North East Watercolor Society International Exhibition Top Award Winner!!

She Wants to Play
30 x 22 Watercolor

Got a phone call from Richard Price of NEWS advising that juror Mel Stabin had chosen this painting for top honors at the 2012 International Exhibition out on the east coast.  After I hung up the phone I wasn't sure that I heard correctly and have been fearful to tell anyone.... what if he said "an" award and not "top" award?  It's usually called  the "Excellence Award" and I can't remember that word being used.....  so, my bad if I'm wrong here....and really embarrassing.

Nap with Dog #4 Study

14" x 11" watercolor

For some reason I have a lot of images of daughter Sar with her weiner dog Cowboy, and this would be the 4th one I have painted, 5th if you count the even smaller study I did but can't locate at the moment -- too bad, cause it's my fav.  I started a full sheet (30 x 22) painting based on this, but ran into trouble in the middle section, the sweatshirt and left arm.  Another reason I like studies:  what doesn't bother me at all in a smaller study becomes a glaring misstep when made large.  I'll have to resolve this before continuing.

Farm Belt Breakfast

22" x 15" Watercolor

Continuing in the still life theme.  I had to switch this older piece to a different frame, so this time I remembered to take a photo.

Still Life with Mannequin

14" x 20" Watercolor

From the pile under the bed.  Tweaked it a bit and decided it was a keeper.  Probably should've cropped in closer, but too much to do to get ready for Studio Crawl in Fargo-Moorhead this weekend.  Stop by and say hello if you're out and about.

Bride Revisted

40" x 30" oil, in progress

Revised the size of the head and a few other shapes and lines; started rubbing in a thin layer of local color in hopes that it will be dry and ready to use as a demo on Saturday during the Studio Crawl.  Overall, shapes still feel a bit clunky, and I'm going to have to get off the fence and decide about whether to approach as old school portrait or in a more modern fashion, with flat shapes and paint surface qualities.  It will be a learning experience either way, I just don't want to end up straddling the two ideas and achieving neither (a familiar story).  Or, maybe I'll stop worrying about it and just make it up as I go.