Before I went to the studio today, I took a walk in my garden to see what was new. I found that the first rhododendron is in bloom this year. It is the Rhododendron mucronulatum, ‘Cornell Pink”. Also, the Mahonia bealei has come into a full bloom of brilliant yellow. When the flowers have been fertilized, the seed pods turn blue. When they ripen in the summer, in one single day, the garden is chirping with flocks of birds gathering for a delicious lunch. And then they’re gone until next year. In the studio, I used a thin glaze of oil paint with a 50/50% Galgyd/Gamsol medium to begin to form the flower. This is a very exciting time for a painting. Nothing but possibilities are ahead of you and none of the mistakes or obstacles that whill show up later.

These daily studio notes lead toward my 2026 solo exhibitions in New York City and  Poughkeepsie, NY.