Sketching Salem County

"January Afternoon"
sketch in moleskine

"That Guy's Tree"

sketch in moleskine

Trying to build a studio yourself is a slow process. It is sucking up much of our free time. The electric is now in and drywall is next. There is talk of a studio tour through Salem County in May. I hope I am ready. There will be another reception at First Impressions Art Gallery in Salem on Friday, February 13th. My recent small works will be available there.

I've been seeking new places in Salem County to sketch. Now that I no longer live near the water I am looking for that perfect place that I can paint over and over again. The above sketches were done as part of my quest for my new favorite haunt. I have a feeling when the studio is done I will mostly want to paint the view outside the window but until then I'm looking for something new.

Every time I sit in the car with my moleskine and sketch it is always like a special event. While I drew the barn scene, a man in a truck pulled over twice to make sure I was ok. The first time was on his way to the store and the second was on his way back. It is nice to know chivalry is not dead. Then when I was parked across the street from the old tree, a man ran out from his home over to my car with a look of suspicion on his face. Perhaps he thought I was staking out the joint. I rolled down the window and showed him my sketchbook and he exclaimed, "That's my tree! That is so beautiful!" Then suddenly his 5 dogs ran out into the middle of the road with a big truck barreling towards them. I gasped and he raced in time to shoo them away. I can see the headline now. "Pet Portrait Artist Kills 5 Dogs, Owner Suing." Life is certainly not dull even if I'm not painting pet portraits.

Soulful Studios would like to give a "shout out" to Canine Partners for Life for yet another great evening. Joel and I attended the wine tasting event at the Hilton Garden Inn last week and had a blast. There was food, music and of course wine. We had the opportunity to see our friends Jennifer and Janie as well as give some love to great dogs in training. Don't forget to check out the website to find out about the wine auction. It is an amazing time that shouldn't be missed!