Wildflower paintings on exhibit at Antique Rose Emporium, Dry Comal Creek Vineyards, Gallery on the Square in Wimberley, and Wein & Saengerfest!

I'll be super busy the last two weekends of April!
1. It starts the week of April 17th when I head down to the Antique Rose Emporium with a selection of my work for their first invitational fine art show (artists are there by invitation but it's open to the public!). The show is titled "The Gallery at the Hacienda de las Rosas." Then I'll head back down for a special preview, which is by invitation, on Friday night. The show will be up through the weekend, April 22-23. The Antique Rose Emporium is located at 7561 East Evans Road in north San Antonio (ph. 210-651-4569).
2. Meanwhile that Saturday, April 22, I'm heading over to Dry Comal Creek Vineyards to set up a display of my wildflower paintings for the Wine and Wildflower Trail. Vineyards throughout the Texas Hill Country are participating and folks can drive from stop to stop to enjoy wine tastings and the wildflowers (what few there are this year) along the way. I'll be there all day on Saturday, from about 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or so. Dry Comal Creek is located at 1741 Herbelin Road, off Texas 46 about half way between New Braunfels and US 281. Phone is 830-885-4076, www.drycomalcreek.com.
3. Sunday, April 23, is still open but I have a few options.
4. Then on the following Saturday, April 29, I'll have a booth set up in the street in downtown New Braunfels for the Wein and Saengerfest. This is a really fun, home-town but upscale event with several wine tasting booths, fine arts and crafts and, of course, food and music.
5. Sunday, April 30, it's back out to Dry Comal Creek for the final day of the Wine and Wildflowers trail.
Also this week, I'll be taking some of my larger works up to the Gallery on the Square in Wimberley!
It's "that time of year!" So mark you calendars and if you are in the area of any of these...come see me!

Texas Hill Country Spring-a wildflower painting

This is the painting that I finished just in time to enter the Canyon Lake Art Guild show. I'm really happy with it...but would might work on it a bit more if I get the chance. Knowing when to stop is one of the greatest challenges as an artist. This one's 24X36, acrylic on stretched canvas, nicely framed. It'll be in the show all month long and is available for purchase. It's priced at $695. Contact me if you are interested!

Canyon Lake Art Guild Show Wildflower Winner!

My Wildflower painting, "Celebrating Nature's Rewards," took 2nd place in the mixed media category at the Canyon Lake Art Guild Show! The show is up for the month of April at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery in downtown New Bruanfels, Texas. Go see it if you get the chance...lots of nice work this year! That was one of 3 works I entered, each very different. One of the entries was from my palette knife wildflower bouquet series. The third was a more traditional wildflower painting that I'll try to post in the next few days.

Canyon Lake Art Guild Show

I had started a painting last week that was going well enough that I wanted to enter it in the annual Canyon Lake Art Guild show that's being held a the New Braunfels Art League Gallery this month. I finished it within in a few hours of the deadline for entry and had to put a fan on it to be sure all the acrylic was dry enough. Popped it in a frame and turned it in, along with 2 other paintings (max of 3 allowed). I'll post this latest work on my blog in the next day or two, so please check back. It is a more traditional work, titled "Hill Country Spring." The show is up through April 29.

Now in Gallery on the The Square in Wimberley

Great news to share! I'm now in Gallery on The Square in Wimberley! For those not familiar with the area, Wimberley is this cute little day-trip destination for Austinites, Houstonions, San Antonioians and anyone making a drive through the Texas Hill Country. It's located on RR12, west of San Marcos. There's a concentrated downtown area with lots of old buildings that are now shops, restaurants and one really great contemporary art gallery: Gallery on The Square (yes, there are other galleries that carry more traditional work). David and I visited earlier this year on our way home from Austin where we had be checking out galleries to approach. It seemed like such a natural fit for my abstract work. They are tight on space and were not able to consign any of my larger Wildflowers. But, they were able to take on a good selection from my Wildflowers Squared series. (The photo posted here is from my foray into e-Bay last year--hence the line about "now bidding"-- which I have since discontinued.) As you can see, they are stretched canvas in gallery wrap style, meaning they do not need frames (no staples) and the paint continues over the edge of the canvas. I included samples from each size in the series, 4-inch, 6-inch, 8-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch. You can view more samples on my website in my online gallery, http://www.casadelinda.com/artgallery.htm. And just so you know, I have some broken links that I need to fix when I get a chance. But you should still be able to view the gallery. And if you want to learn more about Gallery on the Square, visit http://www.galleryonthesquare.com.
So that's my newest news!

Monday Art Joke

What a busy weekend! Two shows, back-to-back. Met lots of nice folks at the GartenFest in New Braunfels on Saturday. Several of David's photos found new homes as did one of my wildflower birdhouses. On Sunday, I was wearing a different hat as I represented the Hill Country Edge at a business expo hosted by the Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce. Since this is my "art blog" I don't talk about my other projects much, such as the fact that I am the rep for the Edge for Canyon Lake, New Braunfels and Gruene. It certainly keeps everyone I know confused. :-) You never know where I'll turn up or what I'll be doing. But I always come back to my art. And speaking of which, I wanted to start the week with a really corny joke that I hope lightens your day!

