The weekend before last, Tom and I personally delivered my original pastel painting, “Ice Ball Treats with Gus and YiaYia,” to its new home in Connecticut with the Rooney family. (Yes, THAT Rooney family!) We had the pleasure of spending the afternoon and evening with the piece’s new owners, June and Tim Rooney. They loved that Tim’s brother, Dan Rooney, appeared in the painting, sitting and watching while Gus shaved the ice for his ice-ball treats. Shipping an original pastel that size would have given me sleepless nights! So instead, we took a road trip, had an adventure, and created a lovely…

Did you notice last week that I didn’t send out a newsletter? There was a really good reason. I was in the midst of a customer service nightmare – 11 hours of phone calls over the course of two days! It began on Wednesday afternoon as I tried to make a business call. A robot told me that my service was suspended. When I finally spoke to a real person, I was told “no service until you pay up!” My bill was over $2000! I was sure that I’d called before we left for Italy to sign on for the…

Picklesburgh is one of Pittsburgh’s favorite summer festivals. In fact, USA Today readers recently voted it the #1 Specialty Food Festival in America! Every year, Picklesburgh attracts bigger and bigger crowds of happy people eating and having a good time… and of course, pickles, pickles, pickles everywhere you look! I missed last year’s event because I was on an amazing family vacation to visit The Mouse with my grandgirls, but I’m back for 2023… and boy, do I have the pickle gifts for you! Picklesburgh is growing every year, so the festival has a new footprint for 2023. Instead of…

I’m writing these words from Pittsburgh International Airport as Tom and I begin our Italian adventure! Before we take off, I have some GREAT news to share with you!  Prints of my new painting, “Glad Tidings at Gimbels,” are now available at a preorder price of 15% off – no code necessary!  My latest pastel painting will be released in a limited-edition giclee print on August 1st, and I am taking 15% off the price on all preorders before that date. You can order your print by clicking here. The edition will include 50 Artist Proofs, 50 Artist-Enhanced (with soft pastels), and 500 standard-edition prints.…

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…