It’s been a super busy couple of weeks in the studio. I can’t believe it’s just a few days until Tom and I embark on a new adventure – a three-week excursion to Italy! I had to double down in the studio to finish in time, but my new painting, “Glad Tidings at Gimbels” is ready for unveiling! I’m off to the printer today to tweak the details to make sure everything is just right. There will be more information about it on my website soon, including pre-orders! Meanwhile, there’s been a lot going on in my studio since I last…

Today was the day I finally got back to my studio. This was one of those weeks where I didn’t have much time to devote to painting, despite the fact that every day, my brain kept telling me “I want to paint!” What kept me out of the studio? A lot of running around, but mostly babysitting the grandgirls. They are getting very big indeed! Why is it that they are getting older, and I’m not? I do feel young, though there are days when it feels like my age is catching up with me! The girls are a goofy…

The word is “Gimbels,” and I wouldn’t be surprised if I have a thousand pictures of it. So many different perspectives and points of view… a little of this and a little of that. I was just talking to a client on the phone about my process of researching and planning this painting these last couple of weeks. She asked if the Gimbels painting will become a puzzle. I told her I haven’t even thought that far ahead. Then it occurred to me that putting this painting together has been a lot like solving a puzzle. I am so thankful to those…

I have been knee-deep in researching my upcoming Gimbels painting for this year. The painting will show the Gimbels building as it was back in the 1950s-1960s, and just about everyone I’ve heard from has voted for a setting of twilight during the Holiday season. I’m already working on the first sketch, and I have to say I’m very excited about it! I was lucky enough to find a 44-minute documentary that must have been used for orientation for new Gimbels employees. Not only was I fascinated by the narrator’s classic 1940s mid-Atlantic accent, I can tell you this: If…

I have so much to share with you this week! (Warning: I may get a little long-winded today!) First up, I want to thank all of you who have contributed pictures and information for my Gimbels project. Please keep it coming! It seems the consensus among my loyal customers is that you would like to see the painting set at dusk during the holidays. I suppose that makes sense, as my Kaufmann’s and Horne’s paintings were also set in that time and season. If I can pull this off, it will make a lovely addition to your Pittsburgh (or any!)…

What a week it has been! Though we were all over the place last week, we still had time for some holiday fun at home, dyeing eggs with our little granddaughters. They’re growing up so fast, always curious, and always in motion. They keep us moving, too! We can always count on them to make us laugh. Sometimes they keep us so busy that we end up with sore muscles, especially the ones around our mouths and eyes with all that smiling and squinting! We feel very blessed that they live nearby so we can be very involved in their…

Spring may be busting out all over (especially in my garden), but I’m already thinking about Christmas! You see, I spent most of first quarter 2023 working on a private commission. But thanks to our spontaneous trip to London and Paris, the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show, and out-of-town guests, I have yet to put the finishing touches on this double portrait of two lovely children in their grandparents’ home, enjoying the family’s model trains.  I was thrilled tonight when I called my client to ask if I could share this painting with you, and he said “Yes!” Early in…

Well, I finally did it! I have officially set up my store in my Home Studio. I’ve created a display of all my fun gift items and my prints around a well-lit area right next to my painting space. So now when you stop by, you can shop and also see the latest project I’m working on. Visits will still need to be scheduled in advance to make sure you don’t arrive to an empty studio if I’m out gardening, shopping, or at a show. To make an appointment, just call me at 888-748-8278 (it rings through to my cell phone). A visit…

Can you believe it’s already the final weekend of the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show? It’s what we vendors often call “Marathon Weekend.” The show is open tonight until 9 pm, Saturday 10-9, and Sunday 10-6. Then it’s time to break it all down again! I would love to see you this weekend at Booth #3146 (at the front end of the 3100 aisle). This year’s show has been a real treat for me. My new mugs have been a major hit! And my ideas for what I’m going to paint this year are definitely coming together. The plan is to return to…

Each and every painting I have at this year’s Home and Garden Show tells a story. And there’s also the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Both are true, whether it’s a picture of a memory of growing up in Pittsburgh or perhaps a place you visited on vacation. I’m bringing a number of my original paintings to the Home and Garden Show this year – about 20 soft pastel paintings with rich, radiant colors and a depth that can only be appreciated when seeing an original in person. We realized today that we needed more paintings,…