Belated - Happy New Year!

 It seems I have been very absent from my blog. I just noticed that my last post was in December - at least it was 2023!

So where have I been? I'm still occasionally doing journal pages - I'll post some more of those in upcoming messages. I have given several books talks about the book I put together with George's essays. I have done a few paintings for art league projects.

I begin with this post by catching up with my banner painting for 2024. A little history - the St Michaels Art League - SMAL - has provided banners for the poles along our 'main street (which is really named Talbot Street) since 2010. The theme for this program is 'Celebrate St. Michaels'.

I have been painting a 'cartoon' crab for years. A friend named him 'Mikey' - appropriate for St. Michaels. Each year Mikey is doing something that represents what happens here. My idea for 2024 was to have Mikey be an oysterman. 

Oysterman are hearty souls. They begin in the Fall and work through all the 'R' months. We are now in April - they have been out on their boats through the winter months and their season in now about over. I have great respect for them. I wanted Mikey to honor them this year.

My initial idea was for Mikey to be holding an oyster knife, having just shucked a platter of raw oysters.

Eh, not quite right... what about a bushel of oysters, some shucked oysters and oyster tongs?

 Trying it again with some color...

Still not good... I tried moving the tongs...

Awful! Oysters just out of the water are usually dirty... these look like a bushel of potatoes! Several  disasters later and a friend said "No one ever sees the dirty oysters. Just paint the clean shells."

A few more tries and this is what I ended up with...

"Eat More Oysters"

This painting is currently hanging on the gallery wall at the St. Michaels Library. It will be there through the month of April and then will hang at Blue Crab Coffee (next to the library). The banners will be hanging along Talbot Street soon and will stay there until next November! 

Posters of all the banners are available at Creative Xpressions (store in St. Michaels).