Come join me at the Hermitage on October 5th from 2 - 4PM for a fun day of plein air painting!  I love the fall and the Hermitage is a beautiful setting to enjoy this time of year as the days get cooler and the colors change.  Our spring event was a huge success and sold out very quickly so sign up fast if you're interested in this fall event!
  I will be giving a demonstration and then will provide individual instruction for everyone.  See you there!
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​https://www.eventcreate.com/e/plein-air-painting-at-the-h

  Yesterday, I flew out to Grand Rapids, Michigan to appear on a special painting and flowers episode of J Schwanke's Life in Bloom!  I have enjoyed watching Life in Bloom on Create TV for years and it was an honor and absolute pleasure to be on a painting episode.
  We had great weather for filming and set up in their beautiful garden.  J and I talked about my background, residency in Giverny last summer and my life traveling and teaching.  I brought my watercolors and we had a great time painting a stunning bouquet together.  J totally surprised me with  a flower crown, which is a tradition for his guests!
  I want to say a HUGE thank you to J, Kelly, Nick, Grace and entire filming crew.  I loved the entire experience. 
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​The episode will air in 2025 and will be episode #702.

  I can't wait for this exciting painting workshop in Ireland!  This trip is already filling so if you're interested in joining then don't hesitate.  You can read more about it and book your trip with the following link: https://www.travelfevertours.com/painting-green-artist-workshop-in-northern-ireland
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"There’s plenty of beauty to paint on the Ashbrooke estate, but we’ll do quite a bit more when we’re not painting. Here are a few of our activities:
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​• A full-day excursion to the northern coast of Donegal to see and paint the sea, the beaches, and the cliffs.
• Musicians will visit us at the manor house to share some traditional Irish music.
• We’ll visit the estate’s walled garden to see what’s growing.
• A falconer will introduce us to his magnificent birds.
• The estate hosts an equine therapy program for veterans. We will have an introduction to equine therapy and have time to spend time with the horses.
• We will visit the nearby town of Enniskillen."

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Travel Fever Tours is headquartered in Putney, Vermont

   It's been a busy semester thus far in my final year as an MA student at the Florence Academy of Art.  After all the travel, my first week was pretty crazy and I was also battling a cold so I was exhausted!
  With this second week starting, I wanted to share some of my studies that I've been working on.  One of my projects is a thesis still life that I'm developing from thumbnails to charcoal studies to a small oil study.  The focus is on values, which is one of the main principles of art.  My other project is a figure painting that I'm developing in the same manner.
  The classes are very structured, which has helped me learn the principles more efficiently.  The faculty has also been excellent and it's invaluable to be able to ask questions directly and to have my work professionally critiqued.
  This process of art making is a very old one and it's extremely versatile.  It resonates with me because of its directness and simplicity.  And when I say simplicity, I also mean an economy that is very challenging to achieve.  As a teacher myself, I see the benefit of also passing these methods to my own students.  And it's great to teach (and learn) a process that emphasizes direct observation without tricks or "secrets".
​  On Thursday, we're going to the Uffizi gallery so I'm excited about that.  I'm also going to get out and do some plein air work soon.  This whole experience has been very fulfilling!