Thought-Full Art Studio

A conversation...

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Bayou Downtown and Greeting Cards!

Headed to the Houston Bayou Downtown Festival this weekend. Show opens Saturday and runs through Sunday. If you are in the area, hope you will come by. It should be really nice weather for walking about and enjoying the fine arts and crafts of this fun show.

I have a new offering for the show – greeting cards with my “The Three Truths” image. I do not often create greeting cards but several folks at recent shows had asked about this image in particular so I decided to give it a try.

Depending on how they do at this show, I’ll make them available on the website and at other shows. These are on heavy-duty card stock and sized for regular mail postage. If someone is interested in a bulk order, we can discuss options.

Hope to see you at the show!

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Bayou Festival Coming Up!

The Fall Art Season is in full swing! I just finished up a great time at the Cottonwood Arts Festival in Richardson, Texas. It was unusually hot for this time of year, but people came out and it was a great show.

My most popular piece was the “Three Truths”. Someone suggested I make this one into a Christmas Card and we are going to see if we can make that happen. I haven’t made cards in many years as it seemed that people had slowed down sending them. But it will be fun to see if this one can be adapted and how people will use it.

My next stop is coming up this weekend: Houston, Texas for the Bayou City Art Festival (Saturday and Sunday, October 12th and 13th). This is a well-attended show with a great lineup and I hope, if you are in the area, you will take time to attend.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Houston show. After that, I have just one more show for the Fall season – the Randy Brodnax and Friends Show. I really look forward to this one each year. It is a smaller venue and most of the artists and artisan crafters are long-time friends. Always some new faces as well and I look forward to the show and getting to know people. Plus – it is indoors! Always a blessing in the Fall/Winter!

Stay cool and see you in Houston or in Deep Elum at the Brodnax and Friends Show!

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Cottonwood Art Festival

The Cottonwood Art Festival begins tomorrow! The hours are Saturday, 10:00 am – 7:00 pm, and Sunday, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. I am in a new location this year. As you come into the park gates off Belt Line, I am in the area on your right – 2nd row back. This is a nice shady area so I’m looking forward to people feeling more comfortable and spend longer looking at my work.

I have a number of originals that have not been shown previously at Cottonwood and am excited to see how folks respond.

This is a terrific event with a huge number of excellent artists and artisan crafters. I hope you will be able to make it out. I would enjoy hearing from you on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ThoughtFullArt/ While there, a “Like” would be greatly appreciated! Catch you this weekend!

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Pauls Valley Artwalk

On Friday, August 30, from 5:55 to 9:00 pm, I will be participating in the Pauls Valley Artwalk. This is in downtown Pauls Valley, Oklahoma and should be a fun evening of art and music. I hear there will also be food trucks and wine tasting.

The Artwalk starts and ends at The Arts and Cultural Center, located on the corner of Walnut and Paul (next to the Mercantile Store).

They have several locations participating: The Vault Art Space & Gathering, The Valley Blossom Shop, Penny’s Place, Daisy Patch, The Jeweler, Stark Art Gallery, and The Toy & Action Figure Museum.

The Artwalk only happens 4 times a year and I am very honored to be included! Hope my Oklahoma friends will be able to drop by to see my latest works!
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Enjoying Down Time

One of the great things about being a working artist is that there are times when I can take a breather and do some of the other things that give me great pleasure. One of those things is working in my yard.

Lately, I’ve been working on streamlining the amount of time it takes to keep up with all my plantings. I enjoy having plants that “take care of themselves”. With all the varying weather conditions in Texas, it can take some time to figure out which ones can survive the heat and drought, which require “weathering” in the winter, and which are simply unsuited. This year I’ve been focusing on adding some “native” plantings.

When I draw, I pull a lot of my gardening work into my imagery. There are almost always plants, flowers, or trees in almost all my work. God’s creativity is boundless and it is a joy to plant something and watch it grow and thrive. I’m grateful that God gives us this bit of insight into how He must feel all the time.

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Creating Conversations

I am having a terrific time creating a group of small originals that are creatures having conversations. I’ve done a few of these in the past and they have received a really nice response. For Salina’s Smoky Hills River Festival I am creating several more.

Not every piece of art has to have a HUGE, overarching “meaning”. Sometimes artists create (if they are fortunate) just for the joy of sharing something fun. That is the case with these little originals. They make me smile, are really fun to create, and I hope that people will invite them into their homes and find them equally enjoyable.

Hope to see you at the festival next week!

