Comission Titled "Reflection"

I am very excited about my latest commission piece for a very nice gentleman named Tom. I met him at a show in Birmingham and we planned out this piece. It is five panels and the dimensions of each are 30x10. This painting will be hanging in his foyer with in the week.

I ended up having to put two coats of my high gloss on there and it looks fantastic. I had thin spots on my first coat. Sometimes that happens and I can kick myself for the mistake. The gloss I use is very expensive and little mistakes really cost me. But I do have to say the painting looks FANTASTIC with two coats on it. My family loved it. But since it was on the dining room table for a few days while it was finishing curing, they had no choice but to look at it. So in a way, I am glad they liked the piece or I might have have not been happy with the comments all week.

I spent way to long constructing a box for this piece. I hate making boxes but I did not have anything that would fit the dimensions of the painting. The box looks frighting but it will do the job. I dropped it off at Fed Ex on Monday and should be arriving at his doorstep on Wednesday.

We went camping for a few days this last week. It was a very nice change of pace. The kids (with life jackets on) played in the river for three days, we hiked, and had some great food prepared over the fires that Parker built. Verne's favorite meal was the couscous with sauteed mushrooms and asparagus and the kids I am sure would vote for the smores.

Rain Rain Windy Wind.....not the best weekend

So I was all excited about my latest trip. Everything was in place and off I went to Milwaukee with a smile on my face. Well, it didn't last long the rain came in, 50 mph gusts, two separate tornado warnings, and flooding of my booth. It was so crazy outside that not only was I weighted down, I tied my tent to a huge metal post. My tent did survive but not thanks to my neighbor that had an easy-up and wouldn't tie it down. I even offered to give them rope and tie it for them. After a bit I noticed that my tent was being pulled in one direction. I was afraid that my poles would twist and break. I came out and looked and the people next to me had tied their tent to my weights and when the wind pulled theirs it was pulling mine as well. I was not happy. Their tent ended up breaking and I felt bad for them but come on buy some weights. The moral of the story is NEVER EVER tie two tents to one set of weights. You are asking for a disaster.

After Friday's tornado warnings and rain, Saturday's severe rain storms, flooding, and a second tornado warning, I checked the weather for Sunday and it looked bad so I pulled in and broke my tent down in a 8" puddle of muddy, stinky, water and left the show. I am glad I did, I checked the weather and they got hit again very badly. I am lucky I did not loose any artwork but I certainly would have if I had stayed for Sunday. There was no way I could have got my art safely back into my cargo van in the storms that were going on.

The one good thing about all the bad weather was that I got to come home one day early to see my kids. Anaïs made a huge "Wellcome ( that's how she spelled it) Home early Mommy" sign and decorated the dining room. Parker came running into the driveway and grabbed me for a hug even before I could get out of the van. I am one very lucky women.

I am back in Chicago for a show this coming weekend and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I have sunny skies!!!!