Greetings from the Chalet in Market Square! … pretty much my home-away-from-home until December 23rd. With the frosty weather this week, I’m really glad I invested in some Arctic-grade long underwear! But one of the things that bring some sparkle to all those long cold days is the wonderful visitors who come to see me there. First, of course, The Jolly Old Elf himself has been visiting with children in his Market Square Santa House, and he stopped by on his break to say hello. I have a feeling he just likes looking at all those paintings he’s in! Then just yesterday, the Penn…

Thanksgiving is that wonderful time of year when I kick back and remember how grateful I am for all of you. Every one of you has brought great joy into my life! Just knowing that you read my blog each week and you’re interested in keeping up with my family and my art career means so much to me. You are the reason I paint, whether it’s our beloved Pittsburgh, familiar landmarks… and of course, the Big Man himself, Santa. So for this special holiday weekend – and that includes Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, up until midnight on Cyber…

And so it begins… We found all of the decorations. Then we bought a few more. We boxed up hundreds of prints and giftware pieces, loaded them in the van, and brought them downtown. All day long, we hung paintings, filled up my displays, and made sure everything was in place. Why all the hard work? Because today is Day 1 of 38 days of holiday cheer at the annual Holiday Market in Market Square! The soft opening tonight (Thursday, November 15th) is mostly unadvertised. It’s sort of a dry run to make sure everything is in working order and the…

It seemed like Fall was playing games with us this year, and the leaves took forever to turn. But finally the fall foliage has arrived, filling our world with a plethora of beautiful colors. I was afraid we would miss out on that this year with all the unusual weather. And now another sign of the changing of the seasons is coming our way… It’s hard to believe, but in just one week, it’s time for my longest (and favorite) show of the year – the Pittsburgh Holiday Market in Market Square! As they do every year, the Market will have a Soft…

Today I’m at the Giant Oaks Garden Club’s “A Victorian Tinsel Christmas,” and I’m taking advantage of a little break in the action to sit down for a bit, catch my breath, and write a quick note to you. I’m still playing catch up after last week’s very successful – and very fun! – Trunk Show and Studio Open House. The folks who came by really seemed to enjoy both the evening and the daytime events. I’m very grateful for everyone who showed up and for the opportunity to spend time just hanging out and talking with everyone. In fact, the event was…