Much has happened since my last blog update! I am now reporting to you from Costa Mesa, California. Read on for more about that…

I had artwork in two exhibitions that opened in July - “Xscape” at FOUND:RE Contemporary and “Agua Sagrada,” a virtual exhibition with Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop in Tucson. “Xscape” remains on display until November 14, and I have been fortunate enough to sell the painting that was juried into that show as well as the one I supplied to replace the first piece. There is a third painting on display there now, also available to go home with a lucky arts enthusiast.

I also visited my family in Oregon in July. We had a lovely time together after far too long apart. My sister and her sweet family indulged my love for rockhounding adventure, and my mom and I visited the Oregon coast, including the Neskowin Ghost Forest and Newport. My human niece and nephew have grown so much in two years, and are such lovely young people. I can’t believe they still think I’m kind of cool. I also got to meet my new dog niece, Ulu!

In August, Aaron accepted a job in Orange County, California, and my life turned into full-time home selling and packing. There was time to crank out a couple of paintings amid the chaos, as well as to get in some quality time with my friends Ursula, Kalisha, and Sarah. I am very grateful to all three of those ladies for helping to keep me sane and take care of odds and ends amongst the chaos. Thankfully, the home sale went better than our wildest dreams could have imagined, making the hard work feel worthwhile.

On September 3, Lola dog and I pulled out of Phoenix in the Uhaul and made our way to the Golden State. The trip was made even more exciting when some issues with our planned new residence arose and Aaron literally found a new place for us to live less than 24 hours before we unloaded. There were a few harried phone calls during that drive, that’s for sure!

We had fun taking Lola to meet the ocean for the first time. That desert dog had no idea what to make of the waves, but she did enjoy some good rolling in the sand. Unfortunately, we won’t be visiting the Huntington Dog Beach again anytime in the near future, as it is part of the impacted area from the oil spill that recently occurred. Huntington Beach and Newport Beach are the two closest beaches to our home (a mere 10 minute or so drive), and are closest to the spill. It’s a bummer, but more than anything, it’s truly heartbreaking to think of the wildlife impacted by this disaster.

Another Raices Taller virtual exhibition, “All Things Paper,” went up on September 4, and is on display until October 16. I am grateful to have three paintings in that exhibition, and encourage you to see the diverse array of works the artists have created for the show, all of which are on paper.

Valley Coffee Company opened around the corner from FOUND:RE Contemporary in Phoenix in September, and I am thrilled to be part of a beautiful wall installation of Arizona-inspired artwork in their shop. My painting Prelude to the Pursuit was selected through an opportunity facilitated by Artlink, an arts organization that has been instrumental to my success as an artist in the Phoenix area. I will certainly miss their support.

Most of September revolved around getting settled and learning a new place. Understandably, I’ve not been as productive as I would have liked during these past few months, but I’m happy to say I’m feeling back to the swing of things again, for the most part. The biggest thing we are still trying to figure out now is where we can go have some rockhounding adventures. :-)

In all, I created six paintings during this time, three of which are still available for purchase. Additionally, I designed and opened pre-orders for my 2022 art calendar, which can be ordered through November 15, 2021.

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Ursula and I took a jaunt out to see the Salt River during her visit. It’s bittersweet to bid this landscape farewell.

Little Bird, Big Dreams 16x12”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper Juried into and available for sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s “All Things Paper” virtual exhibition, 9/4-10/16/21. — *Little Bird, Big Dreams*
16x12”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Cold Pressed Paper
Juried into and available for sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s “All Things Paper” virtual exhibition, 9/4-10/16/21.

See Me in the OC 8x6”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper SOLD. — *See Me in the OC*
8x6”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Watercolor Paper
SOLD.

Sequilibrium 14x10”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Paper Juried into and available for sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s “All Things Paper” virtual exhibition, 9/4-10/16/21. — *Sequilibrium*
14x10”, Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches Hot Pressed Paper
Juried into and available for sale via Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery & Workshop’s “All Things Paper” virtual exhibition, 9/4-10/16/21.

Virga Vision 3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Virga Vision*
3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
For sale as of this blog post - visit my online shop to purchase.

Cloudburst 3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper SOLD. — *Cloudburst*
3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
SOLD.

Sonoran Slumber 3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper SOLD. — *Sonoran Slumber*
3x2”, Watercolor on Stonehenge Aqua Coldpress Black Paper
SOLD.

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Catching up with Jay at Fate Brewing Company

Uh oh! I’ve fallen off of the blog wagon again!

This year has indeed rocked and rolled right along, so let’s see if I can catch you up now. :-)

I kicked off February by catching up with my friend Jay, who was visiting from the Louisville area. It was really fun to see him and to give him a personal tour of my artwork hanging at Industrious Fashion Square. February was pretty consumed with house hunting, as our lease was ending in April and we knew if we were going to buy a house that we would need to get started early. The Phoenix housing market was crazy, with properties selling in a matter of a few days or even a few hours. We increased our budget not once but twice due to the soaring cost of living in the Valley. Finally, toward the end of the month, a house that we had loved but for which we were previously outbid became available again, and we were under contract.

