I was groggy my first day getting here and only took two walks around the neighborhood, getting reacquainted, instead of painting. I'm making up for that now. I did six watercolors yesterday.

I took the "wrong" turn out of the metro before getting oriented, and I ended up at the Rodin Museum. A right turn, as it turned out. It's one of my very favorite places here, and it was a good place to get my feet back under me artistically. You can but just a garden ticket for only one euro. Perfect for artists.

Then I walked to San Sulpice. I'd done a very quick sketch of the lion fountain last time and wanted to spend a little more time with it. I did two there.

I was totally heading home afterwards, but I'd missed my chance last trip to paint an accordion player, which was a special request from a friend of mine. When I saw this playersying on one of the bridges over the Seine, I knew I needed to stop and paint. He left me to watch his gear while he ran for a beer and cigarette. Necessary for the musical process, apparently. And he played me a medley of American songs as a thank you, ending with "Hello, Dolly".

So I'm a little embarrassed to announce it, but I've been asked back to Paris to care for the same cat. I had just booked a show for my French work for December at the Memphis Botanic Garden when I got the invitation, and it seemed too good to pass up.

It's marvelous as an artist going back to a familiar place. I already have the feel of Paris, know roughly how I want to paint it, and I have a list of places I either wanted to paint but didn't get to, or places I want to return to and paint more. The paintings in this blog post are all from the Rodin Museum garden, which falls into the latter category.

I feel blessed to have a great housemate just now, which gives me the freedom to travel and not worry about home. So I'll be posting new Paris paintings starting the middle of next week.

Last year I was lucky enough to get to do watercolor illustrations for the Memphis Magazine City Guide issue. It seems to have been well enough received for the art editor to want to have some more artwork instead of their usual photography. In a neat twist, he's enlisted the Memphis Urban Sketchers to provide illustrations, spreading the love around a bit and adding some interest. I can't wait to see the different artwork he uses. I've submitted a few myself, and it will be interesting to see what makes it to print.

There are certain categories each year (arts, dining, who's who, etc.), and blogs and hospitals are some of the more challenging topics. I decided to offer artwork for those, figuring he might need a little help in those areas.

I stopped on my way home from kayaking this morning to paint Le Bonheur. I love the view of it from right in the middle of Poplar Avenue, but that's not a safe place to paint. This was the best angle I could get from the sidewalk. As an added bonus, I scored some shade as well.

Yesterday my very kind housemate agreed to let me paint him as he did some schoolwork on his laptop. That's always a bit of a risk. You never know how you're going to look in someone else's artwork, and I appreciated his taking it. I've been enjoying doing more figural work, but capturing  likenesses us still very hard for me.

The Side Street Steppers, one of my favorite local bands, was playing at Brooks Museum this morning. As it happens, I've been needing to get over there to do three quite small watercolors for a commission. The morning was lovely, and with musical entertainment, it was the perfect time to do a little plein air painting. I had a marvelous time and heard some great tunes from the 20's, 30's, and 40's. Delightful.

I'm in a frenzy of printmaking lately. Here's the second proof of the new Elmwood print. I've done a little more refining, but it's almost finished, and I'll proof it again next time I have ink out.

I have finished and pulled prints to sell of my new liturgical print, The Lord is My Shepherd. It's on 8 1/2 by 10" paper and is available for $60.

I've just gotten the new Overton Park image transferred onto two blocks.

I did tiny watercolor sketches to see if I like three colors or two for this print.

I'm leaning towards two colors, so I'm going to do the orange and dark red first. I can always add green later if it needs more help. Below is the first bit of carving I started last night.

I also have a couple of illustration projects I'm working on before I get out of town. Again. It's a stop and start summer for artwork, though I'll be painting out of town, of course.

I've been working this week on a second Elmwood Cemetery print. It's one of my favorite places in Memphis, a historic cemetery with gorgeous old trees and sculptures. It was funny to have this already drawn out to work on last week and then arrive at my sister's to have her show me Huntsville's version of Elmwood (and apparently even older, beginning in 1816) where I walked every morning while I was there.

I've been carving the last three days. Here it is after the first day of work.

Last night I finally got to proof it and see what it looks like. Here's the first peek. Today I'm listening to the Cardinals on the radio and doing some clean up. I'll proof it again soon.

This new piece is a companion to one I did last year of Elmwood. I'm still working on the Shakertown print as well, but it's hard to get all the different blocks lined up together and carved just right. It's nice to take a break and do just a one color block, which isn't nearly as exacting. And I like the graphic power of black and white.

I'm in Huntsville this week for my sister's wedding. I came down several days early to help, and that's mostly what I've been doing. I did manage a little bit of work as well, though.

Here's a flower painting Cape May needs, but it was something I could do back at home. It's my sister's lovely hydrangea bush.

I'm also drawing out a new print block of Overton Park.

Mostly, though, I'm taking a morning walk through the lovely old cemetery here....

...and watching the fabulous Maggie Gill decorate a wedding cake.

Here's the bottom tier. A piano for my musical sister.

Sorry I've been gone from here for a few days. It was crazy busy in Cape May, and the internet access was less than stellar. I'm now home and trying to catch up on everything.

I know a number of artists, many in the Memphis Urban Sketchers group, who are great about keeping personal sketch books. I've mostly painted on watercolor blocks instead, so I can exhibit the work I'm pleased with. However, I'm starting a new chapter in my life this year, and I decided to keep a sketch book of my summer to mark that transition. It's been fun to have it with me on my travels.

I started it in St. Louis a few weeks ago, when I went to the Twelfth Night production in Forest Park (above) and Circus Flora (below).

I also took it to Cape May. I was crazy busy doing watercolors for them most of the week, but the last couple of nights, I took a little time to paint for myself. Below is the view from the porch of my hotel, where I sat out for a bit most evenings to play banjo, relax, and watch the moon rise.

The great thing about a sketch book is that it is NOT intended for exhibition, so an artist is freer to play with materials and styles. I do think I get too tight when almost all of my work is possible show material. I really enjoyed playing with the idea of of doing part of a sketch in color but leaving parts of the drawing in just pencil as well. This isn't a style I'd worked in much in the past, and I had a lot of fun. I hope to keep playing with it.

My last night was up there quite near the full moon, and the moonrise over Victorian homes and power lines caught my eye as I was out for a walk. I put my butt cushion down on the sidewalk, up against a store front, and painted with the light shining out of the shop window to work by.

I'm noticing how much of the sketch book is about the moon. I seem more and more drawn to it each year. Below is a very quick sketch of the moon as I glimpsed it out the window before dawn the night of the super moon. I did the sketch from memory the next morning after I woke up for good and found the image was still dancing in my brain.

The hotels I'm working for have color coordinated umbrellas and cabanas for each property, and they want paintings of each one. Working under a beach umbrella with a cold diet coke definitely balanced out painting in a pigpen earlier in the week.

The hydrangeas are in full bloom up here in Cape May, and I'm having fun painting them. They're everywhere, so I'm getting lots of chances.

They have a farm stand on the weekend at the farm that grows lots of their vegetables. It's on the far side of their cutting garden, so I got lots of hydrangeas with it too.

And finally the full sweep of Congress Hall itself.