Blue Hydrangea and Festival Summary

Blue Hydrangea and Festival Summary
Originally uploaded by linfrye

9" x 12"
Arches 140#CP
Painted at Granville Arts Festival

This week, my oral history project took me to the home of a most fascinating woman. Her garden is called a 'recycled garden' -- bringing to mind bits of this, that and the other thing. But not at all! Her garden would be more aptly named 'a history garden' .... since every bit of her family's old farm implements, windows, chimney pieces, the town's old bricks, millstones, fireplace pieces, old benches and the like have all been 'recycled' into the most cozy, clever and incredibly beautiful garden. The interviewee loves hydrangeas, and when we visited her garden, they were in full bloom and in many varieties. What a glorious site.

My own hydrangea is in full bloom now and between the visit last week and my own garden, I had to paint these beautiful shrubs. I 'sponged' in the hydrangea blossoms before I left for the festival, and worked from memory on the leaves and bits of detail during the show. When the heat and humidity are over 90F, that paint sure doesn't work like it does in the studio! LOL But it was fun and I was glad to have something to work on in between visitors and visits to other booths.

I have to give my husband all the credit for creating the table displays ....he's such a clever fellow - we used what we had - a 6-sided display board I've had for 20 years, and the metal rack was from a Grow-Light Garden starter I've also had for as long! He fashioned picture holders in various lengths from coat hangers and we used his music stands for the large paintings. I think, like the garden I visited earlier this week, we too had a 'recycled' display! LOL

The festival was fun - though we didn't get beyond the pavillion to see the children's face painting and art making, and were too far from the amphitheatre to hear the music. But Charles, like me, never travels without his 'toys' and so he brought his guitar and mandolin, and quietly played his music -- thus providing the exhibitors in the pavillion a bit of festivity! FUN!

I sold several things, and had quite a bit of interest in my work - gratifying at all times. I've been asked to put some work in a local gallery, and was asked to teach more times than I can count. Oh if I could only retire now! LOL Still, it is something I want to consider and will probably begin developing agendas and plans so that I will be able to teach more sooner than later.

I met some incredible local artists. We exchanged emails and one artist's husband stayed with Charles and played C's guitar while C played the mandolin -- now how is that for fun! Two visual artists married to musicians living in the same town at the same festival! LOL

We have an 'art date' set up for next Friday ... and I'm so excited to be finding folks of like minds closer to home.

The festival was terrific in so many ways. I am ever so grateful for the opportunity to have been part of it, to Charles for all the hard work and encouragement he provided, for my friends and son who came by to lend their support -- and the new friends made there and plans for the future.

My heart is full, though my poor, still sweated body, is mighty tired. LOL

And thank you all for all your encouragement and support to get me here too ...!

BIG BIG HUGS!