this little "figgy"...

went to the market...

"Fig 'n' Friends" oil on linen by Dorothy Lorenze

...and he hooked up with some new friends!

You may think he lost his marbles, but no!
Being a modern, enlightened fig, he appreciated the complexity of color and variety of inner swirl within his new friends.

And it didn't hurt that they reflected well on him!

What reflects well on you? Maybe your art collection?
  

summertime, and the living is...?

busy! 
But it's all good. And I'm so lucky to be able to spend my time doing what I love: making art as well as connecting with family and friends, old and new.

This week I will meet a very new friend: Produce Pete of WNBC's Weekend Today in New York when I present my painting of asparagus to Pete on his TV show Saturday morning. It's on NBC between 9 and 10am and I hope you will tune in.
(I'll be the nervous one)

Pete knows everything about the seasonal vegetables that I love (maybe he'll tell me something  fascinating about the paper-encased tomatillos that I'm about to paint!)
On Saturday mornings Pete frequently brings my attention to something yummy and gorgeous.

"Tribute to Produce Pete"

This painting is one of my favorites. It was inspired by a segment of Pete's show that I've blogged about. It's called "Tribute to Produce Pete" and I'm honored, and excited, and nervous, and amazed... in any order you choose... to have the opportunity to show my painting on air!

In an effort to extend this serendipity beyond the walls of my studio, I'll be donating 20% of all painting sales throughout the summer to two wonderful, grassroots organizations:
Edge of Seven
and 
Good for Kids

Both are volunteer-based organizations founded by folks who  passionately create environments that build self-esteem where it's needed most.
They personally invest love, sweat and tears to give children the chance for education.

They are ordinary people who are extraordinarily committed to the fine art of doing good!

Edge of Seven, founded by Erin, my daughter's friend, brings volunteers to remote regions of Nepal to actually BUILD schools and other infrastructure designed to empower girls in a part of the world where education for girls, traditionally, is not a priority, to say the least. Take a look at their website and see the amazing opportunities created for children in the mountains of Nepal!

photo by Rachael Grace Photography

Good for Kids, a program my friend Gail helps facilitate, provides a safe refuge as well as education opportunities for girls within a very dangerous area of LaCarpio, Costa Rica. When our local teachers learned of this refugee camp where 35,000 of the country's poorest families live in squalid conditions, they just had to help. Ever since, they have been raising funds, raising awareness and raising standards of health and education for so many!

We all know how important education is to the future of our own children but these organizations offer something more basic and far more precious:
Hope
It's a word we use everyday with little thought of the desperation and despair that take over when there is NO hope.

So I hope that you will help brighten the lives of children who could use a dose of good, old-fashioned, ordinary, hope-FULLness! Go to the websites of Good for Kids and Edge of Seven to make a direct donation or buy a painting this summer and I will send 20% of your purchase, in your name, to your choice to either Good for Kids or Edge of Seven.

"Hope Box"

painting metal with mettle

Recently a friend gave me this great copper/brass/metal planter. It's kind of tarnished and the metal could be brass or bronze - who knows. All I know is it's a great color with a fascinating and frustrating metallic finish that reflects, glows and holds deep shadows!!! Challenging!

Deep red/purple plums added the perfect compliment and contrast to this rich surface.
Above is the first pass at laying in color.

This stage is more fully developed with stronger modeling of the plums and highlights.

I actually thought it was finished! But then wasn't quite happy with the metal-ness of the pot.

And I've learned that if something's bugging me - it has to be fixed!

You know, I really had no idea what would make this pot look metallic rather than clay-like. Which is why it was almost OK to focus on the parts that were working and be done. Almost.
Going back to surface of the metal feels like something of a milestone. A test of "mettle." Because even though I didn't know how to do it, I kept going because I believed I could. Phew, that is a huge shift for me.

I hope I have succeeded in rendering the character of the metal as well as the juiciness of the plums. Here is the finish painting - the more I looked, the more interesting reflections shadows and subtle color changes were apparent. It was fascinating to find what I hadn't seen before!

FYI - the other difficulty making this painting was NOT eating the plums. They looked so luscious! Happy to say, the painting is definitely done because the props are being eaten! So sweet and juicy. Insides ia a gorgeous deep purple - hope I get to paint a cut plum before they are all eaten.