The HVAA Show and my Trip to Connecticut

My painting "Audrey with Flowers at Seven" is in the Hudson Valley Art Association's 81st Annual Juried Exhibition. I was notified last week that I won the Art Spirit Foundation Dianne B. Bernhard Award for Excellence in Pastel (which is the highest pastel award they give!) and since I had no other event on my schedule for the weekend, made a spur-of-the-moment decision to use the award money to fly up for the reception, which was Friday, June 21.

I invited my daughter along, which, I admit, pushed the expenses over the award amount, but it was worth it. After all, without her there would be no painting!

The reception was well-attended with many guests who looked like serious buyers. I took many more photos of the show; you can see them all in my Facebook album here.

 Saturday we relaxed in the best way we could think of in a place with 80 degree temperatures and 60% humidity. We took a walk in the park!
Well, two walks in two parks actually.

 The first was Wadsworth Falls State Park. The falls were nice, but I was more excited about the water close-ups with rocks and reflections. I might have enough shots now to continue an old series.

 We didn't see a lot of wildlife, except for the hundreds of baby toads that littered the pathway, trying their best to trip us up. We had to step carefully!

 We saw two trees that had been marked as popular memorials. They were eerily beautiful. There were only two that we saw.

A pretty park with a funny name, Machimoodus State Park began with a lily pond.

Everything's bigger in Texas.. ...except for the trees, which are bigger in Connecticut! (Or taller, anyway.)

 I found many more lovely references for my ongoing "Park Trail" Series...

...And while looking out for the baby toads, my eyes were intrigued by the patterns of leaf shadows on the path... Perhaps food for a new series? Hmmm.

All together a creative weekend for me and my camera. Now back to the easel!
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