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,…

In less than one week I will be loading up my U-Haul truck for the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show at the David L Lawrence Convention Center. I still can’t believe this will be my 27th year at the show. And you would think after 27 years that I wouldn’t forget how long it actually takes me to prepare for it. If you were a butterfly on my wall, you would see a flurry of activity all day and all night! I’ll also have some of my original pastel paintings for sale at my booth this time around. I always feel a bit…

It’s full-on Home and Garden Show preparation time, and my living room and dining room are starting to look like a warehouse! We’re as busy as Santa’s elves in December, getting prints and giftware ready for the show. And like Santa himself, I’m making a list and checking it twice to make sure this show is epic! Last week I asked if you had any guesses about what kind of new art gift I was creating for the show. I’ll have nearly 150 of them at the show for purchase. I hinted that it will show three classic pieces of mine, and…

The Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show is just over three weeks away, and things are already getting intense! I’m super excited that I’ve been invited to do an interview with KDKA’s Pittsburgh Today Live that will air on the first day of the show, March 3rd! At this point, I’m one of the longest running exhibitors at the show as I celebrate my 27th year as an exhibitor. Just like last year, I’ll be in the same spot (Booth 3146/8) at the beginning of Artists’ Row. I’ll even be displaying some of my original paintings this year for the first time in over a decade.…

I’m back in the States now, basking in the glow of the wonderful memories we made in the last two weeks. This was my first trip abroad, and it was everything I hoped it would be. Tom and I were on our own (not with a tour), so we did a lot of exploring on our own to get a real taste of both England and France in the short time we were there. The architecture was spectacular, and the food was delicious! But Tom and I agreed that the best part was getting to know some of the people…

During all those long, cold days at the Holiday Market, Tom and the girls and I had a lot of time to talk and dream dreams together. One topic that came up was travel. My oldest daughter Brittany and her friend have taken several memorable trips to Europe, and on a whim, I asked if they could find one that we might like…  and they did! A very reasonably priced trip, in fact. So now Tom and I are leaving for a two-week European adventure in London and Paris!  I am SO EXCITED! We had always dreamed of visiting England,…

Happy New Year! Here we are in 2023 with a whole new year ahead of us. I plan to do a lot of dreaming, planning, sketching, and painting. This year, I’ll be creating both commission work and fun Pittsburgh-themed paintings, and who knows… maybe even a new Santa painting for the holidays? I can’t wait to see what this year will bring. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were so beautiful this year! As you may know, the Holiday Market closed two days early because of the frigid weather. This gave us a couple of “bonus days” for more Christmas activities,…