Thursday, December 8, 7 p.m. at Books & Co.

Art-to-Art Palette features my book signing! I'm going to demo an Egyptian theme collage and I hope to see you there. Thanks to AAP publisher Ben Rayman for this article.

Art-to-Art Palette Journal

Haven't been blogging and Web site-ing (new verb) much. Thought I'd catch up on Ben Rayman's Art-to-Art Journal. I enjoy reading the artist profiles--kind of a Facebook of the Midwest.

Photoshop Elements class ended last week, so I have recovered one day. I'll miss the class, but I'm glad to have the time back. I learned so much.



My digital photography show is extended to June 19 and I finally got the PR sent out today. I need a manager! (Or a keeper, more like.) I'm taking tomorrow off so I'll be raring to go on Monday on a couple of other projects.

Ben is at it again

Ben Rayman, the publisher of Art-to-Art-Palette, has republished a collection of reviews of The New Creative Artist. (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to read the reviews.) Ben and his associates have continued developing the online magazine after a disastrous fire that burned his house and office and his wife, artist Pat Rayman's art studio to the ground last year. After building a new house and replacing three computers, printers and other electronics, Ben now focuses on the online Palette, a compendium of art news, features, and artist's profiles primarily centered around Ohio and the Midwest. Ben's ongoing support of the arts is greatly appreciated, as well as his enthusiasm for my books and teaching. Thanks, Ben.

Climb every mountain

I'm chuckling as I reread the article on pages 50-51 of Art-to-Art Palette publication, Fall-Winter edition of 2008-2009. When Ben Rayman emailed me that he wanted to do my profile for the magazine and needed early photos, I sent my mountain-climbing photo as a joke. I should have known better. I was startled to see this photo from 1953 takes up a whole page. The article is based on questions from an email interview and includes personal background information I don't usually share with the public.

The 148-page publication includes a feature article on Tom Lynch, (pages 25-29) showing several of his watercolor-on-canvas paintings. Many other artists are profiled, one of my favorites being Elizabeth Layton. Cover artist Herb Reed attended one of my workshops in Dallas a couple of years ago, where he created a watercolor monotype featured on page 102 of Confident Color. Articles include calligraphy, photography, pottery, dance, poetry, writing, and cuisine. There are art tips from Pat Rayman on making leaf sun prints and a step-by-step demo on painting white iris by Joan Crawford Barnes. The emphasis is on the Midwest, centered in Ohio and surrounding states, but there are ads and articles from national institutions, as well.

The Marketplace Section has been printed as a separate publication, listing many museum and art center exhibit schedules for 2009, and classes and workshops offered by artists throughout the country.

To order Art-to-Art Palette email Ben Rayman. The publication ships with an invoice to be be paid on your receipt of the magazine.

What I'm thankful for

Aside from the obvious--my family and friends, a good life, sunny days and snow flurries--I'm thankful that I've almost survived this year of 2008 and all its challenges. I've never had so many book signings for a new book, and I'm thankful for that and for the amazing response to its appearance. I'm thankful to have a new project in the works that will soon be announced, and especially glad that my part in it was finished ten days ago and I can relax from the stress going into it. There's lots more to be thankful for, but this is enough for now.

I've finally made a Web page for the exhibit at Town and Country Fine Art Center's "Art in Motion" space in November. I'm sorry I couldn't get to it earlier. The exhibit was great and the opening was a grand occasion. The holiday gift gallery is still on at the space until after the holidays.

Art to Art Palette online magazine is now available in its annual print edition. The magazine is an amazing collection of resources for galleries, museums, art and performance venues focused on the midwest-eastern states--Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Pennsylvania--and well beyond. Besides the resources, there are artist profiles that are fascinating to read (never mind the one about me and my mountain-climbing days). One of the best features is the extensive section on pottery and clay arts. The $13.00 price includes shipping and handling. This is one for your reference shelf. Contact Ben Rayman to order.

Five artists who are included in Confident Color are featured in an exhibit titled "Connecting Vision With Inspiration," now showing at Middletown Arts Center, Middletown, Ohio through December 17. Karen Benedetti, Kathleen Bertolone, Rosie Huart, Trish McKinney and Sharon Stolzenberger have widely differing styles and mediums with exciting interpretations of a variety of subjects.

Art to Art Palette Print Edition

November 1 is the deadline for submissions to Art to Art Palette. Click the link to read about this issue's features and to order your copy. The Palette print edition is a keeper, with art event calendars and artist features covering a wide area of the Midwest and beyond. Painting, pottery, sculpture, books and more. The Palette has expanded from a small local newsletter-type to a full-feature magazine during its twenty years of publication.

The artists in Confident Color

, a Midwest regional art and educational electronic and print journal, is featuring the comments and artwork of some of the artists whose works have been selected to appear in my new book, Confident Color. This is an ongoing feature and will be updated every few days with more artists. As of today, Karen Benedetti, Willis Bing Davis , Gail Delger, Karen Jacobs, Cathy Jeffers, Trish McKinney, Shirley Nachtrieb, Julie Ford Oliver and Suzanne Zoole have contributed their images and remarks. More on the way. BTW, check out their Web sites.