Three Papers In Two Weeks In Colorado!!!

Ahhhh, yes.  I am attempting to  catch you up on the comings and going of the Frisco show.  As you may know I did Aspen two weeks prior and they put me in the paper....Well Low and behold... I woke up Friday...Show started on Saturday...and saw THIS in the Summit Daily....WHOOOHOOO!!!!   TWO PAPERS in TWO WEEKS in  COLORADO!!!!!

Then we spent the ENTIRE rest of the day exploring the countryside and running up mountains and puking from altitude sickness....... oh......., and trying to dislodging the van seat from MY ASS after the 14 mile, 14 thousand feet, one right after another  hairpin curves , no guardrail with 4000ft drop offs and the lane we were in crumbling and rolling down the cliff as we drove over it , oncoming traffic, and GOATS drive up and then down MT. EVANS.

So Saturday morning, I get up at 4 am to get semi ready and head over to set up... Kev in tow.  What an amazing sight to see the sun coming up over the mountains...pure bliss...and by this point I am confident it will prove to be a fantastic show day.

 The weather was beautiful, set up was a breeze and we had a packed house in the morning just as we had expected.   Sold a few things,

 and then everyone went to eat lunch which means they will think about what they saw while eating and  then come back around and make the purchase!!  I was all geared up and ready.. pens..check...invoices..Check....plenty of art...CHECK CHECK....BRING IT BABY BECAUSE I WAS READY.  

What happened next... well... was something I had not seen in months.  I heard a rumble, and stepped out of the tent to see what the noise was. BLACK CLOUDS....did I mention I am standing in a FREAKIN TENT with zippy down tarp  sides and only 200 lbs of sand to hold it all down?   ... NOW, I haven't seen rain in well....FOREVER... so I was not even sure it was rain or the zombie apocalypse...either way it threatened to disrupt my good mood  feeling about future afternoon art sales. 

RAINBOW AGAIN!!!!  Over the ENTIRE mountain!!

Then came the lightening, and the pouring down rain... The funny thing is that it worked out to my advantage, because when the people started running for cover, they were tent hopping. ....and each time they used our tent as a place to keep dry Kev would try to make them pay rent by buying a painting...LOL... it was so much fun!!  So the entire afternoon was shot sales wise, but playing in the rain is sometimes a "PERK" of an outside show. 

3 Panel Aspens A Glow

24" x 36"

395.00

SOLD

Then one of the gals in my tent says HEY, you were in todays paper....I thought she was talking about the Friday paper I had already seen.  She then whips out the Saturday Edition "magazine" and sure enough... THERE MY ART WAS AGAIN!!  THREE PAPERS IN TWO WEEKS IN COLORADO!!!!WHOOOHOOOOOO!!!!    

My opinion of the show... again technically, it all went off without a hitch.  Howard Alan Events proved to be worthy once again.  We can not blame slow sales on them and who knows how well we would have done had we not had a monsoon at the peak part of the day Saturday... JUST SAYIN!!

I now have Four shows in my sights.... three in September..all at home... should be crazy.  Westport, Zona Rosa , and Liberty Fall Festival... and October is the one I have been waiting for allllllllllll year.. CABO SAN LUCAS BABY!!!!   I almost hyperventilate when I say it out loud OMG OMG  OMG it is almost time to pack for that one!!!!  

Do It Til You Are Black & Blue

40"x 40"

$8,000.00

Anyway,,, I have to paint so I am outta here for now.

Happy creating!!

Love Kathleen

Oh Frisco, How much I love Thee.

Yes, it is true... I am officially a hooker.  I have had this on going love affair with my beloved beach for the last 20 years and have never cheated...until I saw the SIZE of the Rockie Mountains...seriously....what girl could say no to that.  Quite impressive really, and size Does matter.

So now I am torn between the two to the point that I thought about starting a support group for this exact situation, and then I learned that most of the folks visiting the Mountains shared my same affliction and inability to choose and have simply adapted this philosophy...mountains in the summer when it is cool and beautiful there..stick around juuuuuuuut long enough to see the leaves change... and then GET THE HELL OUT AND GO BACK TO THE BEACH BABY!!!!   OHHH how I long to go back for the entire summer next year and just stay and explore and breathe it all in....

So Daddy decided that the first full day in Frisco was dedicated to all things high altitude and mountainish.  We woke up bright and early and headed to Shrine Pass which has a mountain trail on it that reaches the summit at 12 thousand and some odd feet to the top and he figured...WHAT THE HELL...lets go climb it... so we did. 

 She made it to the top...she was just coming over the ridge here

Caitlin sitting on the top of the world!!

Chase was like a mountain goat... just ran up the rocks like he had sticky fingers that never lost grip..OMG he was crazy.   I tried to load the video of him running down the mountain  with his shirt off but it froze up...so no go on that one I guess. 

