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…

We Pittsburghers don’t need a robin to tell us that Spring is coming – we know that the real first day of Spring here in the Burgh is Opening Day of the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show! Wow! Can it really have been a year since the last “Final Countdown” to Opening Day? Once again, I’m honored and delighted to be here with some of the nicest and most talented artists in Pittsburgh. I feel very blessed to have their friendship. Though the Home and Garden Show is a highlight of my year, organizing, transporting, and setting up my booth…

Welcome to my busiest week of the entire year! Last week I announced the completion of my latest painting, “Hills Is Where The Toys Are,” and I even showed you a visual timeline of how I created it. The photo above shows the very first print as it rolled off the press a few days ago before it was trimmed and signed – very exciting! With just under two weeks until Opening Day of the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show, I didn’t have a moment to spare! Once I had the finished prints in hand, I headed straight for Pittsburgh…

What a week this has been! I was submerged in The Painting Zone and didn’t surface until today. Last night – very, very late last night! – I finished my new painting, “Hills Is Where the Toys Are.” The painting got started with a seed that was planted last year at the Home and Garden Show (see what I did there?). When I found out that Pittsburgh Dad would also be appearing at the show, I knew I had to find a way to meet him! When I caught sight of Dad and his producer, Chris Preksta, in the Great…

This week I’m working on what I call the “excitement” in my new painting – filling in the tiny details of the Hills Christmas shoppers as they come and go. One by one, I’m working my way through the crowd, finishing each of the figures. Just three people are left to paint… including Pittsburgh Dad! The poor guy is overloaded with bags full of toys and struggling to carry them all. If all goes well, I’ll finish this weekend… wish me luck! I’ve also been working on new giftware that will debut at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show. I…

As my art business grows and evolves, sometimes older product lines are discontinued to make room for new ones. With a new line of Christmas ornaments in the works for 2017, I’ve decided to stop production on my ceramic ornaments. The last time they will be available is at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show in March. I am discontinuing the entire product line (don’t worry… I will still be offering my existing Wendell August Forge metal ornaments with new additions for the 2017 Holiday season). Therefore, all the ceramic ornaments must go. Selection is limited – some ornaments sold…

Despite the freezing temperatures and occasional snow, Spring is not that far away. Punxsutawney Phil tells us we have six more weeks of winter, but we Pittsburghers know that Spring officially arrives with the Home and Garden Show! This year, however, we were lucky enough to have another great show to tide us over until the Home and Garden Show (March 10-19) and help us Think Spring… Last weekend I exhibited at a brand new winter event, “Pittsburgh’s Travel Showcase,” at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. I was the only artist there, so of course some folks were curious…

The sun was just peeking over the horizon on Saturday morning when Tom and I arrived at our location for the big Hills Department Store photo shoot. We chose this store for our photo shoot because it was very similar in appearance to the former Hills store I’ll be painting; it even had a red neon sign that reminded us of that familiar Hills sign from back in the day. If only we had a time machine! The warm glow of the rising sun was reflected in the store’s windows and onto the ground in the parking lot, inspiring me…

One of the perks of my business is that I get to have a little bit of holiday joy in my life all year round. Here I am in mid January, under a Christmas tree, playing with miniature trains. I get to play and call it “research!” Actually, it really does help get me into the right mindset to work on my next painting in the “Jolly Old Elf” Santa series. In fact, I’ve spent so much time with Santa lately, it seems more like November than January. Though Santa has earned the right to be lying on a beach…

It’s a brand new year, and after my much-needed Florida vacation, I’m back in the saddle again! I have long list of new paintings planned for 2017 and can’t wait to jump in and get started. In fact, I already have photo shoots scheduled for a couple of them… including one with my favorite collaborator and model. That’s right, Santa himself! He’s also rested up from his busy holidays and will be coming to my house tonight. From there, we’re headed to the home of one of my clients to take some photos for the next painting in the “Jolly…