I have touched with a sense of art some people – they felt the love and the life. Can you offer me anything to compare to that joy for an artist? — Mary Cassatt

It was such a great experience to spend so much of this year preparing for my first solo show, and then all too soon and before I felt ready, to have the work get hung, to party with friends old and new at the fantastic opening, to have more people stop by throughout the month to look at my body of work, and finally to reach the closing day with my artist talk, at which so many people I know well and really respect came to listen to me talk about my work. Actually, that was a little intimidating for someone who's a bit of an introvert. :)

I am also so grateful to Kevin Kuhn and Sharon Kyle Kuhn, who run the Bay6 Gallery and Studios, for giving me this wonderful opportunity to show my work in such a great space! They are delightful folks, and I am so glad to have come to know them. They made the process of having this show so smooth and unscary.

I picked up my paintings yesterday, and am packaging up for delivery the ones that have received a new home. I also picked up the comments left in the guestbook, and thought I'd share some of those with you. I'll leave off the names in case anyone is shy about having their name plastered on the web, but if you would like your name attached to your comment, just let me know, and I'll add it. Finally, I received a few more photos of the show courtesy of fellow Austin painter, Marilyn Rea Nasky, which I will share here with you. Without further ado, here are some of the comments and photos:

Takes my imagination on a trip! Love it!

Beautiful and so free!

Awesome!

Lovely stuff!

Beautiful and so "e!"

Lurves it!

I love the duo "Frilly" and "Peeping Out..." especially.

Mind-provokingly spiritual

Everything looks fantastic. Like your colors, of course!

Wonderful show!

Fantastic!

Resounding color!

I can see your work evolving -- it's a fascinating journey to watch.

And now that my show is over, I plan to paint, paint, paint, and create a whole new body of work. I'll keep you posted. Sooner than you may think! Stay tuned...

Thanks to everyone who came out for my artist talk yesterday.  We had a great little crowd, and a wonderful discussion.  I sold another painting and a print yesterday, too!  But mostly, I really enjoyed talking to and with all those who came!  

Thanks again to all for spending a gorgeous Sunday afternoon with me!

Photo courtesy of Clay Leben.

Many thanks to everyone who made it out to the opening reception for my first solo show!  It was a great opening!

People started to arrive right on the dot, and before long, friends and art fans were arriving so quickly that I did not get to meet at least a couple of dozen guests (sorry!), nor talk to quite a few of my friends!  The good advice I got from another artist was indeed accurate: "Think of it like a wedding, you won't be able to have a complete conversation with anybody, but they won't mind."  At least I hope no one minded!

It was so wonderful that so many of my friends, some who I haven't seen in years, showed up.  And I met so many new people, too.  I sold three paintings, and got a lot of wonderful compliments on my work.

[caption id="attachment_5007" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The Treachery of Others"][/caption]

The reception was scheduled to go from 7:00-10:00pm, but we were all having so much fun that it lasted until well after midnight.  The great band, The Treachery of Others, even played an extra set.

We had a wonderful spread of food -- from fruit to nuts and everything in between, it seemed, and it was nearly all consumed by the end of the evening.  One of the friends of Bay6 smoked a salmon for the opening, which was completely consumed before the night was out.  Cantanker Magazine had also hosted a performance in the Big Medium studio three bays down from Bay6.  Part of the performance included a butter churner of sorts with a guitar neck that indeed made music.  After their performance, they donated cups and cups of whipped cream made from the musical butter-churner.

If you missed the opening, you can still see the exhibit, which continues through November 1st at Bay6 Gallery, open on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00-5:00pm.  (See the calendar to the right for available dates and times).

Photos from the show are online here: The E Word Opening Reception.