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Smoky Hill River Festival

The spring season has come to a close. I have one more festival and then will be working in my studio to prepare for the coming fall. I have a number of small originals that I will try to add to the site in coming weeks. I do not typically sell originals on the site as many of mine are large and shipping/delivery is sometimes a challenge. But these smaller ones can be shipped with confidence in a safe delivery.

We have added – and continue to add – my available prints in the shop. I have about five more to go before pretty much everything currently available is listed. Hope you will come back and refer friends to the site!

If you are in the Salina, Kansas area, be sure to put the Smoky Hill River Festival on your calendar. It really is a terrific event! Hope to see you on the road!

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Upcoming Events

Just came back from the Tulsa Mayfest Show. This year the show was moved to a new location. Like any move, there were some hiccups but there is obvious potential for the new site. The weather didn’t work in our favor, but it was still a good event.

My next show is in Salina, Kansas (the Smoky Hills River Festival ) on June 13-16. This is a terrific event for adults and the entire family. There is always a great lineup of music artists and a great range of fine art and crafts. I always enjoy this show and hope this year will prove to be another fun event for all.

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2019 Tulsa Mayfest May 17-19

Will be heading to Tulsa in a couple of days to set up for the 2019 show. Very excited about the show – which is moving to a new location in Tulsa. I’m sure they are advertising like crazy – but if you are coming out to the show – check out their website and Facebook page for updates. I have a LOT of new small originals and some larger ones as well. I hope to see you there!

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Website Changes Coming

These changes will largely be on the back end. However, in the meantime, you may see some “dust” until things get settled into their new home. If you have any trouble accessing the site, you can reach me on Facebook at @ThoughtFullArt (cut and paste into Facebook; if doesn’t work just do a search for “Thought-Full Art Studio”).

Thank you for your patience!

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Main Street Arts Festival

Today I’m busy setting up for the Main Street Arts Festival in Fort Worth. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the show and I am excited about the opportunity. The show starts tomorrow morning (Thursday) and runs through Sunday evening. The hours are very long – so there is no excuse for missing this one. This is a terrific line up in a great area of Fort Worth. Hope to see you there!

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The Madness Begins!

The Spring Show season is about to begin! This year I am honored to be back in Main Street Ft. Worth. All the shows I enter are very competitive and this is one of the tougher ones to get into consistently. I’m very excited to be back in this spring. Visit my Shows page to see the list.

My first show will be the Bayou City Art Festival in Memorial Park. This show is held in a great outdoor setting. Hoping the spring weather will be helpful and give us plenty of sunshine. If you are in the Houston area March 29-31, 2019, put this event on your “must do” list. Always a very positive event.

I’ve got several new prints and originals and I’m very excited to roll these out to the public. These new prints are available in my online store now.
I hope to see you on the road!

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Spring 2019 Lineup of Shows – UPDATED 3/18/2019

I am really excited about my upcoming shows. I have a lot of new originals and am working on a series of small originals that are “inter-related”. Four brand new prints that I’m really looking forward to showing for the first time! I think they will make people smile. I’m certainly enjoying drawing them.

I’ve added some updates to the Spring 2019 listing of shows (available here). It is going to be a crazy spring!

I feel so blessed to be able to continue doing my art after all these years. It gives me great pleasure and I really enjoy getting to meet with friends and customers at the shows. My wife recently retired and I’m looking forward to her being able to travel along with me more often.

See you on the road!

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Randy Brodnax Christmas Show – November 30-December 2

I am REALLY excited about a new picture I just finished up. I will show it first at the upcoming Randy Broadnax Christmas Show. This is such a fun show and a great combination of fine arts and crafts. If you are seeking something unique for friends, family, or yourself – or just want a fun and energizing experience, be sure to put the show on your calendar!

I hope you and those you love had a great Thanksgiving. We are still eating leftovers – but enjoying them very much (in case my wife reads this…). Be safe if you are out there in the crazy shopping madness! Be sure to save a penny or two to drop by the show! 😉

I’ll be posting a “teaser” of the new picture this week!

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Final Show of the Season – Brodnax and Friends Annual Christmas Show

 Yes – it’s that time of year! The annual Brodnax and Friends Annual Christmas Show is coming! This will be the 40th year for this fun and eclectic show, held in the iconic Sons of Hermann Hall on 3414 Elm Street in Dallas. The show runs from Friday, November 30th through Sunday, December 2nd. I’ve got a number of new originals and am really looking forward to seeing friends and patrons.