Saying good bye to 2010 with an eye on 2011

Fusions Gallery, Ocean Shores WA

Last Saturday found me painting demos at Fusions Gallery during the final Art Walk of the year for Ocean Shores.  I love coming to this gallery, especially to do demos - the owner is wonderful and so is the staff.  The gallery displays are always cheery and forever rearranging, inviting the visitor to have a wander and see what's new.  I'm already making plans for the next visit. 

Fusions is now home to my two 'murals', 16x20 canvas paintings in acrylics of Northwestern Scotland; 'Eilean Donan Castle' and 'the Auld Man and his Flock' (Old man of Storr with Hebridean sheep). Yes, 16x20 is a mural for me! Each took me months to do.  The feathers are not forgotten, though - in January I will be bringing in new feather paintings that are currently underway.  One of those is an experimental project, fusing two feathers together for an extra wide canvas.  Working with such a thing is proving to be much trickier than I anticipated! It's such fun to work with galleries that enthusiastically try on new things from their artists.

Eilean Donan Castle, 16x20 acrylics on canvas, (c) Julie Thompson 2010

With the canvases comes the added benefit of prints.  I've only had one photographed for prints so far, and that's Eilean Donan.  The Auld man and His Flock will come soon.  I'm offering Eilean Donan as a signed open-run print, single-matted for an 11x14 frame at $25 each.  There will be plans for canvas prints in the future.

There will be another new addition for 2011, workshops in feather-painting.  I'm looking at two venues so far, and one already has me scheduled for classes.  Patrons who would ask me to consider teaching have most often expressed interest in wolves, so that is the subject we will begin with at Lucas Art Gallery in Graham WA on March 12.  I will supply the feathers, of course. Class size for this one is limited to just ten students.  On May 13 at the same venue we will be painting songbirds.  Folks who are interested may contact the gallery after the first of the year and sign up.  From the interest so far, I expect these classes may fill quickly.  As classes for the second venue come together, I will let you know dates, location, and subject. 

2011 is shaping up to be a busy year!