THEN we drove to Evan's Pass....HIGHEST PAVED ROAD IN THE US...we get up to where the road ends and you have to climb the rest of the way...Caitlin says there is NO way she is climbing ANYTHING ELSE...so Chase and Kev scale the last 200 ft to reach the 14 THOUSAND something something foot peak...Chase scales it like he is again...part mountain goat... and gets to the top of the world one more time in less than three hours...Takes this pic

Then gets dizzy.. runs down to the road and STARTS PUKING!!!  YUP Altitude sickness,...uggg... and it was 14 miles of hairpin curves to the bottom of the mountain...poor kid got to puke on the mountain in three or four different locations...teeehee... but hey I did get to see the sheep and the goats up close and personal due to that event...


ANYWAY...back to the show....Most of you know that this in my first year doing pro shows.... and with that comes weather...well Frisco brought my first taste of weather... DOWN POURING RAIN, lightening and rain to be frank... wave after wave after precious wave of what appeared to be nectar from God after the drought we have been experiencing here in Missouri... So the first day was a bust to say the least....

So we had to set up the day of.......at 5 am....before the sun was even awake for this show..

Then is was SHOW TIME!!!

I will add more to this later... have to go paint right now lovies!!  I have three show in September, plus a fuuuulll class schedule, and a few other things to catch up on!!! 

Happy Creating!!

Love Kathleen

Colorado.. DAY 1

So we took my kiddos to Colorado with us this trip.....lol...drug them along in the big ass van.  It is roughly a 12 hour trip and 9 hours of it are through the lovely state of Kansas. Now, after driving through that state the trip before I began to wonder who I could call to order an air taxi to save the the pain of 9 hours in "WHY THE HELL DOES ANYONE LIVE HERE LAND?  GET MY GUN I CANT TAKE THE PAIN OF IT ANYMORE LAND"  See, I think the army should supplement their income by offering a taxi service through Kansas.... you pull up, drive onto one of those big ass planes that hauls tanks...you pay a fee... and one hour later you land in Denver....See... FREAKIN BRILLIANT!!!!  It is worth paying 300.00 buck for a ticket to NOT have to drive through Kansas EVER again...
Sooo we drive and drive and then FINALLY  DENVER!!!! I am pretty sure Denver exists because some family was headed out west and the hubby had lied to the wife about how easy it was gonna be...she took one look at those HUGE mountains that they were gonna have to go over and said SCREW YOU, the kids and I are staying right HERE...boom....Denver.  




This sums up how I feel in the mountains.  A moment to think.





A brief, yet winded hike to the edge of the world
4000FT straight down over the edge

Family.

PLANK!!!

 The rest of the drive was picturesque as usual.  Climbing and ears popping, head pressure, excitement, lots of photos taken.
We got to Dillon Colorado and ate at the Dam Brewery... FANTASTIC FOOD!!  Then to fishing!!

It does not get much better than this. Chase Fly fishing in Dillon Lake
within the first few hours of making it to our destination

I took a pic of this three weeks ago while on the way to Aspen, over Kev's shoulder while were were driving because it struck me as an oxymoron...sailing ....IN THE MOUNTAINS....going round and round?
Then when we got to Dillon and let Chase go fishing in the lake there... I realized I HAD PAINTED the lake he was fishing in without even knowing it... LMAO!!

OMG!! did I mention how amazingly beautiful it is in Colorado? Did I mention that the mountains change color every minute with the movement of the sun and clouds. Did I mention the wildlife....and the fact that is feels JUST LIKE THE BEACH here in the mountains... same buildings, only brown....same fishing guides...only for trout...same beachy stores...only for hiking and rafting and stuff like that... same adorable quaint towns that cater to tourists year round ....but instead of wearing swim trunks and bikinis, they are wearing bike helmets and shoes that click and clank on the pavement......same hippies..YEP I said it... same hippies...JUST LIKE MY BEACH!!!!!! I am so happy here that my inner child does cart wheels all freakin day and then runs through the streets with giant lollipops in each hand...teeeheee.....Happy? People come into my tent and ask me how I am doing... I reply.. "I AM HAPPY" they look at me like no one has ever said that to them.

 Happiness is something we all want right...but so few times do me take the steps to get there. I am happy on the road, and happy in the mountains and happy in the beach. I spend as much time in the woods and near the water as I can each day that I am here to get as many pics as I can so that when I return to Missouri, I have something to paint that inspires me to be happy. I think I am finally beginning to understand how to feed my soul.

WHOOOO, that was waaaay tooo deep. Now time for the funny stuff.
I painted RIGHT UUUUP until the moment we had to load the van... here is a sneak peek of what was going on in the Gallery before Daddy got there to help us load up

Here is Melinda BLOW DRYING the last SEVEN PIECES I did on Wednesday because they had to get loaded in two hours to go to Colorado...

 Then ARMAGEDON HIT!!!

 And passed right over us after causing our power to go on and off for fifteen minutes and set fire to a building a block away...NO RAIN.. BOO!!

That is all for now lovlies,...that was the first fifteen hours of the trip to Colorado... I will tell you all about it day by day, but for now.. I need coffee and to paint.  I have three September to get ready for!!

