Happy Birthday to Me!!

I celebrated my birthday on Friday, July 25th.

I've reached a milestone.

This is the birthday where I looked in the mirror and (with a smile on my lips and laughter in my heart) had to honestly admit to myself that "I have turned into my mother!" I remember laughing with my mom many, many years ago when she looked into the mirror and had declared on her fifty-something birthday that SHE had turned into her mother. Thinking about that moment makes me laugh out loud. My mom passed into spirit on April 30, 1997. I miss her. I think of her every day.

I received a number of lovely gifts and cards. My daughter surprised me with a beautiful vintage botanical print which she found in Ann Arbor a few weeks ago. I'm posting a picture of the print. You will, also, see a delicious individual cake that my friend Donna presented to me. It's too pretty to cut. Look at the sunflowers! You probably can't read the script along the bottom. It reads: Happy Birthday to my BFF! It was a nice surprise. Unexpected surprises are the best!

I drove to Atlanta on Saturday (26th) to spend the day with my son. He and I made our way downtown to the Georgia World Congress Center to see the sampling of fine art offered at the NBAF Artists' Market.
I was particularly interested in the sculpture of George Nock a former running back with the NY Jets and the Washington Redskins. My friend, John Sims, had a beautiful display of his work.

Late afternoon, we enjoyed a meal at a restaurant in Atlantic Station. Nice.

I'm Not the Best Blogger

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm not the best blogger in the world.

Oh, there are a-hundred-and-one things that I'd love to share with you about my artistic endeavors but I find that I'm having a difficult time working 9 to 5 everyday . . . sitting at a computer. . . and then coming home and spending more hours at a keyboard and monitor. arrrrgh! How do you do it and keep your sanity??! I'm always struggling with the decision to either cut a lino block, needlepoint, or spend more time on the computer.

My daughter has this blogging thing down to a science. She's so blogging savvy I wonder sometimes if I'm really her mama! If given the opportunity, I'm sure that she'd love to tell me to figure it out on my own. Ha! But she's held her tongue and has patiently tolerated me and my questions. And my boy is just as tech savvy. He's fearless when it comes to clicking around the internet universe. I love his confidence.

Okay, here's the update of my so called (artist) life. My Relief Printing Workshop which I was scheduled to teach this weekend July 18-20th at the Alabama Folk School, Camp McDowell, Nauvoo, Alabama was canceled. As a matter of fact, all of the classes which had been scheduled for the weekend were canceled. Don't know why. The Folk School camp director sent out an email blast to all of us apologizing for the inconvenience of sending a late notice and that was that. Needless to say, I was VERY disappointed. Moving on.

I was asked if I might be interested in participating in the Bluff Park Preview Show at Hoover Public Library. Of course, I said yes. The Preview show will hang in the art gallery throughout the month of August. I was juried in (3 of 3), again, this year for the 45th Annual Bluff Park Art Show. This is a one day juried art show featuring 120 artist from throughout the U.S. Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 1, 2008. Prior to the Bluff Park Art Show I will participate in the 7th Annual Juried ArtWalk 2008 in Downtown Birmingham, Friday, September 5th: 5-10pm and Saturday, September 6th: Noon-6pm. This year I actually submitted an application for KENTUCK. I live and breath Kentuck and to be included as an exhibitor is a big deal for me. I have received notification that I'm on a "wait list" in my category (Printmaking). While I would have been thrilled to have received an acceptance letter giving me a booth number and location, I'm honored that I've made the cut on my first attempt. This is encouraging news. If an artist should drop out for whatever reason. . . that will open a door for me to show my work. Okay, I wouldn't wish bad on anyone, but hey . . . !

I'll be in Northport as an exhibitor or not.
The festival will take place on Saturday, October 18: 9-5pm and Sunday, October 19: 9-5pm.
See you there!