Studio time

Hello friends,

It's been a quiet time around here. I've got to spend a good deal of time in the studio creating works for Des Moines and Denver at the end of this month. Ten new works have been painted. They've just been added to the catalog on evwiii.com. Should you have an interest in a piece simply reply back to this email. I can't promise how long they will be around because...

Art shows are on the horizon! I'll be in Des Moines at ArtFest Midwest June 27,28. Exactly one week later I'll be in Denver for The Cherry Creek Arts Festival. I'm really excited about this one! It runs July 3-5.

I've also had a fair amount of good distractions. I was invited to participate in a show at the Wichita Art Museum entitled "Art of the Book." Here are the two pieces I contributed, "Loose Fetters" and "Reserves."

More Good distractions.

If you've ever wondered what I do when I'm not painting, here is a good example. This is Hayden and I in 2010 and now in 2015. The first picture was taken at our initial meeting and the second at Hayden's graduation party. (We worked really hard to get the Last Supper blanket in just the right place). Hayden and I were matched through an organization called Youth Horizons. Having just graduated high school, he is now out of the program. We have developed such a friendship that we continue to meet together and have pledged to do so for the forseeable future.

This relationship has had a tremendous impact on each of our lives. We have so little time on this earth and if it's spent solely on ourselves it's wasted. Before you say I can't, know it only required 2 hours a week. Most of the meetings were at Starbucks where we'd share a drink and talk about what was going on in our lives. It was really simple. I encourage you to find an organization in your area and give of your time if you are not already doing so.

Still More Good Distractions...

I had the honor of judging a High School Art Festival that included the Central Plains League. This was the first time I had ever rated artwork and found it very difficult. I had always scoffed at rejection letters I had received that said things like, "It was a really hard decision as there were so many fantastic artists... blah blah blah." In the end, I found it to be very true.

There were many great pieces of artwork and I was really put to it. I did make the decisions selecting the winners thus crushing a few dreams in the process. It was not fun. What was most enjoyable was giving an artist talk about the importance of art and why it was critical that students continue to create. I don't fancy myself a motivational speaker but this was the closest I've ever come.