Hard to Believe it is already 2011!

Well, the sun has gone down on the 2nd day of 2011.  We had a nice Christmas and New Year holiday with family.  It was quiet and restful.  I started two new books and I've been working in the studio quite a bit. 

 I also decided to participate in the Get Rid of 1000 Things Challenge!  I started last week and I only have 975 more things to go!  On second thought, it probably sounds better if I say I have gotten rid of 25 things. 

This past year was interesting, fun, heart breaking, educational, and my exhibition schedule  was busy.  I had a piece selected  for the "Inaugural Exhibition of the Florida  Museum of Women in the Arts" in Deland, FL.  I participated in the "On the Wild Side" Exhibition in Dallas Texas at Kittrell/Riffkind Art Glass.   One of my pieces was selected for the national juried exhibition entitled "Pinnacle," at Foster Tanner Fine Arts Gallery where I received a third place award for my piece 'Carousel Music!' The honor was exciting, plus I received a monetary award!  I was invited to participate in  "One of a Kind" a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Kittrell/Riffkind  Art Glass in Dallas, Texas!  Congratulations to those fine folks.  I   had several pieces in the "Summer Annual" at the Florida State University Museum of Fine Arts. At the end of the year, our Artists' League was challenged to create art from the recyclable material at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.  That exhibition is on display for  several months. 

We enjoyed two trips to Florida's East coast and both were special. 

In December, we  lost our beautiful old boy, Shade.  He had turned 21 years old in August.  We miss him so much.  What a sweet, sweet spirit. 

He left behind his buddies  of many years,   Roundface - 18 years old and his best buddy,    Yam - 17 years old.  His newer buddies were Bump at 4  years and Purrble at 3 years.                

There are new projects on the horizon for 2011. I will participate in several group exhibitions and I am working toward the one woman show I will have at the Jefferson Arts Center at the end of March.

I have enjoyed learning something new this year - enamel glass on copper.  (Thank you Kathy Wilcox) and I hope to incorporate that process in some  of my own work (paintings in kiln-fired glass).  We'll see how that goes!  

Let's all go out and have a really good  year!

'Til later . . .