"From the Easel"                           Newsletter February 2012

Hello Everyone,

                     I had a whirlwind holiday season!  Including our 25th wedding anniversary trip to Breckenridge, CO!  Jeff and I had several road trips - and the weather was just perfect!  We were able to journey to Westminster, CO and meet with the incredible pencil artist, J.D. Hillberry - where we relaxed and had a wonderful chat at a Starbucks.  He shared some wonderful insights with me and took the time to evaluate one of my pencil drawings.  I was able to obtain some of his photo-realistic artwork as well.  I have admired his work for quite some time and found him open, friendly and warm.  A great artist and you can check out his work atwww.JDHillberry.com ,  special thanks to him again, for meeting with me and taking some time out of his busy schedule.  He had granted me special permission earlier last year, to create one of his incredible photo-realistic drawing and allow me to use it in a gallery submission This image is not for sale, but lets me display my drawing techniques.  He has a drawing workshop coming up in Maui, Hawaii - I believe this month!  You can see the details at his website.

                     I also was delighted to meet Ann Lukacs, a wonderfully talented artist - her photography, commercials, and film-making really is expressive, warm and memorable.  She lives in Fairplay, CO and gave us a mini-tour through the little town with a stop into a little antique shop.  I took some inspiring shots of the little gold mining town still set like it was in the early 1800's.  I loved her art gallery, check it out at www.buckinghorsegallery.com.  I picked out a wonderful photos of many cowboy scenes she has taken "behind the shoots" at rodeo scenes.  I would have loved to spend some more time sitting with her and chatting over coffee or a drink. 

                  I am pleased to announce that I have been working quite steadily on "Cowboy Bronc Pickup 2" and it is and incredibly rewarding project.  It is a combination of graphite pencil and charcoal (thanks J.D. Hillberry I listend...:) and it will take at least 300 hours to complete.  I just sent a "Sneak Peek" to the Award-winning photographer, Bev Pettit, that granted me a licensing fee to use this incredible shot, "Cowboy Bronc Pickup 2" of a tremendous action shot of a cowboy astride his horse, as they are masterfully bringing a bucking bronc through the mud at a rodeo.

                 This artwork is challenging me in ways that brings out the true spirit of creativity, patience, and innovative methods to produce incredible photo-realism of the mud, horses, and man...keeps me engrossed for hours.  I plan to enter the completed artwork in "The Artist Magazine" competition in April 2012.  I also will have very Limited Edition Prints of this artwork.  So please stay tuned.

                  I am looking forward to promoting my artwork through Embler Art Gallery in Miami, FL as well as Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ.   I have plans underway to enter "Will Run with Help" into several art competitions this year.  So, that is enough for now - I need to get back to drawing... Have an art-filled week!

                                        Warmest Regards,

                                        Mellissa