, had also painted our adorables. She got the fun one, where the kids were feeding the Koi fish. (The Koi fish that Todd Orchard painted. and traded to me. teehe.)

Thanksgiving Point Peine Aire Festival

After three days of crash painting in the visual sugar bowl that is Thanksgiving Point, we submitted our paintings and are waiting for the judge's results. I painted in the quick draw competition, and gained a fan-- and eleven year old conesuer, Jonah, who held my pallete, loaded my pen with ink, and gave the initial squirt from the squirtbottle. He was the cutest little guy who dubbed me, " The Quill Artist." Hmm. I can live with that.

Any way here are a few pictures from the beginning of the week-- My subjects for the competition. If you want to see how they turn out, I guess you'll have to come to the show. One of the other Artist Sandra Rast, piggy backed on our set up with Simone and Peter. I suppose we will see those two on the wall at DB sometime soon.