My next to last day in Paris was a lovely transition for the next bit of my trip. I had seen a poster for an exhibition of Dutch landscape drawings, so I set off to find it. There's a Dutch institute in Paris, which I am delighted to know about. They had a gorgeous landscape exhibit, and also a show of recent Dutch printmaker Jozef Van Ruysdevelt.

I did two sketches (looking at skies) in the landscape show. Huge, glorious watercolors and wash drawings.

I didn't draw in the print exhibit, but I did buy the catalog, which did my suitcase no favors at all. Given that the language choices were French and Dutch, I figured it would not be available at home. I also took a picture of his sketchbooks displayed in a glass case, which gave me a thrilling flashback to my Dixon show last fall. And I love seeing people's sketchbooks now that I'm having such fun keeping my own.

My second assignment for the Memphis News came out in the paper while I was gone (and I'm grateful to FB friends for posting it for me to see). I had seen at the last minute that the Mighty Souls Brass Band, one of my favorite local bands, was going to play at Dixon Gallery and Gardens. It was the perfect chance to enjoy some good weather and give a simultaneous shout out to two of my favorite Memphis institutions.

You can see their story posted online here.          

I also did a second sketch while I was out there. This was my warm up, with the watercolor coming afterwards.                                                                                                                                                                

The last day my exhibition at Dixon was up, I went back out there to savor it one more time and sketch again in the gallery. It felt a little self indulgent, but I also just wanted to celebrate this amazing moment in my career in the way that feels most natural to me these days. Having the show in my journal of the year was important to me.

A bonus was that I got to see a number of friends who had come out to see it that day. I am so grateful for everyone who helped me celebrate this happening in my life. Everyone has been generous about it as I babble on a bit, so thank you.

I also walked down to the corner and sketched the banner. The banner just thrilled me every time I drove past. I also wanted to remember it.

I'm definitely a little sad that it's all over, but I'm also enjoying a much needed slower period at the moment. I'm doing a little printmaking, but also watching some Downton Abbey, taking a few days off, and reclaiming my evenings instead of working till bedtime. It feels good. Nice start to a new year.

My earliest is the last Stillman and Birns that I used. I like their paper a lot, but the 6x8 size is only in spiral bound, and scanning in sketches across that gap is challenging. Their bound sketchbooks open up to a pretty square format, and I really prefer a rectangle to work in. So this was my last hurrah for their books. The first half is the second half of my 2014 Paris trip, but I kept working in it on my return, and a good third of it was 2015. A couple of my favorites were a marker sketch of Mud Island and sketches of Mr. Darcy.

My first handbook journal, January to April, hooked me on their books. They're a great size to fit in my purse, take water media nicely, and even have a small pocket in the back for museum tickets and other momentoes. This was my hands down favorite page from that one.

I also got back to Shakertown in Kentucky, one of my favorite places to sketch.

During that period I also went to Amsterdam and spent a week sketching both the city and inside the museums.

And then on to Paris for one utterly beautiful week. 

Finally, I'm two thirds of the way through the small handbook I started in October. Sketching ground mostly to a halt during my really busy pre-Christmas season, but I got over the Dixon at the end of the holiday to sketch my show, which was the single biggest moment of my career.

I also (always) continue to sketch my beloved Mr. Darcy.

2015 was the banner year of my art career, with my Dixon show and my residency and Memphis Theological. Personally it was incredibly painful for a good long time, with one small, last kick in the pants on the way out. There were also periods of exquisite beauty and over the top happiness. Such is life, I suppose, and I'm deeply grateful to have the art to carry me through the harder places. Art is healing and escape and meaning for me, and I'm so lucky to have such an absorbing focus for my life.

I started the new year with a dear friend in the house and a first sketch of Mr. Darcy. Begin as you mean to continue. I'll take it. And now I'm off for the annual new year's jam to play my bass and banjo.

I did my last gallery tour at Dixon today, and a number of friends showed up for it. As well as some people I didn't know at all but who wanted to hear about my work. Both were lovely.

