A Pair of Pears

One great thing about painting fruit is that you can just eat the subject when you are through - or make a pear pie. This may be a great way to improve my diet, especially if I start painting vegetables! In looking at these paintings and one I have just completed, I realized that I am standing very close to the subjects I am painting. When I finish my current one, I will paint a few more of fruits but stand further across the room and get a different perspective on them. For me, this will be an interesting comparison of two ways to approach a subject.

I spent a few delightful days with friends at Lake Texhoma and the visit turned into a wonderful opportunity to make art connections in that part of the world. My firend's brother, Paul, is an amazing artist working in obsidian, wood, bones and stone - any native materials he collects. Unfortunately, he does not exhibit or sell his work, so you have to have a personal connection to see the beauty he creates.

Denison, Texas has a charming downtown with many galleries and artist studios as well as antique shops. They have two art tour weekends each year as well as other offerings. Southeastern University's Centre Gallery in Durant, Oklahoma, recently received the Hogan collection of Native American art. There are 93 paintings by artists from the plains and pueblo cultures, most of them well-known for their work. In Ardmore. Oklahoma there are two exciting things happening. The Goddard Center has just opened an exhibit of Jesus Moroles' granite sculptures that is well-worth a special trip before the exhibition closes on November 20. In addition to the large sculptures there are works of molded paper and photography that showcase granite in different ways.

Another exciting happening in Ardmore is an on-going project by Sandra and Gerald Wells who are reviving a district in the historic downtown area with the intention of creating a central community focused on the arts with a variety of galleries and shops. They bring a clear vision with lots of energy to this project and I am sure they will make this a successful venture. I love their underlying belief in and commitment to the idea that "There is unity in community." I plan to stay in touch with their activities and will report any special events that are taking place.