Despite all this crazy cold weather, summer is indeed on its way, and our thoughts are going to outdoor activities.  For me, that means long rides in the country, finding views with rivers or lakes, and going to amusement parks with my family.  One of our favorite destinations over the years has been Conneaut Lake Park. The park was built in 1892, and it’s had its struggles in recent years. According to their website (newconneautlakepark.com), there’s a lot going on there this summer, but there’s one thing that will be gone and sorely missed – the Blue Streak roller coaster.…

What an amazing week this has been! We are now up to 48 prints sold of “Unbroken – The Heart of Ukraine.” As soon as I got the first 33 prints from my printer, I signed each one of them in gold. Tom and I worked together to package everything, and then I was off to the post office. Well… let’s just say it’s not cool to show up at the post office on Tax Day with 28 packages! After waiting for the eight people in line ahead of me, I finally made it to the window. I felt guilty and…

Since I wrote last week, it’s been nonstop activity around here! My oldest and dearest friends have been in town visiting Tom and me for the last five days. Friendships like ours are truly golden, and my soul has been full of joy. While they were here, my friend Ron remarked that my original painting of Mingo Creek Park’s Ebenezer Bridge (“Evening at Ebenezer Covered Bridge”) may just be his favorite of all my paintings. So as we discussed where to go while they were visiting, it seemed like a perfect plan to take them and our grandgirls (who were on spring…

This is my new painting, “Unbroken – The Heart of Ukraine.” The symbolism in the painting represents the steadfastness and resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of this brutal war. I was inspired to create it because I wanted to make a difference and do whatever I could to help support the Ukrainian people. Finally, all the details are in place! Now you can donate to humanitarian organizations in Ukraine by purchasing your own print of “Unbroken.” Each colorful print is 11 x 14 inches with an image area of 8 x 10 inches on archival paper. You can actually frame the piece without the…

Here I am, back at the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show at the David L Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh and loving it! I didn’t realize just how much I’ve missed this show. All day long, I’m visiting with customers I haven’t seen in two years, and it’s been so much fun! Did you catch the terrific article about the show that appeared in Sunday’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette? Of course, I wasn’t the only one interviewed for the article, but I was thrilled that they chose my photos to illustrate the article in color. Sincere thanks to writer Kevin Kirkland and the editors for making…

The Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year! Can you believe it? After the show skipped last year and closed early in 2020 because of the pandemic, I am super excited and more than ready to be back. I’m so full of adrenaline that I feel as if I could float off into the air! I pretty much have everything in order, which is a bit unusual for me. On Sunday, we will be renting our U-Haul truck and loading it up for a Tuesday morning move-in. Then it will be full days of set-up and organizing until the…

Well, maybe not exactly two weeks… but it’s just 11 days (not that I’m counting) until the opening of the Pittsburgh Home and Garden Show! More reliable than the Groundhog, the show is known to be the first sign of spring in Pittsburgh. As the show is celebrating its 40th year, it’s been 27 years since I was the only artist on the second floor of the old Convention Center. My booth was set up between windows and bathtubs. We were allowed to put up balloons back then, so I did it hoping it would help passersby notice me. People…

Though the past week’s weather has been anything but spring-like, I’ve been making great progress on my new painting, “Springtime in Mellon Green Park.” A few days ago, I was at the stage of the painting where I had to decide whether to put someone in the composition, and if so, where was just the right spot?  And who could I possibly use as a model? Hmm… I know! “Hey Tom, would you mind going downtown to Mellon Green and posing for me on a bench?” Normally, there wouldn’t be a problem with that… except that this week we had a…

According to Punxsutawney Phil, it looks like we’re in for six more weeks of winter. Well, for those of us who only like a little bit of winter, (you know, the “I like the different seasons” thing), this is not what we wanted to hear from our friend, the weather-predicting rodent! Though my garden looks pretty nice decorated with all that white flaky stuff, I believe I’m ready to enjoy the first signs of spring. Of course, painting a springtime scene at Mellon Green (which I will be sharing with you soon) is an acceptable substitute for now. At least…

Another week, another happy customer! I couldn’t wait to get back to my easel after the holidays and especially after all that organizing.  I’ve been working on a commission piece that’s been in the works since before the holidays. It’s always helpful when customers are really great about working with your schedule! One of the good things that came out of this pandemic (and there were not many of them!) has been getting back to taking on some commission work. I can’t tell you how many years I didn’t accept commissions – I was too busy creating my Pittsburgh, Kennywood,…