I got there early to film a snippit for their YouTube channel (which I am waiting nervously to see how awful it might look), and I spent the time in between sketching the gallery with my show in it. This has been a pivotal moment in my career and my most exciting show, and I wanted to memorialize it in my sketch journal. And really just drink in and celebrate the moment. I feel so lucky to have had this chance to show with such a wonderful museum that influenced my development as an artist.

I have likely said this before, but it's the glass cases with my sketchbooks inside that really get me about this show. So very museum-y. Gives me goosebumps.

I'm going to be sad to see it come down. It's been a thrilling ride this fall. But I am also looking forward to the quiet long blocks of time in January to get back to fully making art again after all the show and holiday busyness dies down. I've got a new print underway that I'll post here soon. It feels good.

It was such fun to have Melissa and her beautiful pottery in my studio gallery for the weekend. She's great company, and our work looks good together. I enjoyed meeting her friends and introducing her to mine. I'm grateful for everyone who came out and who spread the info on facebook. I do think both fb and the visibility of my current Dixon show made it a great weekend for both of us. I have so enjoyed working for myself, doing smaller work, and being able to throw my own shows instead of relying on galleries. Facebook and Square (which lets independent operators accept credit cards and a doable rate) have both been power-to-the-people developments over recent years. Much like the music industry, it is now possible to cut out the middle man and still have an art career. I love doing smaller, more affordable prints instead of all large gallery paintings. And I'm grateful to everyone who comes out to shows, comments, or spreads the word on fb. You all let me do what I love for a living, and I could not be more lucky.

I decided to celebrate (and take advantage of the cleaning I did) and have a party last night as well. Sadly, my regular jam group is losing our mandolin player to Louisiana, so we gave him a send off party last night. I love having friends, music, and dancing in my house. Two of the three over the last few days is not bad at all, and I'm hoping to add in a little dancing soon as well.

Memphis has a great public radio station that does something unique in my experience (and I listen to a lot of NPR as I travel). Every single day and usually twice a day, they have a short program called Checking on the Arts. They interview artists, actors, musicians, people putting on fairs and booking concert halls, anyone doing something artistic in Memphis. Lots of stations get occasional bands into the studio, but no one I've heard has daily features that include visual artists as well. As a listener, I've gone to a number of plays I might not have, once I've heard the director or actors talking about the production, and I hear about lots of things I want to get out and do.

As an artist, it is gold. Especially since I've gone solo and don't have a gallery doing publicity for me, it is a beautiful thing to have a station willing to put me on the air and let me talk to the city.

And they do an amazing job. I got in this time, and Darel Snodgrass had a printout about my new show sitting on his desk already. He always does research ahead of time, asks great questions, keeps things moving along, covers everything that needs to be announced (challenging this time, because I have a lot on this year), and he does it all with warmth and enthusiasm. Here is this week's interview about Dixon, MTS, my holiday sale, and more....

So very many lovely people turned out for my opening at Dixon Gallery and Gardens last night. I am still buoyed by the wave of love and support that washed over me. The museum people have gone out of their way to be kind and, really, utterly marvelous. (Plus it's the sign of a good party when you get sent home with cake at the end of it.) Family, friends, dancers, art buddies, jam buddies, profs at MTS, park people, and a whole host of lovely people from unexpected places turned out for my big career night and made it special.

Very kindly, Frank Chin turned out with his camera and got some lovely shots for me to remember the evening. I was so grateful.

AND the Tom Lonardo Trio played, which was so special for me. Tom and Tim Goodwin were two of Di Anne Price's "Boyfriends," and I spent many years' worth of happy Sunday afternoons hanging out at Huey's and listening to them. Di Anne had a song for every contingency in my life. It's still so odd to be navigating the world without her soundtrack for company, and without her calling me "baby." As she did everyone she cared about. But having Tom and Tim there for my biggest career moment meant an awful lot, and I even got one beautiful celebratory dance toward the end of the evening. Such a treat.