The first week of March, I packed a suitcase and headed to the Caribbean island of Antigua. One of my best friends had invited me to tag along on an all-inclusive family vacation and who was I to turn her down? We had a phenomenally fun time soaking up too much sun and enjoying too much all you can eat buffet and inclusive open bar goodness. Antigua is a beautiful place and I will certainly return someday!

Of course, upon my return, it began to become clear that I would not be returning someday SOON, nor would I be traveling anywhere other than the grocery store anytime in the near future. The coronavirus had hit the United States and over the next few weeks more and more closures happened.

One of those closures turned out to be Agua Caliente Park’s Ranch House Gallery, which of course was the site of my solo art exhibition for which I had been diligently working, prepping, planning, spending, and stressing for over a year. Just a few days before I was to hang my work, it was called off. Of course, I completely understood the decision, and I also know that with the stay at home orders going into effect, little to no people would have seen my work had I been able to move forward with the show.

I ran a sale on my artwork to try to recoup some of my losses and sold quite a few pieces. It was extremely gratifying and humbling to still receive the support of so many at a difficult time for essentially the whole world. I also made a few videos showcasing my work and my artistic process (and featuring the adorableness that is my dog Lola), which can be seen on my YouTube page.

I became somewhat worried our house purchase or move would be impacted by the state of the world, the country, and the economy, but thankfully, they were not. We officially moved to our new home on April 7, and I admittedly fell off of not just the blog wagon, but also the video wagon. I have, however, made some art, remodeled a bathroom, planted a couple of trees, decorated, settled in, and generally just enjoyed having a larger space of my own during an otherwise difficult time.

I’ve also probably driven my Facebook friends a little crazy. I have made it my mission to point out the beauty of the world to them each day for the past two months. I know things seem dire right now, but the fact of the matter is that feeling terrible about it 24 hours a day/7 days a week doesn’t really help. So I hope that my posts have brought a little bit of cheer to those who need it. It’s been a fun exercise for me to document what catches my eye and my heart on the daily.

A gorgeous scene I captured on a hike at South Mountain

I’ve done a little hiking, but not as much as I would have liked. I got distracted with house madness, but also, it’s been rather busy in the outdoor spaces around here. And then it started to get hot. So… aside from trips to South Mountain, Boyce Thompson Arboretum, and Phoenix Mountain Preserve, Lola and I have walked our new neighborhood in the mornings. It’s really quite scenic around here and I enjoy it a lot more than our previous location in Tempe. The area of our home is somewhat historic, with houses built in the mid-1940’s. I’ve especially enjoyed exploring the Phoenix Homesteads Neighborhood that is located just west of us, which has an interesting history, lots of trees and greenery, and some beautiful abodes.

Of course I have created some art during this time, including a couple of fun dog portrait commissions as a surprise birthday gift for my friend Stephanie (I was hired by her thoughtful husband). I’ve also made some art that is a bit of a departure from my more recent work, including an oil painting which was probably my first time using that medium since 1994, and a watercolor I titled Quarantine Queen, which was my first self-portrait in a long while. Most of the art that I created these past three months was larger in size than I have typically produced over the past few years.

I’m not sure what the future holds for much of anything right now. I hope that at some point I will still get to still have my solo exhibition. I watch with interest as many art galleries are moving to virtual exhibition formats. I feel the wanderlust stir in my belly as I long for a new adventure or two. Arizona is opening back up in a lot of ways, but the world is different, and we are all having to learn how to navigate it. In the meantime, I’m thankful for the gift of being a creative who can stay busy and entertained at home, and for those who take interest in and appreciate what I create. Things would undoubtedly be more difficult for me without both of those gifts.

Stay safe, healthy, and as sane as you can, my friends! Sending you much love! And now, here’s the art I have made these few months. :-)

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Spring Ombre (February 2020) 14x10”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Paper For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase. — *Spring Ombre* (February 2020)
14x10”, Watercolor on 300 lb. Arches Paper
For sale as of this blog posting - visit my online shop to purchase.

The Waves of Waladli (March 2020) 12x9”, Watercolor on Crescent Watercolor Board SOLD. — *The Waves of Waladli* (March 2020)
12x9”, Watercolor on Crescent Watercolor Board
SOLD.

Sable (March 2020) 14x11”, Watercolor on Aquabord SOLD (Commission) — *Sable* (March 2020)
14x11”, Watercolor on Aquabord
SOLD (Commission)

Original image (compilation of multiple photos)

Max (March 2020) 14x11”, Watercolor on Paper SOLD (Commission) — *Max* (March 2020)
14x11”, Watercolor on Paper
SOLD (Commission)

32nd Street Kahuna (April 2020) 10x8”, Oil on Canvas SOLD. — *32nd Street Kahuna* (April 2020)
10x8”, Oil on Canvas
SOLD.

Quarantine Queen (April 2020) 16x12”, Watercolor on Aquabord For sale - visit my online shop to purchase. Also available as prints, cards, and merchandise on my Redbubble site. — *Quarantine Queen* (April 2020)
16x12”, Watercolor on Aquabord
For sale - visit my online shop to purchase.
Also available as prints, cards, and merchandise on my Redbubble site.

Shop for art now ›

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