This next weekend I'll be giving painting demonstrations at the Napa County Fair, at 1435 North Oak Street, in Calistoga, California. I'll be in the Calistoga Art Center, which is located at the fairgrounds, and which will be fully a part of the celebration for the first time.

Come by! I'll be there on Saturday, July 2nd, and Sunday, July 3rd, from 5 to 8 p.m. Say hi!

Last Saturday's Painting Landscapes workshop was pure pleasure for me. What a wonderful group of painters to spend a day with! We talked color palettes, we mixed colors, we talked composition, we cropped photos, and we painted, painted, painted. You should have seen the work everyone had on their easels – what a delight it was!  I especially love it when people find the colors that make their hearts sing.

I was so busy I didn't have a chance to take photos to share, but I hope everyone will keep in touch – and have a wonderful time with your painting!  I'd love to see how your work develops.

I also finally decided on my catalog image for this year's Napa Valley Open Studios catalog – Hillside Vineyard (Tilted Heart). I painted it of the vineyard of friends, a beautiful spot high on the hillside far above their ranch house, and further above the valley floor. As it was nearing completion, I suddenly noticed that a shape in the tree branches looked like a tilted heart – hence the title. I had a lot of affection for this little piece (11"x14") throughout its painting process, so it seemed appropriate.

Tomorrow we'll be painting landscapes at the Calistoga Art Center. I'm going to gather up and bring down some of my paintings to illustrate different things, which I haven't done before (why did this not occur to me?). I'll bring in one of my cloud paintings, from a series I did several years ago, as well as a landscape or two.

And I just printed up photos I took last weekend at Elkhorn Slough and driving up the coast north of Santa Cruz, to add to the collection of photos we can choose to work from. 

The weather has cooled off a little, too. It's going to be a fun day!

I drove to Monterey for a quick trip this weekend, and saw the show of a friend of mine, Mari Kloeppel, at the Monterey Museum of Art. In the museum building on Pacific Street, in Monterey, California, it is a wonderful show. It's rare to see so many of Mari's paintings together in one place, because each one takes her months to complete, and they are generally sold soon after.

Her paintings are reminiscent of old master paintings. Her subjects, all animals, glow with a quality of light and attention to detail that only comes after many layers of thin washes, painted with tiny, tiny brushes.

If you're in or near Monterey between now and July 10th, when the show closes, it's well worth a stop. If you'd like to see and learn more about Mari's work, or read an inspiring story of art, determination, and miracles, you can find Ben Bamsey's article, "Mari Kloeppel," at http://artworksmagazine.com/2009/03/mari-kloeppel/.

For more information about the show, you can go to http://www.montereyart.org/current-exhibitions/montereynow-mari-kloeppel/, the website of the Monterey Museum of Art. It's a wonderful exhibit!