They are back…
As soon as the weather turned cold, and it is cold right now, several bluebirds came back to our feeders. It was a welcome sight, their blue plumage contrasting with the few still hanging orange leaves.
Gallery opening on Thursday
After some changes and rearrangements, this is how our place looks.
The gallery will open to the public this Thursday. Its hours will be Thursday through Monday 1:00PM to 6:00PM.
If you are in the area, come and say hello.
I Hate Snow won Fifth Place
'I hate snow', my photo of an Eastern Bluebird on a snowy branch won fifth place in the habitat category of the 2010 Great Backyard Bird Count photo contest.
I hate snow
The contest was organized by Audubon, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Bird Studies Canada.
'I hate snow' is the January picture in our 2011 Bluebird Country desk calendar.
Southern Appalachian Artist Guild National Juried Show
Enchanting Iris on canvas, at the Southern Appalachian Artists Guild National Juried Show.
Our new little place in Helen, GA
In a week or so, the Georgia Heritage Art Association will open its Co-op Gallery in Helen, GA., a town in the Appalachians with the look and flavor of a Bavarian alpine town. At only two hours from Atlanta, it caters mostly to weekend visitors especially during late October and November when the leaves change colors.
And we will have a space there to exhibit our PixelGraphs photomontages and desk calendars.
Just starting to place some furniture
After several hours of work our place starts to look good but we still have some more hanging to do.
Almost there
In a couple of days, after we finish with the arrangements, I'll post the final - final for the time being - picture.
Sandy Springs Festival, GA
The tale of two days
It was announced as a “rain or shine” event and we got both. Saturday was sunny and hot. A beautiful late Summer day and a lot of people, families, kids with grandparents, younger couples and people walking dogs.
Sunday we were rained out.
Wild Life & Nature Festival & Expo in Blue Ridge, GA
A nice setting between the oaks, good weather – even if a little on the warm side – and a steady flow of people. Add to that good neighbors all around us and you have a perfect way to spend a weekend.
This event was organized by the Blue Ridge Mountain Art Association and it took place at the Downtown City Park this past Saturday and Sunday.
Besides my own :-), I saw some very interesting and unique work. Animal heads, and in some cases the whole animal, made from Sisal fibers by Anne Andersson. They looked real!
In another booth, there were beautiful ceramics in the shape of birds by Helen Harris, from Murphy, NC. I fell in love with a Blue Jay which mysteriously found his way to our house.
Paula van Huss
Chris Boone, a wood carving artist, exhibited his wooden animal sculptures, and in particular, swans and geese. Their graceful forms and the uniqueness of their texture – showing parts of the original bark and even lichen and moss – give his work a very distinctive look.
And talking about birds, Bill and Linda Dealy delighted us with the sound of computerized bird calls, matching well the character of their booth: handcrafted solid wood decoys.
And in the far left corner, our friend Paula van Huss added a brushstroke of color with her Native American watercolors and contemporary collages.
Another carving artist, Frank Dominguez, prominently displayed Santa figurines, in different sizes and clothes, each one an original piece.
Carving and photography were the two main media which is easy to understand due to the nature of the show.
Next to our booth there was a gigantic oak that is 128 years old. Looking up it seemed to go up forever
Our next door neighbors, Tom Zarle and his wife Nancy, told us about Scandinavian carving, which techniques he applies to his own whimsical figures.
Our Flower Portraits on canvas received a lot of compliments – beautiful, serene, clean colors – but the one that touched me was the one from a lady who bought a framed Periwinkle Iris, “It represents the start of my new life”. She made my day.
