Meet Kia, Eden and Royalty...

Meet Kia and her two sons, Eden (1)  and Royalty (5).

I met them in the laundromat when I was washing my comforter a little over a week ago on a freezing day. In the middle of our conversation I realized my machine was the only one operating. "Are you doing laundry here? " I asked her. No, she told me, they were homeless, just getting out of the cold.

Kia left her home in Kansas City and came to Atlanta to start a new life. Things didn't work out as she had hoped, and she wound up sleeping in friends' cars.

To make a long story short, I brought them into my house, with the intention of putting them into a room above my studio. The long-term plan is to get her a job, secure daycare (there are social and charity services for that, get her on the food stamp program, get her a dependable used car, and her own place.

I don't know how anybody pulls himself out of poverty without help. How much more impossible is it if you are a mother of two young kids with zero support.

Kia is smart, self-motivated and affectionate toward her children. She has a plan and she needs a hand; she was dealt a bad one. Please contribute. Let’s see if we can change a life.

Help Kia here

PETITE BEAUTE, December 7, Cecil Byrne Gallery, Charleston SC

"Petite Beaute" is a small works exhibition at Cecil Byrne Gallery in Charleston, SC. The show features works by award-winning artists from across the USA; I'm honored to be a part of it. Here are the 5 paintings I sent the gallery; Im not sure if all 5 will be exhibited Friday. But if anybody ever wants to see more of any particular artist's work, all galleries are only too happy to bring you to the back and show you everything they have. 

I wish I could be there for opening night, but I would be honored if  you are in the Charleston area and are able to attend the reception. If you do, please tell me about it! 
Opening reception Friday, December 7, 5:00-8:00.

Cecil Byrne Gallery, 60 Broad Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Open daily 10:00-5:00
843-312-1891
cecilbyrnegallery@gmail.com

Click here to register for my pastel class at Scottsdale Artists School.

Click here to register for my oil painting class at Create Center for the Arts in Palm Desert, CA

Click here to register for my pastel class at Create Center for the Arts in Palm Desert, CA

Another workshop on Wednesday, December 5.

Well, my December 19 class filled so quickly, I have a waiting list for it. So I've decided to hold another workshop on Wednesday, December 5. Email me if you're interested. pastels@margaretdyer.com

A one-day oil and pastel class at my home studio in Atlanta, Wednesday, December 19.

Email me at pastels@margaretdyer.com to register.

Contact Debra Zamperla

 In just a few days, the Operation Fundstorm: Hurricane Michael Relief Fund auction has raised over $83,000.00 with artist donations! With this astounding success, they've asked us to put up a few more pieces. Right now there are 75 new paintings on the site; here are mine (lot numbers 251 and 252). 100% of the proceeds go to help the people in Florida's devastated panhandle. Thank you for spreading the word.

https://www.32auctions.com/NotForgotten2018…

 

Artists helping the Forgotten Coast!

I am one of 107 artists who have donated a painting (or paintings in some cases) to raise funds to help the people in the Florida panhandle, hit by the recent hurricane.

We are auctioning off the works, opening bids begin around 1/10 of the retail prices. The auction begins tonight! Here's the info:

PREVIEW begins Sunday (tonight) at 5pm EST!! 
BIDDING begins at 7pm.
GO TO: https://www.facebook.com/operationfundstorm

This is a great opportunity to help the victims and pick up some incredible art at incredible prices. The auction will continue for a week.

Fig preserves and opening reception invitation

I did it! I canned 12 jars of fig preserves! I feel like quite the homesteader. I don't know why I was so afraid of it. I still have a tree full of figs and plenty of time to can them with all the rain we've been having here in the south.

I talked with Meg. Her neighbor rushed out to her when he saw her the other day, not knowing she had been in France with me. He and his wife had been frantic, seeing her car not move from her driveway for 3 weeks. They were afraid Meg's husband, Alan, a really nice guy, had done-off with her and had buried her in the backyard.

If you're in the Chattanooga area tomorrow, please drop by for our opening reception. The more the merrier. Here are a few of the pieces you'll see there...

Back to the studio.

I'm surprised that I'm feeling eager to get back into the studio, especially when I consider that only a month or so ago I was seriously thinking I was wasting my time and money trying to paint. I'd look around the studio at all the mediocre paintings and try to calculate how much money went into canvases and paints and classes and framing. I figured I had gotten as good as I would ever get, and that was just not good enough. Maybe it was time to do something else with what little time I may have in this life.

But I think I may have broken through a creative block. All of the sudden painting feels easy, and for the first time I'm thinking, tentatively, that I'm really painting.

Since I returned home from France, my sleeping schedule is out of whack; I'm going to bed late and waking up at 5 a.m., after only 3 or 4 hours of sleep. So I have my 2 cups of coffee, catch up on the news, and go out to the studio when it's light enough. And I'm excited about what I'm doing. Here a piece that will be in my upcoming show at River Gallery in Chattanooga. If you're in the area next Friday, come have a glass of wine with me at the opening reception, August 3, 5:30-7:00.

