Sorry for the long absence from this blog!  The past month has been quite a month.  The first two weeks were spent finishing a custom painting, housesitting, packing for my trip and going through some crazy stuff at the day job.  But the last two weeks?  I spent them in Hawaii... gorgeous, beautiful, warm and tropical Hawaii.  And it was just what I needed.  :)

I didn't have as many chances to do art related things as I wanted while I was there.  But I did make a point to stop at the Volcano Art Center in Volcano National Park and it was incredible!  Turns out an artist that I greatly admire was having a show there - though I was a couple of weeks early to see her in person - and I discovered several others, too.  You can find their website here and the artist I referred to is Carin Loebel-Fried.  But there's several others I loved, such as Dietrich Varez, Linda Varez, Kathy Long, Linda Rowell Stevens, and more. 

As for myself, I did a few sketches, started a painting and took a bunch of photos.  Right now, one of the sketches is being turned into a linocut, but I think I may also paint it.  Here's a look at the sketch:

As you read above, I have started doing linocuts!  I've been wanting to give them a try again for quite some time.  I figured my word this year is Expand, so it's time I did just that and start working on them again.  Plus there's a Pet Portrait painting class going on in town in June and I plan on taking that class.  It's a one week intensive, every night for five nights, from 6:30 to 9:00 pm, at the local art museum.  It's with an artist that I love - Linda Infante Lyons - and have taken several of her classes.  It ties in with a special project I have planned. 

And before I end this post, a quick look at one of the pictures I took in Hawaii.  I miss it there already:



Okay, I'll be back again soon.  I'm planning on posting an entry about the custom order I mentioned earlier.  Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!