Two weekends ago I participated in the Mainsail Art Show in St. Petersburg, Florida. We met many new customers along with seeing familiar faces from last year’s show. The caliber of art at the Mainsail show is quite impressive so I was quite honored to receive the Mainsail Award of Distinction.
On Monday after the show, some friends took my husband and I kayaking on the beautiful Hillsborough River. The river made you think that you were in the middle of the Everglades instead of minutes from Tampa. Palm trees gracefully bent into the water and purple Pickerelweed bloomed along the banks. Alligators swam silently near us, one of which was longer than our kayak (I have to admit, I was nervous!). Pink spoonbills, tricolored herons, great white egrets, little green herons, great blue herons, ibis and little blue herons were playing along the river. I was most excited to see limpkins looking for snails and was able to get some great photos. This will be the first time that I will paint a limpkin since I have been waiting for a wonderful photo.
Last weekend we flew to New York for the 142nd International Exhibition of the American Watercolor Society. My painting, Sleeping Beauty, was accepted into the competition which is the second time that I have had a painting accepted. At the reception on Friday night, I was able to meet many of the artists and view their paintings. The only way to describe the evening was that it was a dream-come-true for me.
