Can you believe it was just a few years ago (2011) that construction began on the new Consol Energy Center sports arena? And it was only just a few years earlier that I had painted the old Mellon/Civic Arena in “Hockey Fever at Mellon Arena.” As they were tearing down the old arena in early 2011, it seemed that everyone wanted something to remember it by, and soon that print had sold out. My goal (ha ha, see what I did there?) in painting “Pittsburgh’s New Home for Hockey” was to build a bridge of memories from the old arena…

First and foremost, I want to thank you all for your prayers for my husband Tom. We were a little concerned last weekend and into the beginning of this week, but eventually he turned the corner and is recovering nicely. Now that he’s finally starting to feel better, I’ve picked up my paintbrush again to work on the next painting in my “Jolly Old Elf” series – “Santa’s Joyride” – and I’d love to share it with you. Ever wonder how Santa gets around after he parks the sleigh for the season? Here’s the final sketch before the painting began……

Another week has flown by, and the weekend has come again. And because it’s Fall festival season, that means it’s time for another show. Whenever I have an event, I’m generally up and raring to go, but this week I may have a little less enthusiasm than usual. My husband Tom has been feeling pretty ill lately, and it looks like he may have pneumonia. He is getting a chest x-ray today, so we’ll know more soon. Obviously, my mind and my heart aren’t fully focused on my work right now, but as always, “the show must go on,” and…

I love multitasking, though it’s not always easy. I like that sense of accomplishment from getting two things done at the same time. Which is why it makes perfect sense for you to come visit me this weekend at one of my favorite shows of the season! I can’t think of a better way to reap the benefits of multitasking than by enjoying a fun country outing on a beautiful fall day – while at the same time wisely snapping up some great holiday gifts. I’ll be exhibiting this weekend with a full selection of my prints and giftware at…

I have been on Cloud Nine all this week, getting to know our little Aria Grace and mastering this grandma thing. I want to thank you all for the multitude of replies I received from so many of you after last week’s newsletter. They truly touched my heart! All of your good wishes were deeply appreciated. But as nice as it is to stay in our little family bubble, life goes on. As we look ahead to next weekend, I wanted to let you know I’ll be exhibiting at the Washington County Covered Bridge Festival in Mingo Creek County Park.…

That’s right – I became a grandmother this week! And I have a feeling we’ll be telling the story of the events leading up to Aria’s birth for many years to come… It all started at the Shadyside Arts Festival, which definitely didn’t turn out quite the way we expected this year! We were having a great weekend of sunny (though very warm) weather at the festival. It was really terrific! Sales were brisk all weekend, especially for my new paintings. (In fact, I want to thank all of you who came down to the show and visited my booth!)…

Wow! I have so much to tell you about this week! I’ve gone multimedia! This week you can see me 1) on TV, 2) in print, and 3) at a live show! First of all, I was on KDKA Pittsburgh Today Live with Kristine Sorensen on Monday. What a fun experience that was! Follow the link below to see a video of me in action! http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/show/pittsburgh-today-live/video-3451243-shadyside-arts-festival-returns-this-weekend/ I was also interviewed for an article that appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Friday, August 26th. It is a big article about the 20th Anniversary of the Shadyside Arts Festival. The Shadyside Arts…

First, I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers for Alyssa, Jon, and our soon-to-be granddaughter. This week was a rough one for them because of some pregnancy complications as well as a very scary auto accident. Don’t worry – everyone (including baby) is just fine… unfortunately, the car not so much. But as we have always said, “Cars can be fixed, people can’t.” We are just grateful that the kids were able to walk away from it. Now I have some great news I want to share with you… I will appear on Pittsburgh Today…

We’re having another eventful week at Chez Barnicott, as we found out that our daughter Alyssa is in need of some prayer. Her baby, Aria Grace, is still in the breech position, and there has been a lot of activity around this new finding. In just a few weeks, we will be holding our little gift, our first grandchild, in our arms! In the meantime, Alyssa’s doctors will be doing their best to help turn the baby, and a positive mindset can’t hurt. Any prayers will be greatly appreciated! Yes, it’s definitely been a week of surprises in the Barnicott…

Last week, I decided that since we were celebrating “Christmas in July” in Market Square, I would put in a request for some seasonal snow flurries to set the holiday mood. Unfortunately, the snowflakes I ordered must have melted in the heat, because we got rain instead! It turned out that my borrowed tent had multiple leaks, which led to multiple puddles… so my priority became taking cover and keeping my artwork dry. I was a little discouraged and ready to pack up and go home, but then Santa dropped by my tent for some photo ops with visitors and…