I'm back

I'm back!!! I am sorry to keep you all waiting for the report about the Studio Tours. The Wednesday after the tours, I had to go into the hospital for a minor procedure to take care of some problems I have been experiencing. I was in the hospital overnight, and have been recuperating at home since then. Don't worry, it went well and every day I feel better. So the prognosis is good! I guess I always think I can accomplish more than I really can. I was certain I would be able to get a blog post in before the hospital visit. I do apologize.

The Studio Tours were great!!! I had a really good turnout, the weather was fantastic, and I met a lot of other artists and new people. I will honestly say that the sales weren't quite what I had hoped for, but in every other way it was a great success. I am really happy I participated. If any of you who visited my studio are reading this, THANKS FOR COMING!!! I think it was a great way to introduce myself and my artwork to this community. I look forward to doing it again next year.

The fall weather in the desert has been so spectacular. I am not trying to brag, for those of you who are already freezing cold. I merely want to share with you how delightful it has been, particularly after the summer heat. The nights cool down into the 50's, and during the day it is usually in the mid-80's. It is heavenly. A few brave blossoms have emerged, and I am not sure if they are normally fall blooming, or if the bit of rain we got about a month ago was the cause. In any case, I am always delighted to see flowers in the wild.

I leave you with a photo of a roadrunner who recently visited. Here he (she?) is, staring right at us! I took another photo, when he started to run, but all I got in the frame was the end of his tail. "Beep beep, zip--BANG!!!!" So fast.

Fall in the desert

We had a cool spell over the weekend. We experienced the coldest temperatures since last spring, where the highs were only in the 50's, and a cold wind was blowing. It still gets much cooler at night now, but the temperatures during the day have gone back up to the 70's. I am much happier with the warmer temperatures, since I am a cold blooded lizard who needs a warm rock in the sun to sit upon!!! However, this is a sign that winter comes, even to the desert.

I don't have much to tell you. The mornings have been beautiful, as you can see in the above photo. The dirt road is one I run with the dog quite often in the morning. What a wonderful time to be out! Enjoy your day, everyone. Hopefully, tomorrow will have some more interesting thoughts.

I am putting final touches on the house and art for this weekend! It's approaching quickly - Art Tours 2008! Stop in if you live nearby - I'd love to see you and feed you some munchies. I'm number 44 on the tour.

Snakes and more snakes

One thing about the desert is that you will never get lonely to see a snake. At least, not lately. We have had enough rain, so there is enough for the rodents to eat. Which means there is also plenty for the snakes to eat! Here is another snake we saw a few days ago, while running with the Pono in the morning. Don't worry, I didn't actually get that close to it, I just used my zoom.

We got a tiny bit more rain on Monday afternoon. Not enough to bring us up to the one inch mark yet, but we are closer! For the year, we now have received .91 inches of rain. WHOA. What's nice about the rain is that not only does it cool the air off, but there are beautiful clouds at sunset. I had fun taking photos, so I thought I would share a few with you.



I discovered that even though I thought I was having my studio open on October 11th and 12th, it turns out I was off by one week. So my studio will be open on October 18th and 19th, from 9 to 5 pm. (I swear I did call and ask, but mistakes happen.) At least I will have an extra week to get everything ready to show. I have just started a new series of animal paintings, and I hope to have a photo of one ready to show you tomorrow.

The dog days of summer

Sunday, 4:00 pm, 100 degrees Farenheit. Where does the term "dog days" come from? click here, if you are curious, like I was.

It must be August. For some reason, at the end of the summer I seem to enter into a phase of ultimate laziness. Is it the heat? I will blame it on a natural rhythm. I will blame it on whatever I can. It seems like all I want to do is sleep and eat ice cream. I am NOT doing that, however. (Well, I guess I have had a little ice cream.) I have actually been busy, preparing for the Studio Tours in October. I have signed up to participate. If you live near Joshua Tree, CA, you can come and visit my studio on October 11 & 12th! I will have original oil paintings, monotypes, giclee reproductions, cards, and even some gift items, which I will feature on this blog soon!

I leave you with another monotype. This one I reworked in pastel after it was dry. It's called "Turning Point". It looks much better in person, but I am too tired of the computer to fix it. Maybe later.