Enjoyed the TV taping of The Hour of Joy and Should I put it on the floor?

I had a great day in Roanoke yesterday for the taping of my appearance on The Hour of Joy and I didn't trip or say anything particularly stupid!  The audience seemed to like my short talk and they especially liked the three large paintings I brought with me.  The crew put them up on easels and Joy commented that the one behind her made it look like she was outdoors!  The lighting was good and I put on my-I am not painfully shy and can do this act- that I did for twenty years at Radford University.  My back muscles were spasming big time afterwards.  People commented that I was perfectly composed and natural.  Maybe I should have gone into acting.  Anyway, it was great working with Joy and the crew.  Everyone was so nice!

The other day my husband was complaining that he couldn't reach the itchy spots with lotion on his back and I mentioned to him that there were other ways of getting the lotion on there. His reply was do you want me to squirt it on the floor and roll in it?  No, me, you could ask me to put it on, genius.

I put it on so now he isn't so miserable.

Check out my large canvas print specials on Fine Art America this week and "Reaching Out" on The Mindy Project.  So far there have been shots of it on the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 8th episodes.  It is in her office across from her desk.

Here are the paintings that will be on The Hour of Joy on March 10th!

School Starts Tomorrow without Me and Where is Everything?

Tomorrow is the first day of classes at Radford University and I will be hanging a show at New Life Dental in Blacksburg, VA. I will miss working with college students but I am extremely excited about being a full-time artist! Now I have the time to work at my artwork and selling it. Since no one is adding more hours to the day I had to cut out the teaching so I could have more hours for my art. In spite of what the physical therapist has told me is myafacial pain, I am going at it full speed. The MRI is in the works and I will do what I have to for my aching leg but quitting painting and exhibiting paintings is not an option. If you live in Southwest Virginia be sure to see my current show, "A Naturalist's Legacy" in Blacksburg. It will be there for three months and then go to Zeppolis which is also in Blacksburg.

I always try to plan in advance for shows. I try to have everything packed the night before and then gather everything up and shove it in the car an hour before leaving home. Something always goes wrong. Murphy's Law works over time just for me. One time I forgot a hammer at a show where the hooks were not strong enough and I had to go buy a new one. Another time I actually left one of the main paintings home which is a half an hour away. If I don't stab myself with one of the sharp corners on a metal frame I will think I am in the Twilight Zone. Can't wait to see what will happen with my sore leg since I have to take the paintings up a flight of stairs. Just hope I can keep from cussing in public. You have to truly love art to put up with it!

Thank You for the Terrific Compliment and I think we need a New Name...

Friday was my last day at Radford University. My grades are in and I am delighted that I am now a full-time professional artist. I have had a lot of great students over the years and I will miss interacting with students that want to learn. The ones that can't seem to get to class, let alone learn, I will not miss at all. Saturday I received a CD of Christmas songs from a former graduate student that I had in one Drawing class when he was earning his MFA. I don't think he ever missed class and turned in excellent work. He is now selling his work in San Diego CA and is also a web designer. When I told him I was retiring he said he learned more from me in one semester than he learned in all his time at Radford University. What a great compliment to end teaching on! If all students were like him, everyone would want to teach.

I read the paper everyday and I get more and more discouraged over our leaders and their inability to solve our problems. I think it is a fair statement that many are controlled by the rich and are doing their bidding rather than what is right for this country. My husband said that maybe we should change the name from Democracy to Stinkocracy. Don't miss-understand. I would rather live in the US that any other country but this partisan politics has got to go.

Limited Time Promotion Coming Soon and How I Saved Countless Lives

I am offering two of my most popular paintings at a 40% discount this week only. "A Break in the Clouds" and "Stepping Stones on the New River" are paintings that express the joy I have experienced living in Southwest Virginia in what is commonly known as the Blue Ridge Mountains. Actually, only a small part of this area is the Blue RIdge but I use the term for other mountain ridges since it is the accepted name in the New RIver Valley. Both of these paintings have the atmosphere I have come to love my whole adult life. I am originally from McLean, VA but I can't imagine living anywhere else now. I think I was a mis-placed mountain girl. Look for my promotions. They should be up soon!

In a about a month I will retire from teaching at Radford University, VA. I have enjoyed working with highly motivated students and I think I was able to help them better understand what are the exciting and beautiful aspects of visual art. I won't miss the students that don't seem to be motivated and do not put much effort into learning. Years ago I gave make-up tests to students who had various reasons for missing tests. I would have around twenty students per class I had to schedule make-up tests for. Then I decided to rate the tests so I wouldn't have so many make-up tests to give. If a student missed the test then the second one would count double. If they missed both tests then the final would count for their test grade. I saved countless lives. After I started the new test policy grandparents stopped dying, girlfriends stopped going to Emergency rooms, and room-mate's dogs stopped getting run over. Students came to all of the tests and everybody was happy, especially me.

Halfway There and Lights on a Turkey

I have taught a total of nineteen years at Radford University. I taught full-time for eight years and part-time for eleven years and I decided this semester would be my last. I have enjoyed working with the students but I want to work full-time at selling my own work. I make part of living off of my sales and it is my dream to make all of my living off of my sales. The semester is half over and I am getting more and more excited with each passing day. I am taking one thing home a day from my office so I won't have so much extra work during exam time. Soon I will be able to devote more time to promoting myself and moving artwork. I am in seventeen states,Washington D.C., Canada, Germany, and Australia. Time to cover the world!

My husband and I were talking about the great change in holiday celebrations. When we were kids no one put up lights for Hall ' o Ween, people did not put Christmas lights all over their roof and fence, and no one exchanged gifts for Easter as many people do now. Weeks ago we saw Christmas lights on at a home nearby. There are all kinds of huge Hall o' Ween ghoulish balloons in yards. My husband said the next thing will be lights on a Turkey for Thanksgiving. That is one I want to see!