Spring is blooming with shows, news and fun happenings. Just when we thought we were slowing down a bit, another round of opportunities pops up.
April opened with the Southwest and Indian Art Market in Kansas City where we enjoyed developing a deeper base of collectors in a lovely city. Then home in time for the outdoor Spring Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, TX. The good weather held for us and the faithful attendees by bracketing the show times with severe thunderstorms.
One of the added benefits to this show is the opportunity to participate in the city-wide school arts programs with individual classroom presentations by the exhibitors. If the students I worked with could only realize I am just as self-conscious and hesitant as they when I attend a workshop. It was a good reminder of how that timid child inside of us needs to be awakened and constantly nurtured.
The two big media exposure breaks came in the form of an interview with InformArt Magazine and a cover on The Trails magazine. The Summer (July) issue of InformArt will carry a feature article on me and where my Longhorn renderings have taken me. Their writer, Theo Yardley, came to visit us in Austin and we were tickled to give her and her husband (a writer for the New York Times) a two-step dance lesson. Then we helped them practice the next night at a barbeque and dance for the annual longhorn auction out at the Red McCombs Ranch. Jim’s ensuing article appearing in The NY Times caught the flavor and excitement of this purely Texas event.
It was at the same time the Editor of The Trails called to tell me they were using my “Sagebrush Babes” for the cover of the May issue of the magazine. This is their annual issue on cows and calves, immediately preceding the World Longhorn Show in June, and it came as a total surprise. Love what they did with it to conform to the vertical composition, and love those longhorns!
On a more personal note my daughter, Danielle, and her husband, Frank, presented us with a beautiful new grandson. Little Trenton King arrived bright-eyed on April 12th, to bring our current total of “grands” to 12. We are truly blessed!!
NEW WORKS:
Work on the piece with two Cape Buffalos I had observed in Tanzania is nearly complete. Evoking the physical power and wicked attitude of these “bad boy” bachelors in the dusty heat of the Ngorongora Crater, they are softened by the sunset glow that illuminates the cattle egret on their back. Watch for it in this space next month.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
Texas State Arts and Crafts Show – Kerrville, TX – May 24-27
Texas Longhorn Breeders Assoc. of America – World Show- Ft. Worth, TX – June 6-9
All-Girl Longhorn Roundup – Bayrd, NE – June 22-23