It takes a wonderful husband who is willing to help me out!  I have to be the luckiest woman in the world.  Paul has put up with me for 33 years and is still here to support and encourage and help me when needed.
I'm off Friday noon to Connecticut to teach a 2 day seminar to a great group of painters.  This trip had been planned for over a year and I'm really looking forward to it. 

I don't travel teach as much as I used to.  I suppose there are so many other things going on, but I do enjoy teaching.  To see students learn and grow as artists is pure delight.  Just don't tell anyone that I learn as much from them as they learn from me. 

I was all set for this trip when along comes an opportunity with Tennessee Artists Association to exhibit at the Southern Living Showcase home.  Paul VOLUNTEERED to set up and show for me.  Now that is love!  Wouldn't you know that the weather is going to be cold and rainy.  It must be Dogwood Arts Festival time.  It seems like the weather is like this every year. 
The photo shown is one of the projects I'm teaching at the Conn. SDP. "Brass and Petunias". 

This is a close up of the nine paintings when they came together as a 12'x12' mural of the crucifixion.

Easter Sunday completed a series of sermons our pastor, Marty Shelton at The Church of Rutledge, did on "The Glory of God".  I believe he patterned it from messages by Charles Stanley Jr.and asked that I do the paintings that went along with it.  Nine paintings, some showing the creation, one the birth of Christ, others about the "gods" we chase, were displayed throughout the 4 weeks that the series spanned. 
Marty pointed out that GOD created this world and everything in it and made it  perfect.  We humans messed it up.  We want to put our mark on it.  We want to make it about us rather than putting GOD first and glorifying him.  But GOD loved us so much that he sent his only begotten son to suffer and die for our sins. 
Today, these paintings came together to portray the crucifixion. 
I thank GOD for the talent he gave me and the opportunity to use it to glorify him.  Without him, I am nothing.

Yeah!  I'm finished filing my income tax for the year.  By using Turbo Tax it really isn't THAT bad any more.  It certainly isn't  like it used to be when everything had to be manually figured, but I still hate to do them.  Even getting a refund doesn't make it any more pleasant.  Perhaps it is simply the conflict of left brain and right brain.  I would have much preferred to be outside enjoying the beautiful dogwoods and redbuds.

The flowering trees and shrubs are prettier than I can ever recall.  (I probalby say that every year!)  Our East Tennessee spring has been very warm and dry, so we were blessed to get a much needed gentle rain  today. 

The painting pictured here is "Spring at Clinch Mountain Overlook".  Giclee' reproductions of this original have found homes from California to New England and from Minnesota to Florida.  For some collectors,  it is a reminder of a place where they used to live or visit.  Several reproductions have gone to people who have never visited the area, but see it as a place of beauty and tranquility. That it is! 

I love my native East Tennessee in the spring.  It makes tax time much more tolerable.