Glass Paperweights

When I was in Chicago a few weeks ago, I went to the The Art Institute of Chicago, a very prestigious and well-known museum. There is a gallery there devoted to a collection of paperweights, many French and made with the "millefiori" and lampwork techniques. Here are a few butterflies that I liked. I love the colorful wings. 800 paperweights in this gallery! 

AND SOME OTHERS:

Dismal Swamp Art Festival

I'll be showing my art at this festival on Saturday. It sounds like a fun day and so far, an expected sunny one!
www.dismalswampart.com

I'm one of five d'Art Center artists in this show at a local gallery called Kellam Galleries. It is located in the NEON District of Norfolk and the show is part of Norfolk Visual Arts Week. The work is hung and ready for viewing. The reception is this Wednesday evening and all interested art lovers are invited!

Orange Tree Painting

My mother also enjoyed painting and I have several of her works including this one she painted in oil of an small orange tree. I'm especially fond of it because I know how much she loved this plant and the painting hung in a place I passed by many times a day while I was growing up. I think she captured the warmth of the light from that familiar window perfectly.

A miniature gouache

3 1/2" x 4"

I painted this miniature gouache painting of Kingfishers for an upcoming miniature exhibit. Little paintings take some patience with little brushes!

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

The other day I took some time to visit our local garden and check out the butterfly house and just have a walk around the garden and enjoy the plants and new gardens areas. It lifts the spirits and provides inspiration for new projects! Of course I headed straight for the butterfly garden.
There are picture frames throughout the garden. You can  have your picture taken and then send it to our art museum, the Chrysler Museum, where it becomes part of an exhibit called "Frame Up". That
exhibit is part of another exhibit called "The Artist's Garden: American Impressionism and The Garden Movement, 1887-1920". It's a great exhibit. I would highly recommend seeing it!
http://www.chrysler.org/exhibitions/current/

Nice flowers

Zebra Swallowtail

Butterfly House

garden sculpture

hmmm..