Clement Farm in Stem, NCI am finally kicking a nasty case of bronchitis which developed during a sophomore class camping trip in late September. The students were awesome, but the weather was damp and dreary. We camped in tents in the barn right behind these silos. The farm is a peaceful and restorative place: a place I would like to return to without fever and congestion!
One evening about 10 days ago, I picked up a copy of the INDY and spotted the "call for entries" to the 54th annual Durham Art Guild's juried exhibit. On a lark, I submitted three pieces. The juror, Beverly McIver, liked what she saw and accepted two of the three works that I dropped off at the Durham Arts Council. I was surprised and thrilled! Note to self: Continue to respond to "call to entries." 
El Greco to Valazquez: Art During the Reign of Philip III
Yes, this is a visual art blog. But The Thirteenth Tale, a novel written by Diane Setterfield, prevented me from painting for two straight days as I devoured the book word for word. And as such, I suggest that you run, don't walk to the closest Barnes and Noble to purchase it! It is a yummy read and well worth staring at the blank canvas in my studio that screams, "Paint me!"
MaryAnn and I just returned from a few days with Caroline, Emma, and Jack. Painting and playing and reading with Emma and Jack was refreshing, bringing me back to a sense of what is real and important! Emma, of course, is WAY AHEAD of other three-year olds with regard to color theory. When we ran out of purple paint and had to mix the color, she was quick to tell me to mix red and blue! While visiting, I had the opportunity to paint a canvas for Emma's bedroom. I am convinced that next summer, she will paint her own!
I will be teaching three new electives this school year and am spending much of the summer writing the curriculum for these courses. This week, I have been focusing on the planning for "Botanical Watercolors." I started painting in watercolors 7 years ago and grew to love the medium. Today, I dusted off the top of the fishing tackle box that houses my tubes of watercolors and inventoried the lot. It has been three years since I considered watercolor as my primary medium and I am need of purchasing a few tubes of paint: phthalo blue, lamp black, payne's gray, and lemon yellow are all available in Windsor Newton at Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh. Unfortunately, I am completely out of Quinacridone Gold which is only available online at Daniel Smith! It is my very favorite color in the whole world and although I have a good supply of the hue in acrylic paint, I am without a watercolor tube. I will need to be patient and wait for the order to arrive at my home next week. Patience is a good lesson for me in many areas of my life, but especially with regard to watercolor.
Just back from a few days at Ponte Vedra, a longstanding tradition of the Easterlin family. Re-entry was much easier than my return from Blowing Rock. WHEW! 
At the beach, I claimed leisurely hours to read and had the opportunity to feast on the newest issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. As I read, I stumbled on the first published announcement for Debbi and Cheryl's new book, Mixed Mania. This book, available November 1, promises to amuse and astonish the reader with "recipes for delicious mixed media creations." I am thrilled to say that a piece of my work is included in the book! The photo of Cheryl and Debbi featured above was taken by me at Arrowmont a few weeks ago. As is clearly seen, collaborative writing is a piece of cake for this dynamic duo!
butterfly bush, yarrow, snapdragons, rosemary, shasta daisy, baptisia