The Painting Thief
Recently a guy in Paris nearly got away with stealing several paintings from the Louvre. However, after planning the crime, breaking in, evading security, getting out and escaping with the goods, he was captured only two blocks away when his Econoline van ran out of gas. When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such an obvious error, he replied:
"I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the Van Gogh."

Spring Break?

No art classes this week since both of the local school districts are on Spring Break. But I've had plenty to do! Sat on a business panel for the New Braunfels Art League meeting Tuesday night. Hopefully shared some helpful hints about finding success as an artist, though I am a work in progress myself. Shared the panel with 2 fellow art league members, Becky Hicks and Rita Kirkman. They both have their acts together and their goals set. You can see their art at www.beckyhicksart.com and www.ritakirkman.com. This Saturday I'll be setting up at GartenFest, an annual event hosted by the New Braunfels Conservation Society. Hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m., so if you are in the area drop in and please drop by my booth where I'll have my Texas Wildflower Birdhouses, Wildflowers Squared paintings and David's scenic photography. Post a comment if you need more information or directions. Admission is free (unless you want to attend the seminars, then there's a $20 donation) and the grounds are very cool. Lots of old, historic buildings have been moved in and restored. Next big show will be April 21-23 at the Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio. I've been invited to display at The Gallery at the Hacienda de las Rosas, their first gallery art show. You can get more info at www.antiqueroseemporium.com. This site covers both the original Brenham location and the San Antonio location on Evans Road.

Monday Art Joke

OK...so this isn't really an art joke. But it's just too cute not to share...

A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack.
"Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $30,000 loan to take a holiday."
Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name. The frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's okay, he knows the bank manager.
Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.
The frog says, "Sure. I have this," and produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed.
Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office.
She finds the manager and says, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000, and he wants to use this as collateral."
She holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?"
The bank manager looks back at her and says, "It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man's a Rolling Stone."

The morning after an Art Show

Recovering from the weekend art show in Austin this morning. For those of you who have "done" shows you know how I'm feeling today. For those of you who haven't...well, it's sort of like waking up after being run over by a train. Sorry for the clicheé, but it's Monday...after a show. Saw lots of friends this weekend and made a few new ones. Seven of my wildflowers (3 palette knife style and 4 from the Wildflowers Squared series), now have new homes! I always feel so honored when people choose to buy my work. So if you are one of those folks reading this right now: THANK YOU! Lots to do this week. Many of you know that art is only part of my life and career. But on the art side, I teach painting Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (when I don't have a show lined up). My next event will be this Sat, March 18, at "Art at Twilight" from 5-7 p.m.
at Tish's Decor and More Gallery in Canyon Lake. I'll be there by 6 p.m. since I have a class that goes until 5. My next arts and crafts show will be the GartenFest in New Braunfels on March 25 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Conservation Plaza. I'm "considering" the Founders Fest in Dripping Springs on April 8-9 but haven't made the commitment yet. We are set to to a double whammy later that month: on April 22-23 I'll be at the Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio. I've been *invited* to participate in a fine arts show there. On Saturday of that weekend, David will be at the Canyon Lake Market Day at the Rec Center. Then we have Wein and Sangerfest in New Braunfels on April 29. Spring is such a busy time for art shows and festivals! Let me know if you need anymore information on any of these events. I'll be happy to accommodate!

FACET- Artist Harvest Fine Arts Show

This weekend I'll be in Austin at the Palmer Auditorium for the Artist Harvest Fine Arts Show. This is my second year to do this juried show. And with this unusally warm, almost summer-like weather, it'll be nice to be inside! Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 11-12. If you come, please be sure to stop by my booth, #319. For more info, you can visit www.artistsharvest.com.

Sunday Morning Reflections

I picked up my rejected painting yesterday (see previous post). Since misery loves company, I'm feeling a little better. A good sized room was filled with works to be picked up. Several hundred I'd guess. Today David and I are putting in our work day for March at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery. I'm working some more on one of my palette knife paintings, the large 30X40 that I had posted here last week (I decided to take down that posting as the photos did not do the work justice). I'm expanding the flowers out to the edge of the canvas...something new that I had not done before with this technique. So I'll be working on that today if I can find the time, as well as doing some framing in preparation for the Austin show March 11-12. Tomorrow I celebrate another year on this earth.

Dealing with rejection

So I got the notice in the mail today. It was a postcard that I stamped and addressed when I submitted my painting last week for the juried show in San Antonio (see my last post). Turned it over hoping to see the "accepted" box checked. It was blank. The check I was looking for was parked in the "rejected" box. Bummer. I know that this comes with the territory but it still cuts deep. So I pick myself up (and plan to pick up my painting this weekend) and look to the future. I will be taking this work to the Austin FACET show in less than 2 weeks (yikes! I have only a week and a half to get ready!)...perhaps someone will see it, love and take it home. That would be sweet.