I travel quite extensively throughout the year in the US and Europe looking for new and exciting landscapes to paint.  Travel takes you out of your comfort zone and forces you to reevaluate your subject matter and how you approach it creatively.  But just as the saying goes... "there is no place like home" for true inspiration. 

I live along the Potomac River in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia, just five miles south of Washington, DC.  My family and I have lived there for almost thirty years.  The Potomac River is a constant source of creativity for me.  Several times a week, no matter the season or weather, I can be found alongside this historic waterway, capturing the River en plein air. 

The Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland are also a favorite place to paint for me.  Crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge you can find miles of marshland, sandy beaches and quiet inlets filled with waterfowl along the Bay.  My painting for this year's AWA show, "Moon Over the Eastern Shore" (above) is typical of the landscape. A little further east, all the way to the ocean, are Assateague and Chincoteague Islands.  Some of my most cherished places to paint.  Chincoteague is a National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island is a national seashore where wild ponies still roam.  It is a place where you feel as though you have stepped back in time.  The pristine beauty is timeless and immeasurable, but armed with a brush and paint I do my best!  These untouched landscapes and waterscapes inspire me like no where else in the world.  Having studied and lived in this environment for so long has enabled me to interpret, through my paintings, the many moods of the landscape. Truely, sometimes the best subject matter is right in your own backyard. "Powerful Peace" (below) is another example of scenes I see every day.

When the AWA members meet for the Annual National Exhibit held at South Street Art Gallery in Easton, MD there will be plenty of things to see and paint.  Right in the heart of Easton is the Academy Art Museum filled with wonderful art.  The town has delicious restaurants, fun shops, and for those who wish to paint, lovely estates along the Cheasapeake Bay.  I am also hoping to get a number of people together to tour the galleries and monuments of Washington, DC, just an hour and a half away from Easton.  It will be wonderful to be able to introduce you all to the beauty of the Virginia and Maryland Eastern Shore.  I hope to see you there!!!