July at the beach is always a busy month. Our tiny town is crowded with folks who so obviously “ain’t from here” and we make sure we have everything we need from the grocery store by noon on Fridays, because going three miles can take twenty minutes on a sunny Saturday.
I can almost hear the island across the sound groaning under the weight of the influx of vehicles and people.
It was busy here at home, too. A visit from most of the kids and grandkids gave us an opportunity for a rare family photo. I highly recommend Stella Spera at https://stellaspera.wixsite.com/photo/families if you are in the area and wanting a keepsake like the photo above. (I just love us!)
My grandgirls love to make art in the studio with me and this year we made gelli prints, which was so much fun that I kept doing it after they left! My daughter made this one, which I love.
And I had a couple patrons pick up several of the abstract and botanical ones I made. I could spend a bucket of paint and a ream of paper making these, they are such fun.






Mid-month, I ventured, about an hour’s drive away, to the picturesque town of Southport, NC at the mouth of the Cape Fear river to enter an art show at a local gallery. Two of my Loving Kindness paintings were accepted by the jurors and I am grateful to have been awarded a prize sponsored by the Arts Council of Brunswick County for one of them.
Then it was on to the Landfall Foundation annual show, which was incredibly well curated and an honor to be a part of. I sold a couple prints there, but neither of these paintings, then spent a day feeling inadequate and imposter-like, but I managed to shake it off before too long. Which is crazy based on recent experience, but there it was. Does that ever really go completely away? Ugh!


My favorite moment of the month was delivering Cool Jazz to a long-time collector and now friend. I love how art connects me to the best people!
Those banana leaf gelli prints from above have inspired a new series of Botanical Fantasy paintings that I’ve been working diligently at for the past several weeks. Taking a break from faces and figures feels good, and if it feels good, I’m going to keep doing it. Here are a few details:






Thanks for following along with me through the ups and downs. I much appreciate you. Now, on to the rest of Summer!
What stunning pieces of art. I love that your grand daughter works with you. 😊