The Art Girls...

 This is us...

minus a few important members missing from today's painting get together.

Let me start from the beginning...

or at least when I entered the group back in 2002.

Carole (below photos, far right), our fearless teacher and friend who brought us all together and inspired us to pick up our paint brushes and just keep painting...

one brush stroke...one observation at a time.

(this is only one of many Carole-isms)

Charlotte, Cheryl, LaLaLinda, Denechiwa (me), Betsy B, Jill...

(missing here are Char & Julie)

along with a variety of artists who have come and gone or 

just pop in every now and again through the years.

While there are many painting excursions this group has gone on together, 

individually or just a few of us at a time...the trips I got to enjoy were:

Painting in Tuscany / May of 2003 

in our own private villa on a winery run by women.

Trequanda / Fattoria del Colle Winery

Plein Air Painting/ Big Bear 2004

Sketching China / March 2005

Linda, Betsy and I sketched our way through

 ancient Beijing to modern Shanghai.

South Hampton New York / April 2009

Linda invited Carole and I to her home in South Hampton to paint spring.

It was so chilly we had to wear gloves to keep our fingers warm while we painted.

Most importantly...week after wonderful week in Carole's studio.

Always learning something new, painting, admiring and encouraging

each other to keep up the great works.

And let's not forgot the all important coffee talks...

they kept us caught up with each others lives, kids, travels, painting adventures...

kept us connected.

Over the years our art has taken us on many artistic adventures and directions.

Studio still life, plein air, collage, mixed media...oils, acrylics, water color...

separately and together.

Currently, we are coming back together to have some fun and play in the abstract side of art.

Getting together once a month and pushing ourselves into different mediums, 

creative expressions and maybe learn a few new tricks.

Betsy was kind (daring) enough to invite us into her studio today and 

show us how to loosen up with acrylics, smooshing colors around,

with a little negative painting to turn out some really

lovely little abstract floral paintings.

Our collective art of the day

 Betsy

Jill

Carole

 Linda L

 LaLaLinda

Cris

Denise (me)

We did have us some fun...as we usually do when we're together.

I think each one of us will agree, there is a bond with this group, 

something very special that we all cherish and hold oh so dear.

I for one feel very honored to be part of this group of woman for the last 15 years,

and look so forward to many more art adventures in the future with my very favorite...

Art Girls.