Thought-Full Art Studio

A conversation...

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Spring Shows Begin

Finally 2022 is well underway, COVID cases are low (albeit rising – stay alert, my friends!), and spring shows are blooming! I’m getting ready for my first 2022 show – the Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts.

I’ve participated in this show pretty much each year for over 45 years. It is always a delight and a wonderful show – both from the standpoint of the artists and the visitors! I was fortunate to be able to show last June when they had to delay the spring show due to a COVID uptick. April is SO much better – nicer weather and hopefully fewer people will be out of town on vacation!

I am in booth 24-B. Drop by, say hi, and buy some art! 🙂

God bless!

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Merry Christmas!

While 2021 is not ending as we had hoped with a severe reduction in the number of Covid cases, we nonetheless are grateful for this past year. Grateful for the progress made in people getting vaccinated, grateful for the blessings of at least a few shows being held as hoped – and for people showing up and purchasing! Grateful that we are healthy and has been able to visit with friends and loved ones this year.

Grateful that our son has a new job that is allowing him to use his gifts and interests. Grateful our daughter-in-law has been able to complete her degree as well and that both of them remain healthy and happy.

Grateful for our little church that has hung together during this long Covid journey. Grateful for the God who watches over us and keeps us close. Grateful for His Word, and His Son, and His completed works on our behalf. God is good.

My wife and I pray that you and yours will have a blessed close to this year and that 2022 will be better, safer, and more “normal”. If you would like to know when/where I have shows in 2022, please sign up for my news on the main page. I won’t spam you!

God bless!

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Fall Finally Arrives

Sitting in my home today with all the windows open. A welcome event in Texas. The 49th Annual Edom Arts Festival was last weekend and it was terrific. It was a little warm but no rain and a great crowd. A huge thank you to those who put on the show, all the volunteers who take care of the artists, and the town itself for its hospitality and devotion to this show.

My next show is not until 2022 (dates still firming up). For the next few months, my wife and I will be working on getting the website refreshed and we will offer some discounts so please check back often. I would really appreciate your signing up to receive notices from my website and hope you will do so. I won’t spam you (or at least my wife won’t – she handles most of the site updates). Use the Contact form below (and thanks in advance!).

Have a wonderful Fall. I hope that you will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family. I hope that folks who are eligible will choose to get vaccinated and help protect themselves and those we love. It would be great if we could move into 2022 with this disease as a nuisance more than the devastation it has been for the past two years. There is a lot of work ahead to repair all the damage of the past few years – spiritual, physical, and economic. I hope we can all leave the pettiness and anger behind us and move forward to a better future. God bless.

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Edom Art Festival – 10/9-10/10

I’m looking forward to participating in the Edom Art Festival in October. This will be my only show this Fall. Hoping that people will get vaccinated and wear masks until we get Covid under control and that next Spring will be a better show season for all artists. I am not sure if the festival world will survive if we cannot get this under control by the end of this year. It is extremely tough to put on festivals – requiring a LOT of paid and volunteer work. Many festivals and artists took a hard financial hit when Covid started because spring show costs had already been paid out. Since that time, it has been hard to catch up. If you can safely do so, please vaccinate, wear a mask, and show up for artists. Consider purchasing online from their various outlets. I have a shop on this site and also have some items available on Society6.

My son is a talented artist and he also has items available on Society6 and through other venues. Young artists, in particular, have been hit by the lack of viable venues. While selling virtually is great – selling directly to people standing right in front of you is so important to artists. Getting feedback and encouragement from customers is one of the most valuable and treasured opportunities of art festivals.

Be safe out there! Hope to see you soon in person!

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Long Hot Summer Ahead!

The Oklahoma City Festival of the Arts was great – and extremely hot! Normally that show is held in April when weather in Oklahoma is punctuated by cool evenings and occasional rain. It was a marathon to get through, and I am so grateful to all my former and new patrons who went out of their way to attend and purchase art!

For the first time in many years, I came back from my very short “art season” to a garden still in active production. I’m enjoying gathering in cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes! I do not have any other shows on my calendar at this time until Fall. I’ll post those dates when they become available.

With the rise of the Covid Delta Variant, numbers are again ticking up here in Texas and across the country. For us to beat this thing and get people safely back to work, make events as safe as possible, make school as safe as possible for teachers and our children, and to enjoy a Fall of true Thanksgiving and holiday blessings – we HAVE to work TOGETHER.

Please – if you have not been vaccinated – reconsider and take action. Getting vaccinated was the most personally liberating act for myself and my wife. Not only do we know that we are safer – we know that we are doing the best we can to help others remain safe. Nothing is “foolproof” and from the beginning, scientists have made it clear that these vaccines are about 95-99% effective against Covid 19. But, in addition, for those who do contract Covid and are fully vaccinated, hospitalization is typically not necessary and they can very often be treated at home.

At this time, over 95% of those being hospitalized are unvaccinated. The AVERAGE hospital stay for Covid patients is seven days. I don’t know if you have ever been hospitalized, but even without life-saving heroics such as ventilators and ICU care, the costs are prohibitive even if you are lucky enough to have insurance. This isn’t political. This is just good, basic science. God bless and I do hope we can have a Fall art season. It really does depend on people stepping up their game in regard to Covid.