Let the paintings begin!

It seems as usual I begin this year of 100 days~100 paintings 2016 with a sea turtle!

This has been a blog several years in the making, with over 500 paintings completed thus far. I do the paintings and the blog in an effort to get ready for the fall show season. Some of the blog entries are long and involved, some are short and sweet. This year will hopefully be no different. 

We are already gearing up for the fall shows, with an acceptance into the National Shrimp Festival already on my schedule. I put in for the Fine Art Division again this year, AND an end space booth! Other shows planned but not confirmed include, Grand festival in Fairhope, Jubilee Festival in Daphne, St Lawrence festival at St Lawrence church, Merry market at Orange Beach, and lastly but certainly not least, Peter Anderson in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  Others may be added as well.

The summer has proven to be a busy one too, with classes at Mobile Museum of Art, Eastern Shore Art Center, and an art camp at Celebration Church too! All told, I am teaching 6 weeks this summer. Fall classes are also being scheduled, with Eastern Shore Institute of Lifelong Learning ESILL already confirming Beginning and advanced Watercolor classes. I will also again be teaching in my studio on Tuesdays as well as possibly at Celebration Church.

Back to the turtle..........

This morning started with a phone not soon after I woke up from Share the Beach. I knew this meant a nest had been found and answered immediately. Not one, but two nests had been found! I jumped in the car and drove the almost hour towards the beach and possible nesting sites. I had never helped move a nest before and this was a goal for this year. I texted my team leader and was told we had a third nest in Orange beach and to head to that team to help. I was very excited as this was my first possible nest move! My team is great, they allowed me the honor of handling each and every one of our precious eggs into the bucket to be moved out of harms way. I counted 121 eggs myself, with other numbers ranging from 120 to 123. Such a wonderful way to start my day, and a wonderful way to start the 100 Days~100 Paintings 2016!

Green turtle Acrylic on canvas 6 x 6 

Day 1 of the 100 Days~100 Paintings 2016