See you in Helper Town!

Hi all!

 I just sent Doug off on his own little road trip to Estes Park, Colorado for their Plein Air Rockies competition.  He had to miss it last year due to over-booking of his schedule so he's very excited to be there this year. He made a quick stop in good ol' Helper Town and he informed me that Marylou had me a room reserved at the Studio Group building there on Main Street if I wanted to come down to the Helper Arts & Music Festival!  Absolutely!!  So yes, it's this weekend and I'm very excited to go down!  Anyone wanna tag along . . . Seriously, such a fun little town and I can't wait to see the "Helper Gang!!" 

The summer has been absolutely crazy and I can hardly believe it's already August!  We just returned from an amazing firm retreat, compliments of Stucki, Steele & Rencher.  Two days in Cedar City, Utah to see a couple of awesome plays at the Shakespearean Festival at Southern Utah University and a fabulous dinner at Milt's Steakhouse.  Doug and I had such a great time and stopped off in Fillmore, Utah on our way home Sunday morning to have a little of our own Sunday Worship service on the golf course!  It was a lovely service as you can well imagine . . . see, I'm getting all choked up here just thinking about it . . . and I came away with a new Calloway driver "lefty style" for, apparently, my unbelievably good play and amazing sermon on the green.  Go figure . . . when you got it, you got it . . . 

 


"Desert Fire"
30 x 50
Being considered by Davis County Arts for a permanent collection piece.

I'm hoping we don't kill Doug's beautiful garden while he's gone.  Wesley is in charge of watering but, seriously, who is in charge of keeping the 14 lb. winter squash from growing OUT through the fence!  They're OUT OF CONTROL!  They look like Christmas decorations all hanging on the chain link fence!  Doug grew everything from seeds this year and the bag that I marked "pumpkin seeds" turned out to NOT be pumpkin seeds.  Bless his heart, he couldn't part with one single plant, so we have peppers, tomatoes and squash (not pumpkins) bursting at the seams of the fenced-in garden! Do come by the studio and see us and bring your garden baskets! 

Just so I can cut to the chase and get to what you really want to hear about, THE PAINTINGS, I'll give you a 30-second rundown of what's been on my mind the last few months . . . so if you can read this in your fastest "head voice" you'll get it in under 30 seconds and get more of a feel of how fast these thoughts are running through MY head!

• My doctor tells me I am severely deprived of Vitamin D so any doses of sunshine I can get (not through my office window, mind you) is excellent.  I need to golf more . . . (you can say that again if you'd like - and slower . . . I need more golf . . . I need more golf . . .)  Okay keep going . . .
• The Olympics were awesome . . . my favorites . . . men's beach volleyball, basketball, gymnastics for sure, swimming . . . Love Love Love the cute and humble Missy Franklin whose middle name is Jeanette btw and did I say Men's Beach Volleyball?! Oh yeah . . . hahaha
• I get funnier the later into the night it gets while playing games and cards with the kids . . . I'm CERTAIN they would agree.  Ask Wesley about my AWESOME impression of Marge Simpson.  

  

  Amy and Wesley at graduation!

• Having your son graduate from High School with an Associates Degree from College is the BEST! Go Wesley!
• You know you're getting more and more like your parents when you go to get a prescription filled and you decide to check your blood pressure while you're waiting . . . oh and it's super funny when kids are using them and you stand there waiting impatiently . . . and then we wonder why our BP is up . . .
• When you don't use something for 10 years, it's okay to get rid of it - as identified by Amy who has been cleaning out every nook and cranny in my house!  Electric curlers . . . really . . . I might use them someday . .
• Some days you wake up and say "I think I'll cut my hair" and then you send a picture to your Mom and she smiles.  Thanks Ryan!  Love ya!  Can you say 5" curly locks all over the salon floor?

Okay - with those things off my chest, I'll move on to why we're all gathered here today . . . at this blog site . . . to give you more of my perspective on the Doug-master!  Is he getting better and better at this painting stuff?  I seriously think he is.  It's kinda buggin!  I'm kidding!!  Gosh!!!  I'll keep you posted on how he does in Estes Park but the study he did for "Emergence" below sold before he even got there.  We used an image of it for a "group ad" in Southwest Art Magazine sponsored through the Plein Air Rockies competition.  Look it up in your magazine if you take it! 

I'm going to fly out to Denver on the 23rd of August and spend the last few days in Estes Park and then ride home with him.  Ya know, there's 500+ miles between Estes Park and home so there's going to be some excellent road trip conversations goin on across I-70  . . . just sayin . . .

"Desert Fire" up above, unbelievable, no?  Definitely not the typical "Doug-esque" city or landscape - but totally sick-looking clouds!  (sick being freakin amazing, of course!)  And the new picture at the top of the blog:  "Court of the Patriarchs" from Zion's National Park - this is a 35 x 50 that is a preview of the Williams Fine Art holiday show to be held on Thursday, November 15.  Below is another "preview" of the show.  Put that date on your calendar and don't miss it.  It will take your breath away! 



"Mt. Olympus"
24 x 30
Preview of Williams Fine Art Holiday Show - November 15, 2012

Here is one that is being considered by Ogden City to be used in their Municipal Building where the Mayor's office is located.  Hoping they decide to take it.  It's fantastic!



"Emergence"
30 x 40

In fact, it is so fantastic that we have had this one professionally scanned and are going to offer a limited edition of signed and numbered prints, along with offering this giclee on canvas, any size from 15 x 20 up to 30 x 40--full size.  Go to our website for details and pricing.  We don't do many of these and probably won't until the great and amazing Doug can no longer paint, but this is too beautiful to not share with ya'll!! 

Doug just texted me and said things are going great but his cell phone service sucks!  So I can't call.  Tried to "face-time" on the Macs, but no luck.  Tried calling his room, but he picks up but I can't hear him!  Lame!!!  So yeah, we're texting!  how old fashioned is that??  what is this world coming to?  hahaha 

Here's a few more recent paintings that have not been off the easel for very long . . . then I'll sign off for tonight!  I'll try and keep you posted on Doug's Estes Park trip and on my wild and crazy weekend in Helper Town! 




"Party Favors"
12 x 9
SOLD - I noticed that I promised you this one on the last blog . . . awesome party favor . . .

 Last but certainly not least, our Southern Utah Tour La Plein Air is a little over a month away!!  It is going to be fantastic!  We spent the weekend in Boulder at the end of July, doing a little "entertaining" for the Boulder Heritage Days and then drove on over to Bryce Canyon to scout things out.  Our daughter, Amy, had never seen Bryce Canyon and was just blown away by its beauty and magnitute.  It's truly breathtaking!  We are finalizing the numbers on the first of September and we have a couple of spots that have opened up.  Email or call me if you'd like to jump in!  Go to our website for more details.  www.dougbraithwaite.com 



Double Rainbow just before we left Bryce Canyon - it had been raining all day so the misty clouds were laying on top of the peaks.

 

Amy and her dog, Jeffrey, taking it all in at Bryce Canyon National Park.

A fairly new painting that went to Park City recently.   


"End of the Block"
12 x 16
SOLD

Oh, just a little FYI, I'm now down 23 lbs since January!!  Yea!  I'm now Fifty and Fabulous (and not quite so fluffy!!)  hey, I'll take whatever I can get . . . here's to getting to 30 lbs!  As my dad would say, "Jeanette you hardly make a shadow anymore!!"  That would be because I'm blocking the sun!!  Love ya Dad!! 

See you in Helper!! 

J