Dog Portrait - Leo

"Leo"
8"x10"
graphite on paper

"Leo" is a graphite dog portrait that I just completed this weekend. It was so good to have the pencils in my hand again and working in the warmth of my studio. This piece was easy to do because the dog is so handsome and the photos provided were excellent.

Thank God (indeed) that I am getting back to feeling like my old self.
Actually, let's say I believe soon I will be feeling even better than my old self. Things are looking good and the timing couldn't be better because Soulful Studios is getting very busy. Pull out your calendar as there are some dates you might want to mark down.

This Friday, November 2nd, from 6-9 is the Grand Opening Reception for First Impressions Art Gallery and Working Studio in Salem, NJ. The address is 157 West Broadway, Salem, NJ. I will be there to meet and greet so I hope you can stop in. Mary Wolfe, the owner, is working very hard to bring the arts into Salem County, which is a project near and dear to my heart. She represents my work well and has sold quite a few pieces for me already. If you have any questions you can contact me or give her a call at 856-935-7070. I have to laugh because she used one of my images on her flyer and sold it within a few days after advertising. That's what I call a quick turn around.

December 1st, 2007 is the Annual Wine Auction for Canine Partners for Life. It is a black tie affair and the cost per ticket is $125. They will have some amazing lots for auction so check it out. My painting "Ripening Fruits" will be auctioned that night and I will be there as well to congratulate the winner. I believe the painting will go for quite a high dollar however, if you can't afford to bid on the original, I am offering 16x20 signed prints for sale at $85.00 plus shipping and handling.

Currently I am working on two commissions plus developing some ideas for more works for the gallery and an eBay store for my prints and note cards. Also, Mary Wolfe at First Impressions has asked me to hold drawing classes in the studio portion of the gallery. I am working on a project description so that I can offer pet portrait drawing classes. Let me know if you would like to join the class. Thank you everyone for your caring emails and concern. Please keep visiting as there will be more updates shortly.

The Fog

"Weary Soldiers"

pencil drawing in moleskine sketchbook

At 6:30 this morning I headed out to the park to catch a glimpse of the bridge. The fog was thick and I hoped to sketch it masked in the mist as the sun came up. Again, I plan and God laughs. It was completely hidden and even by 7:45 nothing had changed. The sun wasn't breaking through like it normally does.

Instead I chose not to lose this precious moment of being prepared to sketch so early in the morning. It has been a long time since I was able to do this so I wasn't going to waste it. The scene before me was the remains of the old burnt out dock a couple of yards out from the park. Behind it in the distance the lights from some buildings on the other side of the Delaware could be seen. Everything was painted in grey. I felt this was a good fit. I related. Maybe you do too.

So Joe Pulcinella blog tagged me a while back and asked me to share 8 things you might not know about me. Ok...

1. I love to bake. My cousin calls my cookie creations "Jewies Chewies". I've considered opening a little bakery many times.

2. I wore blue contacts in high school for a year. If you've seen me you can imagine how foolish that looked. It was like having blue christmas tree lights for eyes.

3. I have a strange memory. I see things in little moving pictures and can remember what color your socks wore when we met but not your name.

4. I love to dress up for Halloween. No, not your typical slutty nurse or anything like that but I like to be ghoulish and unrecognisable. I once dressed as a male dead soldier, complete with dead bugs flying out of my mouth. I went around the neighborhood and scared little kids to death and made one pee his pants. My own mother didn't know who I was. Perhaps I missed my calling doing movie special effects.

5. I rarely use my cell phone. If I'm not home I probably don't want to talk to you. I'm just not into technology that much.

6. I used to barrel race. It is a rodeo event for women. Nothing like a Jewish cowgirl to confuse everyone.

7. I worked at Disney World. I was on vaction with my mother and sister and someone came up to me and told me I had "the Disney image". Instead of taking a scholarship to art college I thought making $4.75 would be a better idea. I was wrong and quickly came home and went to school. I tried to get out of being an artist many times. This leads me to our last Lori factoid...

8. I studied to be an interpreter for the deaf. I left art school and began living in the deaf community for two years. As soon as I got good enough to do it as a career I went back to art school. Now I can't stop talking with my hands and neither hearing or deaf people understand me.

I know I'm supposed to tag others now but I won't. The other folks I know that blog wouldn't follow through so it isn't worth it. So I guess the blog stops here.