The Summer of 2016

       So far, the summer of 2016 has been filled with all things art. In early June, the Prix de West was held at the National Cowboy & Western Museum that brought an amazing collection of artists and their artwork to Oklahoma City. Friends and I spent two whole days admiring their talents, meeting the artists, listening to lectures, discussions watching demos, and of course, viewing the beautiful artwork. I was especially pleased to meet Jeremy Lipking, as I was scheduled to attend a plein air workshop of his in the Sierra Nevadas in the following days. I also had the pleasure of meeting Sonja Terpening and her husband, Mark, and found we had attended Oklahoma State University at the same time, and were married within a week of one another! It is a small world, and we are all connected somehow.

       A week later, I left for New Mexico and checked on our cabin near Las Vegas, then drove to Santa Fe to visit with my dear friend, Jo Ann, and her husband, Jim. We hiked in the Pecos Wilderness one day, and attended an afternoon get-together with the members of New Mexico Women in the Arts. The next day, I began my long road trip to the Sierra Nevadas in California. 
       I drove to Las Vegas, Nevada (It was 113°) and checked into my hotel on the northern end of the strip. I had reserved a ticket for "Million Dollar Quartet," and dinner. It was very entertaining, and the music was wonderful. The next morning, I got up very early and drove through Death Valley while it was "cool," and then on to June Lake, California, where our group gathered from all over the world to learn from Jeremy Lipking. 

       It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, needless to say. We drove up to the mountains every day, just outside Yosemite National Park. The views and landscape was breathtaking. I met many talented professional artists, and soaked up as much as I could from Jeremy. He is an extremely talented man, and a kind, thoughtful teacher. It all ended with a long soak in a hot spring at dusk on Sunday night. I loved every minute of the five-day workshop. The next day, I drove through Yosemite to see the falls and majestic monuments. 

       I returned to Santa Fe to stay with Jo Ann and Jim until the opening night of the Santa Fe Opera. We saw Puccini's  "Girl of the Golden West," in their beautiful open-air theater. The drive home went quickly, and I was very happy to be in the company of our dogs, cat and horse. Steve was vacationing at our cabin in northeast Oklahoma and came home a few days later. In all, I drove over 3,500 miles in two weeks. 
       A week later, I had the pleasure of attending an unveling of a portrait of former Presiding Judge Carlos Chappelle in the Tulsa County Courthouse. Associate District Judge Dana Kuehn, my neice, commissioned me to paint the portrait. I drew a charcoal portrait of him as a study for the painting, and they liked it so much they gave it to the family that morning. The courtroom was packed with judges in their robes, lawyers, clerks, friends and family. I received many lovely comments about the artwork from nearly everyone in the courtroom. The next day, my nephew was married before family and a few friends in Tulsa, by Judge Kuehn. 
       I have been immersed in art like never before. I have been working on my website this week, and will begin several projects I have in mind. The summer of 2016 is only half over—I hope the second half is just as eventful.