We have been busy with the Studio, visitors and the annual plant sale....a real garden party

I have been busy splashing the paint delicately to create a watercolor pattern in my large works ...there are no empty skies.  We worked for a solid three hours with the wonderful and free spirited volunteers and I stayed until 8:30 adding and adjusting the levels of beautiful colors of the trees.  Some volunteers were unfamiliar with the techniques and design elements but were totally trusting once we began to sketch in the sunset panel, two large trees, two collections of trees...the bare bones.  I hope and feel they had a great experience and will return in pride for their opening garden party in July in the new, renewed garden landscape.  I attended the annual opening night of the plant sale...it was much like a family reunion.  I had visitors in the studio until about 9:30 pm.  I still had to pick up my car with four new tires, alignment, exhaust system temporary repairs, oil change, air filter and too many other much needed adjustments that were over due.  I now am driving an almost new feeling car ...safely to and from my work space and outreach.  I got home late and went in early on Saturday until 8:30PM.   Abby Longshore worked feverishly on the large and beautiful panel she and her mother Alice created on Thursday afternoon.  Saturday we a spectacular day and the process itself is totally mesmerizing...I seem to lose the sense of time when I am painting in golds , silvers and bronzes for light reflection when they are installed.  I took Ken to brunch and then picked up a special order with a young fiber artist for a baby gift.  Brent had a beautiful baby girl last Wednesday and she is named Mia Abigail...sounds almost poetic and the parents are so proud.  The whole family Dawes family is excited to invite a new member to the Dawes community.  Today I went to bed and must have needed the rest.  I slept in the dark room and collected my strength as I washed 8 yards of a soft yellow and orange panel.  It is a glorious parfait of colors and will inspire many interpretations when we move to the next layers to tell a story of sorts in colors.  I am feeling better and have caught up on my three days of emails.  I hope to keep the posts a bit short and let the photos share the story.  Have a fabulous week creating!!!  Imagine and Live in Peace,  Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart