Le Galeriste took one of my paintings "Mother Nature's Masterpiece" and printed it on fabric and sewed the clothing to be modeled for their Fall photo shoot!  It's also the cover of their facebook page, and the cover of their website:  www.legaleriste.com   And if you scroll down, you will see I'm also the Artist in the Spotlight!  Just stoked!!!  I absolutely love this company!!!

I'm so happy to be painting what I love again.  Not that I haven't enjoyed painting for clothing with Le Galeriste - I will continue to do that, but not as hard and heavy as I have been.  New Fall/Winter wardrobe is up and running on website www.legaleriste.com/andrea.burke with a permanent sale of 20% OFF. I have enough new designs to update Spring/Summer wardrobe onto my storefront when the time comes.  And next August, I will decide if I will continue to do it or not.  I will never be sorry I did it and have a closet full of clothes I just love to wear!  (advertising, I tell my husband! :-) )  

Anyway, here are the new designs I'm working on for my "debut" at The Corner at Two One Six!

My dear Friend, Linda Davenport, owner of The Galleria on the Lake, here in Clarksville, passed away suddenly earlier this year.  She had sold the building before she passed, and the new Owners and Managers have done a fabulous job turning it into "The Corner at Two One Six" art gallery and gift shop and "216 Virginia Ave" - Airbnb on the top floor!  Linda is up in Heaven doing a happy dance and beaming with pride.  

I decided to do a painting of their new establishment and give it to them as a gift.  And, I'm so thrilled to say, I will be selling my paintings in their new store, too!

Here are some photos of the clothing that I've ordered created from artwork I have submitted to Le Galeriste!  I am my best customer - hahahaha!  I just love wearing these clothes - wrinkle free, throw them into washer with cold water, hang to dry and they are good as new.  Fabric is fabulous and workmanship superb!  See all my clothes at my storefront:  www.legaleriste.com/andrea.burke
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Lakefest comes to Clarksville every summer and the streets are filled beyond capacity with vendors and visitors!  It's so much fun!  This year I got there early, as I always do, and went on the bridge in hopes of capturing hot air balloons flying by.  For the first time in the 8 years we have lived here, they actually flew over the lake!  I was just beside myself with anticipation.  

Anyway, they led me to paint some paintings from two of my favorite businesses here.  Woodbine Vineyards and Buggs Island Brewing.  

I submitted these three paintings for consideration in the upcoming juried VA Watercolor Society Show in Portsmouth, VA!  I'll let you know if I get in or not!!!

I did a 30 day challenge on my facebook page to paint every day and post my progress every day for 30 days.  I'm very glad I did it!  It got me painting again and felt wonderful.  I have a commissioned painting to do and I'm entering a contest for new town logo.  I will post both when delivered!  Here are the paintings I completed on my challenge:

"We are thrilled to inform you that your painting has been accepted into the Northwest Watercolor Society’s 80th Annual International Open Exhibition! Our first ever online International Open Exhibition has been extremely successful with 324 entrants submitting 674 total paintings, from 38 states and 12 countries. Juror Ron Stocke has selected your painting as one of 75 to be featured in this prestigious exhibition. Well done!"

Here is the painting that got accepted.  "Pearishable"  15 x 22 watercolor

I have so much fun painting with this style that I decided to do some of our friends for Christmas Gifts.  They don't check my website, so they are safe here!!!

I am currently enrolled in an 8 week online class, again with Laurie Goldstein Warren.   In this class we are learning to pour paintings, and more importantly how to market, promote, brand, get published and how to get into national and international shows.  The information is mind blowing and Laurie is just incredibly generous with all her information.  

I am struggling with the pouring process.  I've painted "realism" for 20 years now and these colors based on black and white values are just overwhelming for me.  I'm so anal retentive - all black and white - there is no grey in my world.  But with all this struggling comes great lessons and I'm all for that.  I will not give up, and with each try I get a little better.  Here is what I have painted so far - no keepers yet, and that's ok!

I just can't seem to stop painting using this process!  It's so much fun!!!!  Here are my latest paintings - these are all from the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade taken in DC several years ago.  

This was the best class I have taken in a long, long time!  I learned so much and just had a ball!  And now I can't seem to stop painting with this process!  Here are my latest endeavors!

What an ordeal this has been, hasn't it.  My biggest fear is that if it comes back again, are we going to go these extremes?  Small businesses are closing, many have lost their jobs, I feel for the parents of young children in school that have had to adjust their careers to homeschool their kids.  I fell for the people who have to work and put themselves at such a high risk.  I feel for the elderly, but then I always do.  So many takes on this thing, political and not so political.  Who do you believe??

I know one thing for sure, I've had a lot of time to paint!  I have been working on a dolphin series after buying this cute little guy.  The series is called "Fun with Flipper".  I think #3 is probably the best representation of this cute little guy.  Have until August 1st to come up with 3 good ones to submit for VA Watercolor Society Juried Show!

Sometimes I wonder why I do this to myself, but honestly it helps me hone in my skills and try to do better with each painting.  I'm down to 4 paintings to choose 3 from.  Which 3 do you like, or maybe the easier question is which one don't you like?  Thank you in advance for your help!!

There is an upcoming National Show held in Lynchburg, VA that I would love to get in.  Submission deadline is 2/14, so I still have some time.  And if some of my paintings I submitted for another show will be revealed 2/5, so I may have some to pick from that as well.  In the meantime, I am continuing to paint things I like and want to paint and it feels really good.  Here are the 3 so far....wish me luck!!!!

With a new year and new decade, I've made some major changes in my life re art.  While I enjoyed being in the Lake Country Artisans Guild, I did not enjoy cranking out work as quickly as I could to participate in these little shows all over both VA and NC with very low sales volume.  I've decided to leave the Guild and go out on my own.  I've joined the Virginia Watercolor Society and will submit artwork to various Juried Shows across both states, though most of NC shows are limited to NC residents, and that's fine!  I want to take my time with paintings and do them to my very best - and get better with each one.  I painted this recently for myself - as a commemorative souvenir at Hostfest in Minot, ND with my Besties from Concordia College!  It hangs in our bathroom so I can feel the joy every time I brush my teeth! :-)

The "crafts" members of our group did really well at this Gala, the Fine Art not so much.  Fine Arts and Crafts do not mix well, and lesson learned.  Was set up beautifully and we met lots of nice people.  Sarah and I "ran the store" for 4 days and it was really fun.  The reception was 11/10 and we had fun there, too.