Oils and Pastels by Margaret Dyer

oops. Back to Annette again. But while I'm here, I have to mention Diane. Many many years ago, when a weekly sketch group was the highlight of my week (it would be still, if I were going to one), I stood sketching a model with about 6 artists, none of whom I knew. They were not an especially talkative group. I was slowly realizing that they were not very friendly either. In fact, I was beginning to think they were taking themselves a little too seriously, when this lady from across the room would occasionally blurt out the funniest comments. I'd chuckle, the rest of the room remained silent. I continued drawing, astonished--both at this lady's unusual sense of humor, and the group's absolute lack of one. That was Diane Tigue across the room. I made a beeline for her after the session to introduce myself. Somehow, she and I struck up a friendship which has lasted many years. She and her husband left me and moved to Wichita, then to Savannah, where I get to visit her a li...

After mentioning my cookbook in a recent post, I realized I've never mentioned my other self-published book on lulu, which I've been selling for a few years now. Just in case any of you would like to have a 'collection' of my work, this is a softcover book with over 50 of my pastels in it. You can get it for $22.33 on lulu.com. Click on the headline above for the link.

Annette again! I promise, a new face tomorrow.

More of Annette. I love this piece. I know that sounds smug, but every once in a while, something stands out to me. This might be one of them.

Many of you may not have heard me mention this, but my 4 sisters and I have written a cookbook (which I created on my Mac using Photoshop and InDesign) for people who don't cook, because we don't cook and thought there'd be a place for it. We self-published it on lulu.com, have tried to create a little publicity about it by having book signings around Atlanta. Well, the Associated Press thought it was interesting enough to mention in an article about self-publishing. The article (with picture of my sisters and me!) was published online and in newspapers across the country. Since then, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, having seen it, wrote an article on us; we've been contacted by a publisher; and now we're talking with an agent in New York, who loves it and has asked for 10 copies to send to her publishers. We are freaking out at the response. I'll keep people updated on the book's progress.

No time to write today--I have my 3 year old, almost 4, grandson here with me. He is nonstop energy, bouncing around playing his guitar, bouncing around with his trucks, bouncing around with his robot, bouncing around with his...

More of Annette, from Chattanooga. A model who assumed painful poses and would never flinch. And not only that, she was very funny. A pleasure to work with. Thank you, Annette.

In case anybody's been wondering where I've been since Christmas--I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off (whatever that means). I had to finish and frame 14 pieces for a small show in Chesapeake, Virginia, which was to run in conjunction with a 3 day workshop I was to teach January 18. But before that workshop, I had to teach another 5 day class in Chattanooga. So I've been in and out of town and am only now able to get back into my studio to do my small pastels--which I've missed doing. They're very relaxing to do, and some of them inspire larger works. Anyway, I'm back, and so are my small pastels. This pastel is of Annette with a striped towel. Annette was one of the models for the Chattanooga class (Hello Mimi, Cynthia, Cyn, and Annette, if you're seeing this). More Chattanooga and Chesapeake poses will be showing up the next few days. And then I'll tell you about Blackwater Workshops in Chesapeake. It's good to be back...