Last week I drove from South Carolina through Atlanta into Birmingham in blinding, and I mean blinding rain, which I haven't had to do since leaving Wisconsin in 1977.  The entire southeastern trip was completely delightful and worth every bit of it. Two new wonderful clients, a trip to meet up with my compatriots at Portraits, Inc., and a visit to an extraordinary little museum to hear an inspiring talk by portrait great, John Howard Sanden.

Now I really have to stay planted in front of the easel to get going on some deadlines, and plan to start later this week, as I do daily demonstrations at the Mountain Artists Guild Studio Tour, October 4-6 in Prescott, AZ. details below, hope you can join me!

Chris

John Howard Sanden, who is clearly among the ranks of the world's finest living portrait painters, presented a truly riveting lecture on his recently completed White House portraits of George and Laura Bush.

Before that morning I would have expected a historical lecture on the history of Presidential portrait from George Washington to present, to be, well, dry. Anything but!! John, in his characteristic charismatic fashion had the audience ooh-ing, aah-ing, and outright laughing as he recounted tale after tale of the 'back-stories of painting after painting...the trials and tribulations of a young and maturing nation's extraordinary efforts to preserve the painted record of its equally extraordinary history. When I get a moment, I'll recap some of the most interesting details in my blog.

John Howard Sanden, September 2013 Birmingham Museum of Art

For an artist, there's nothing quite like visiting an art museum  with other like minded people. Jaw-dropping Sargent and Bouguereau works, below. And yes, we were followed by the guards, like a sales clerk stalking a potential shoplifter. Seriously, who has a handbag big enough to run off with one of these beauties?

I'm looking forward to October, and would love to hear from you!

See you next month!