Now back to the studio.

Harvest time.

I fell into bed while the sun was still up last evening, exhausted after the long day traveling home from Paris. This morning I'm unpacking, doing laundry, getting to know my cat again, who is perfectly content because Debbie, my house/cat sitter, took such good care of her. Even my houseplants are happy. Thank you, Debbie.

I walked the back yard to see what's new and what I'll be doing the next few weeks and discovered that I have arrived home in time to rescue my figs from the birds! For the first time in years!!! They were all over the tree (the birds), and they fluttered away when I approached this morning. I've never done it before, but I'm making fig preserves this year. But first I need to find someone who knows how to can figs and who will be willing to help me do it. I purchased all the canning stuff several years ago in anticipation of this day.

And my pear tree is heavy with fruit, dropping pears on the ground. What a delight. I'll be spending the next few days picking pears, putting them in paper bags to sweeten, then when they're ready I'll peel, chop and freeze them for my winter smoothies.

I have my work cut out for me. Not to mention the weeding; Atlanta had a lot of rain while I was gone. I'm warily looking forward to learning how to use the gas powered trimmer/edger I bought before I left for France; it is a lot more powerful than my battery operated one.

I see my dream being realized, very slowly, of having a beautiful and productive garden in my inner city back yard. One day I will have chickens. I have a lot to learn.

And in the meantime, I'm finishing up some work for my upcoming show at River Gallery in Chattanooga. Friday, August 3rd is the reception, and you are invited. There should be a few paintings from my visit to France. Your invitation is below.

Meg and I are going home.

We spent two days in the Latin Quarter in Paris with Kippy, Brigette and Kathy. They are now on their way to Giverny to visit Monet's home and garden. Meg and I are going home.

While in Paris, we all visited the Musee Marmottan Monet (it's not really winter in France...I've swiped a photo from the internet), to see its permanent collection of paintings by Berthe Morisot but were equally thrilled by Monet's landscapes on the bottom floor. I especially enjoyed his vivid abstracts toward the last few years of his life. I remember seeing these years ago and not being impressed. Now I love them. It's funny how our taste changes. We were also pleasantly surprised to discover the current exhibition of portraits by Camille Carot., who is mostly known for his landscapes.

I wonder occasionally if Meg has been overdosed by art; the rest of us were consumed by it for two weeks and still couldn't get enough. I don't hear her complaining or swearing she doesn't want to set foot in another gallery for another decade, so maybe she's OK. I was always a little relieved to come upon her in a museum to find her photographing a favorite painting.

I have to try to tell you about the spectacular Gustav Klimt exhibit at the Atelier des Lumieres;, which we saw as well. Maybe 'saw' is not the appropriate verb. Experienced would be better. Pictures will not be adequate so I am providing this link to a video. If you ever get a chance to experience this show, do. I cried.
https://youtu.be/qqwO463JLXc

I am looking forward to getting away from all the rich French food and wine. I want to get back to my smoothies and an occasional peanut butter sandwich and glass of milk. So is Meg.

Vernissage. Wow.

Friday afternoon we transformed the creative chaos in the studio, stacking and sliding furniture to the back of the room, vacuuming, dusting, into an inviting exhibition. Guests began arriving right at 6:00, and they kept coming until the room was crowded. And they stayed a long time. There was plenty of champagne (I'm trying to recover from it this morning) which helped tremendously as we conversed or tried to converse with all our French speaking guests.

Here are the artists and their works: 

Liz Glatzer from Providence Rhode Island. You must see Liz's very clever and funny blog: www.amusingboomer.com.

Deb Wicks from Venice, Florida, is a Signature Member of the Florida Watercolor Society. Check out her gorgeous paintings: http://dwicks.faso.com/works.

Kathy Kuryla (sounds like gorilla) is from Englewood, FL and Lyme, CT, is retired from a successful career in interior design.

Sophie Curlee turned 18 today. She plays violin, dances, enters Rhode Island School of Design in September. Watch out.

Diane Weissman (Sophie's mom) is a physician who will be working in Mother Teresa's hospice in India after she drops Sophie safely off at RISD.

Ann Maree Healey from Melbourne, Australia, now lives in Houston, TX, has exhibited her work for more than 20 years, writes monthly installments for the Atelier web page for the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas. ahealeyfineart.com.

Christie Jackson from Washington State, retired from a career in newspaper illustration. 

Brigette (pronounced BRIGita) Marten, born and raised in Germany, now lives in Basil, Switzerland and New Jersey. She is a retired German and English teacher.

And here are our models, Meg, Meg, Meg, Meg and Meg.

And Chantal, not only is she gorgeous and delightful, she set our tables, made our coffee, prepared our breakfasts and lunches and helped make the 2 weeks slip by way too quickly.

Almost everyone left this morning to meet husbands or friends or flights home. All that remains here with Kippy and Jerome are Brigette, Kathy, Meg and I. We will spend some time in Paris and return to our homes this week.

I am ready to get back to my cozy little home and garden.