Today is submission day for me.  I spent some time submitting a couple of my paintings for two separate juried shows here in the triangle area.  One show is the upcoming Scope: The North Carolina Landscape at Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh and the other show is at the Durham Art Guild and is titled Scapes.  For these two shows I submitted my most recent large format painting - NC Salt Marsh - which is currently on display in Clayton, NC.  If accepted to both shows that painting's schedule will be busy.  I pick it up from Clayton this weekend, then it would get delivered to Durham for show #1 on 4/27 and then picked up from there on 5/26, only to be delivered to Raleigh for the VAE show on 5/31.   In addition to the NC Salt Marsh painting, I also submitted - Dark and Stormy - shown here to the VAE show.  Dark and Stormy is also currently being shown down in Clayton, but it will have a break before the VAE show in Raleigh (assuming it is accepted).  --- Fingers crossed.  This is the first time I am submitting my work to the Durham Art Guild, I hope the jury likes it!

On a side note:  I am currently working on setting up a new dedicated still life space in my studio, so expect to see another round of still life paintings being posted soon.  

Saturday was a busy day for me.  It started off with my oldest boy and me heading out early in the morning (for a Saturday).  We first hit the pork store at the NC Farmer's Market to pick up the ham for our Easter dinner.  Quick and painless.  Actually, it was so quick that put us about 25 minutes early for our next stop, which was to drop off my new painting "NC Salt Marsh" in Clayton, NC and pick up the painting "Nothing Better Than a Warm Sun on a Cold Day".  So, with our unexpected efficiency picking up the ham, I decided to treat my son to a stop at Starbucks so we could hang out, drink some warm beverages and chat while we waited for the owner of the place in Clayton to arrive.  

After some nice one on one time with my son, we successfully dropped off the new painting and picked up the other one.  The one we picked up was headed to another show, this one, "Unfettered", is at the Visual Art Exchange (VAE) gallery in downtown Raleigh. 

Once we had the swap made, we drove back to my house up in N-Raleigh.  The plan was for me to put a new frame on the painting before taking it to VAE.  Well, when I got the painting and the special mail ordered frame in the same room they didn't fit!  I ordered a 30x30 frame to match my 30x30 painting... BUT, alas I was sent a 36x36 frame!  There isn't much you can do when your frame and painting don't match.  Needless to say, I was very upset.

Dejected and frustrated, I put the unframed painting (canvas is gallery wrapped and has painted edges) back into the car and headed to VAE to drop it off sans-frame.  

I had high hopes for this show - I think the painting is great and felt that the frame would add that little extra something to put it over the top.  --  I now do not expect to win any of the awards, but I still believe the painting looks great and will be beautiful on the gallery wall.

So, with that my art projects for the weekend concluded and it was time to spend the holiday with my beautiful wife and 5 kids.

FYI - the show officially opens on Friday, April 5th.  Please head down to the gallery if you can to check out the show!   And if you want to buy the painting... please let me know!