They call New Mexico “The Land of Enchantment,” and with good reason… I must admit I have fallen under its spell! As I mentioned in my last email, I’m in Albuquerque, New Mexico, kicking back and enjoying a little getaway with Tom after a whirlwind week at the IAPS Convention. The Convention was truly life-changing! I met amazing artists from all over the world and learned from wonderful master instructors, each one with their own technique of painting with pastels. There were painting contests and a huge pastel art show. There was never a dull moment, and definitely no chance…

I’m sorry I missed writing to all of you last week. My father-in-law has been very ill, and we’ve been focused on trying to get him the best care possible. It has been a quite a struggle, but I’m happy to say he is now in good hands and responding well to his new medication. Of course, making it to age 90 is already beating the odds, and we know we have been very blessed to have him with us for so long. His recent health problems, however, have been very severe. For a while, we weren’t sure he would…

As I’m writing this, my family and I are cheering the Pens’ Game 7 victory in the Stanley Cup playoffs. We’re so thrilled to see the Pens move on to the Finals! The timing is perfect because I’ve just completed an original painting of one of my personal heroes, Pens captain Sid Crosby. Needless to say, he’s grown up quite a bit since he was dubbed “Sid the Kid!” Coincidentally, Sid suffered a serious concussion in a game a few years ago, while at the very same time, my daughter Brittany also received the terrifying news that she had sustained…

There’s a beautiful birdhouse in the cherry tree just outside my window. It was painted by a fellow artist, and a bird family has made it their home for the last three years. As the birds come and go, chirping all day long, I think of how their lives are so busy… gathering the materials for their nest and preparing each Spring for their new little families. My own baby birds may have already flown the nest, but I can’t say I’m any less busy than I was in earlier years. In fact, I missed writing to you last week…

Hi, it’s The Birthday Girl! Yes, today is my birthday, and it’s turning out to be a glorious spring day! I’ve been starting to wake up my garden now for the last couple weeks, getting my hands in the dirt and smelling the fresh air. It’s done a lot for my spirits. Anyway, this has been an exciting week for our family (and not just because of my birthday)! One of the highlights was on Sunday when my granddaughter Aria attended her first big art show. The show is called “Pure Pigment,” and it’s currently running at The Artsmiths of…

In the last two weeks, I’ve shared stories with you about my first two Pittsburgh paintings. This week I’m going to skip ahead one and tell you a story about the fourth painting in my first Pittsburgh series, “Sharing the Season at Market Square.” When I began my preliminary sketches, I made the creative decision to remove an entire block between what was then the Jenny Lee Bakery and a group of older buildings, including the “1902 Landmark Tavern.” There was another nondescript building there at that time, but I felt it didn’t fit in with the composition and the…

While enjoying a little downtime after all the hustle and bustle of the Home and Garden Show, I came across an old photo that brought up a lot of happy memories… It was long ago, and I was the young mother of a precious little girl, Brittany. It was early 1990, but as you can see, I still had my big 80’s hair going strong, not to mention my very fashionable 80’s sweater coat! I had just had my first big commercial success with “Meet Me Under Kaufmann’s Clock,” and I was getting ready to paint the second pastel in…

As I write to you on this glorious sunny afternoon, I’m filling orders from the Home and Garden Show and getting ready to paint again. I’m also reflecting on the wonderful week I’ve had since we last talked. My latest painting, “Hills Is Where the Toys Are,” was featured on Pittsburgh Today Live with Pittsburgh Dad, and the great publicity brought it lot of attention. The prints are selling like hotcakes, and people are collecting the gift items as well. The small run of Hills ornaments I ordered sold out in just two days! (Don’t worry, I will order more!)…

All I did was say, in last week’s blog, that robins are overrated as a sign of spring and look what happened! I’m sorry! Talk about your Angry Birds… those robins can’t take a joke! I hope they’ll accept my apology and take back this winter weather! Regardless of the wind and snow outside, it’s warm and cozy and springlike here at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show. I’m having a tremendous week here since the show opened last Friday. Can I share a little of it with you? Weekday crowds at the Home and Garden Show can be a…