Another week, another happy customer! I couldn’t wait to get back to my easel after the holidays and especially after all that organizing.  I’ve been working on a commission piece that’s been in the works since before the holidays. It’s always helpful when customers are really great about working with your schedule! One of the good things that came out of this pandemic (and there were not many of them!) has been getting back to taking on some commission work. I can’t tell you how many years I didn’t accept commissions – I was too busy creating my Pittsburgh, Kennywood,…

After a long time away (and a long-needed clean-up), it felt good to finally get back to my studio this week!  The first order of business was to finish some commissioned pieces that have been waiting for my attention. I don’t take on commission work very often, but during the pandemic, it’s been a fun and productive way to keep busy. This week I was working on a house portrait (when I told this client, “I’ll paint your house,” I wasn’t kidding!). I had originally promised to deliver it first thing in 2020. Then I promised to deliver it in…

We had an amazing season this year at the Holiday Market. It was hugely successful, and I want to thank all of you once again for your support. The only downside? With our insanely busy Holiday Market schedule, Tom and I didn’t get much time to enjoy our holiday décor this year. So we’ve decided to pretend it’s still December while we continue to enjoy our beautiful Christmas tree and all the beautiful twinkling lights nestled in pine boughs throughout our home. It’s one of the perks of being an adult… no one is the boss of me, so Christmas…

There’s a saying that “the only thing that is inevitable is change.” This has been especially true for me recently, as I’ve said goodbye to a couple of cherished old friends. Last week, John DeSantis, owner of the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show, died unexpectedly due to cancer. My history with John goes way back to the late winter of 1995.  I was just beginning my series of Kennywood paintings with my new publisher, Denny Oliver. One thing we did a lot of in those days was brainstorming about how to introduce our new series to the public, and we…

First off, I’d like to wish a happy, safe, healthy, and prosperous New Year to each and every one of you, my faithful readers! Your support has meant so much to me and has helped me keep going through these last two crazy years. So, speaking of crazy… Since I last wrote to you, I closed down the chalet in Market Square with a lot of help from Tom, Britt, and Breann. Somehow we dismantled all our displays, packed it all up, and loaded everything in the van last Thursday night without any issues. Then on Friday, Santa came to…