Surprise Guest at U.K. garden

I had just blocked in the painting of the cottage and garden when I looked up to see this lovely lady "floating" down the path towards me. She leaned over my shoulder to look at my painting and said, "How Love-r-ly!" I was thrilled. So I asked her very politely if she would just pause on the path so I could put her in the painting and she said," De-light-ed!" No sooner had I brushed the white paint for her dress then she had disappeared!
Can you guess who she is?

Ta-Ta!
Durinda

Successful Show at Happy Painters

Here is a group shot of the watercolor class at Happy Painters' Studio on Wednesday. Our show opened Friday night and it was very well attended. I was so proud to hear many comments that the artwork this spring was even better than the previous show in the fall. Congratulations to all the artists who sold on opening night: Estelle Skoretz, Ann Currey, Wendy Williams, Betty Moses, Anne Platt, Jeanne Rudisill, and Margaret Sexton. The show will remain on view until May 30. The gallery is open Tuesday - Friday, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm or by appointment. Don't worry, each artist has another work to replace the one that sold, so the gallery will have plenty of wonderful original works for sale during the show.

Condo Showcase Thursday

This is a view of the lovely model condo that will be part of the Open House at The Pinnacle this Thursday, April 24, 5:00 - 8:00 pm. I will have several original paintings for sale in place of the model ones for this event. The living/dining room will feature my newest Tuscany series including one that is 4' x 4' in soft greens. The kitchen and hallway will have my Wine Tasting series in oil. The two bedrooms will be watercolors of Savannah and Charleston.

This condo is 8B. Coyee Langston will have her works in model 8G and Sandra Babb will be in 11 E. This event is sponsored by Renaissance ReMax. Downstairs all three of the artists will have works in the Clubroom. A live band will be on the terrace by the pool and of course there will be plenty of food and drinks.

The owner has also offered a $2000 allowance for the purchaser of a condo to buy original art that night!

Of course you don't have to buy a condo to buy a work of art!

The Pinnacle is located off Manning Street. It has wonderful views of downtown. If you or someone you know is in the market for downtown living, come check this out!

See you Thursday night at The Pinnacle!

Durinda

Spring Art Show Opens Friday Night

You are invited to the opening this Friday night, April 25th, at the Happy Painters Studio. This is the second exhibit for the Studio classes and includes watercolor and oil paintings. The reception begins at 5:00 pm. Parking is available on the street and also in the lot to the right of the building. This is a great way to add something "spring" to your collection by buying directly from the artists.
I am very proud of the work that everyone has done. I know you will want to be there to support their efforts too.

Happy Painters Studio

116 N Watauga Lane

Lookout Mountain, TN

See you Friday!

Durinda

Paintings from Epcot's U.K.

What fun to see my paintings from Epcot again! The U.K.'s gardens were fabulous! I have never been to England, but if it looks like this, I am there! :)

I always learn something about myself when I paint. This time, I learned I need to learn a lot more about identifying flowers and plants! The vine that grew over the doorway and on the arch into the gardens drew a lot of attention from guests. It had purple blossoms that cascaded a lot like wisteria, but not really. It also had red berries! The birds and squirrels loved them. I had no clue what it was. I told people it was probably native to England. Sounded good, huh? Then, with D.J's help and the horticulturists, I found out that it really came from one of their yards in Florida. I can't remember the scientific name, but it is called The Potato Vine. Kinda took the romance out of it then!
The thatched roof cottage I call Pooh's Corner. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see him while I was there, because I was painting on the other side. I did, however, have another guest that I will post next time. I started that painting in the afternoon when the clouds started rolling in, so I need to "twink" it some before shooting it.

This was my first trip with my new Soltek easel. It took some getting used to. Thankfully, I had my pal gal Diane to show me how to lock the legs. I thought I was going to have to hold it the entire time! I was really glad I had it when we had to run for rain cover a few times. You just fold it up and go!
The paintings are all in oil. Email me if you are interested in a purchase. I can throw in a pizza box too!
Durinda's Art To Go....

Artists in the Gardens- Great Fun!

Photos from the Artists in the Gardens weekend at Walt Disneyworld's International Garden and Flower Festival.

Top left: Barbara Perrotti (portrait demo)Top Center: Barbara, Durinda, and Dorothy Gardiner. Top right: Durinda painting in the U.K. before the park opened (photo by D.J. Gibson, Jr.) Left: Martin Figlinsky at his easel. Center: D.J. (cast member in charge of U.K. artists) and Durinda. Right: Durinda, Linda Blondheim, Barbara Perrotti, and L.Diane Johnson, seated (a few of the Southern Ladies Artists that enjoy painting together regionally).

I was assigned to the U.K. this year. It was absolutely beautiful with the cottage gardens. Other artists with me were Martin Figlinsky, Panama City, FL; Dorothy Gardiner, Clearwater, FL; and Alberto Ortego, Orlando, FL. The other countries with painters were Canada, France, and Italy. We stayed in the cottages of the Boardwalk Inn, enjoyed a banquet on Thursday night, and lunch together daily. And yes, we painted! It is so much fun to paint there and meet all the visitors with questions and thoughts about art. Linda Blondheim does a wonderful job getting everything and everybody together. The Horticultural staff along with the other department cast members really make us feel special. You don't have to be a "art lover" to enjoy this weekend, there are concerts, special seminars, and lots of other activities, but I did meet several guests who said they come just to see the artists paint in the countries each year. It is especially fun to talk to the children who are so interested in art. One small boy in a stroller was drawing little stick figures. I asked him if I could have one and he said, "No!" I told his mom to hold onto the drawings, they would be worth something some day! Another girl stayed with me while I painted a foxglove. When she came back through late in the day, I signed it and gave it to her as my "youngest collector". She was thrilled.

This week has been hectic, getting back to the "real" world! I still need to take my paintings out of the pizza boxes and shoot them. Will post them next week!

Enjoy Spring!!

Durinda