Upwards of 200 people came, which was very nice. Quite a few from The Seattle Group, my peeps, including Mark Tracy, Joseph Keppler, Tracy Boyd, and Robert Hardgrave. (I can’t tell you how proud I am to be a part of this group of fine artists, which also includes: Andrew Drawbaugh, Chris Crites, Paul Young, Bill Fahey, James Brown, Melanie Reed, Shawn Foote, Carl Jackson and David Eddy)

Mannfried Funk played cello. Apulent donated the wine and food. Many of the board members of CoCA were there. Carol and Tiger Jolles came, that made my night, especially when Carol knew Matthew Kangas. 

Today I went to school and Kathleen McVey said she and her husband Pierce also knew Kangas. Seattle is a small town. This whole country seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Everywhere I go, people I meet know people I know. It’s so circular it makes me dizzy, as if I weren’t already!!! LOL

Some of the Bertschi moms came too. Wendy Heipt, Sonya, Lesli, Jane. I was so surprised. Then I heard from a bunch of them about their plans to come falling though at the last minute. I just thought that was so nice that they tried, I was blown away. Below is Lesli, Wendy and Sonya.

Terry, from Bertschi, invited me to see her collection, which I would love to see. As a matter of fact, I’d be interested in seeing the other work that Sherri and Richard collect as well (pictured at top) Joseph Roberts took more photos, and I hope to get my hands on them soon so I can post them but I think he’s traveling for the next few days.

I think I need to send a thank you to the CoCA board.

By the way, I can’t even begin to tell you how much money I spent getting ready for the CoCA show. I can estimate all the receipts will tally around $1,500. That sucks. That’s why we’re staying in Seattle for Winterim instead of visiting friends in LA. And I have to look at it as a long term investment.

The other news that got missed in all the misegas of getting ready for the CoCA show in 17 days was that Maul Accident took second place at Collective Visions in Bremerton and I won a little cash. Here’s me and Alan.

Another thank you note I have to write. The CVG folks did a superb job with the entire production. It was an enormous undertaking and I can’t imagine how much blood, sweat and tears went into pulling it all together. I was quite honored to be a part of it.

Three of my pieces got into Unclad: tip to bridge, middle passage, and a need so great and deep it can never be swallowed. So, more canvas stretching and oh shit...renting another truck to get the work there! $$$$.

South Seattle Community College is also going to exhibit my work, they’ve accepted miter saw accident and snow blower accident. At least those I can strap to the roof of my car.

Then Forgetting and Remembering got into Wide Open in Brooklyn NY! out of almost 1,600 entries this was one of 174 picked. Joseph Roberts owns the painting now and he’s generously agreed both to release it from the CoCA show early AND to ship it to the Brooklyn show. And they’ve agreed to take it even though it’s been recently acquired. This is just stupendous. This is the same painting wanted for the week-long show in London, although the London gallery is still trying to figure out if they have space, and I have to ship a rolled painting, not a stretched painting, so they’ll need to take a different work.

All this business and I couldn’t wait to get back to painting. It’s been 3 weeks. You can’t imagine, after agreeing to volunteer in Chloe’s class this morning, how desperately disappointed I was to find out that today was a half day! But the girls were absolute troopers! I asked their permission and they agreed to come to the studio and paint. Xyta did another in her T-Bone series. She painted “Dancing Dog” today. Chloe began her shoe installation. Barb gave her a pair of old bowling shoes and away she went splattering them with paint and then using the paint to glue a paint stick, a bucket of paint, push pins, screws, and other paraphernalia to them. (I’ll take photos and post) When they were done, Barb took them into her studio and they posed for her for an hour. What a godsend! It was like breathing again! I worked on “And the vacuum cleaner swallows its bag.” Which you can see here. Okay, that’s all for now. More later..and there is more I just have to go spend time with my husband...;o)