Happy Creating!!!
Love Kathleen

Two Days To Paint... UGGG!!

Okay, so I have  two days left to paint.... ONLY TWO... No big deal right... WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO BIG DEAL .....this is what the two crazies in my head have been discussing all morning..teeehee.  I had to go to Oklahoma to get my kids yesterday so there was nooooo painting.  I painted until midnight the night prior and got three done I think.. which is two LESS than I needed... and I have to finish at least eleven by midnight tomorrow night...( My insides are in the fetal position rocking myself at this very moment...LOL) 

"Aspen Grove A Glow"
24" x 48"
$750.00


Soooo, I am now off to paint another 4'x 2'
 painting and hopefully four small ones as well.
CHAOS is the theme of the gallery today..teehee..
But I LOVE IT!!

Happy Creating!!
Love Kathleen

Here is the big one I finished at midnight.

Frisco ...Here We come

Okay, I only got one done yesterday... but it is a good one.   I took so many pics when we were in Aspen Last week.  I have started going back through them and editing and cropping to try to make the perfect scene.  Yes we saw flowers just like this, yes the aspens are bright green... almost fluorescent lime green in places... You hike up over one ridge to find another one full of flowers.. AMAZING does not even come close to letting you know how beautiful it is there.  I have to paint five more today to make up for what I did not do yesterday.

Then tomorrow we are off to Oklahoma to pick up my babies... they are sad to leave Texas but are looking forward to the last trip of the summer being to Colorado...yup.. I am taking the babies to The Mountains with me.  Not telling Caitlin about the bears, the mountain lions, and the scenic drives with no guard rails.... she doesn't need to worry until she is already there right... teeehee.  . 

Peace In The Aspen Valley
18" x 24"
$295.00

                                        Time to print off some of the pics that we took while in Aspen and get the paint flowing again today... I seriously LOVE what I am painting right now.  It really is the Best Of Both Worlds Tour for me in 2013.... the Mountains and The Beaches... CAN NOT WAIT!!!!

Happy Creating!!
Love Kathleen

Day... Um..

Ya, I already DON'T know what day I am on....but that is because I have been traveling and taking hundreds of photos and painting my arse off and have to stay on pace til next Tuesday if I am to finish my display...WHOOHOOO!!!

Next Thursday... we are Rocky Mountain Bound again baby... this time with my kiddos in tow.  Our last summer show...booooo.... I wish I had been braver this year and booked many more.  Next year though, I will do the whole mountain  circuit in the summer fall and the beach circuit in the winter spring.  It will be my Best Of Both Worlds Tour...2013... TEEEHEEE. 

Here is a peek at how we are setting up the tent this go around and how many blank canvases I have to fill in less than one week... UGGGG.

YA, TONS of blank canvas that has to be filled

We decided to float a panel inthe middle and open one up in the back. 
That means a better looking display, but WAY more art to complete than
I had planned on... CHOP CHOP!!

AHHHH... Aspen.  I love this painting and glad it has a new home.

TEEEHEEE.... SOLD in Aspen!!!

The lighting was off when I took this pic.. but I did five yesterday...
This is part of my "Always Looking Up" Series
12 x 12
$125.00

"Autumns Quiet Callings"
12 x 12
125.00

"Always Looking Up V"
12" x 12 "
125.00

Summers In Aspen
12" x 12"
$125.00

"Autumn Shimmers"
12 " x 24"
$145.00

Okay lovies... I have to turn around and face the canvases on the easels now.  Hope you staying cool and having the best summer ever like I am.  Now walk away from the computer and let something inspire you that is not the TV or junk food... Go take it all in!!

Happy Creating!!

Love Kathleen

Aspen.... AMAZING!!!

Yup, Aspen was AMAZING!!! The Views were beyond words to describe. The weather was PERFECT. We saw a rainbow every day we were there...Aminals and wildlife EVERYWHERE!!..... and we sold tons of art. OH.... and I woke up Monday morning to see my face on the FRONT PAGE OF THE ASPEN PAPER!!!  What more can you ask for?!

I know I am waaay new at this.  Aspen was my first out of state art show and only my second PRO show  to boot.  I am certain that I have rose colored glasses on as I watch the other artists who have been doing this for 25 years or more... but I am not taking them off.  I have to give a shout out to the Howard Alan group that put on this show.  From where I was standing, it was a well oiled machine.  I own a business, and understand how things work.  I have had no issues so far with anyone on this circuit... in fact.. I am LOVING IT!!  Set up was a breeze besides a one hour delay in getting in the area... tear down was also a breeze despite a bit of rain right when that was to begin.  I thought the crowd was promising, and had lots of folks stop to chat with me about my art.  Everyone seemed to be impressed with the quality of the body of work that all the artists brought to the table and I have to say sales were where we thought they should be... coming from a green horn... I know... but still.  I will put Aspen on my map year after year for sure... LOVE LOVE LOVE the town and the whole package.  Thanks Howard for giving me a reason to see it!!!

The first place we stopped was Lookout Mountain... I was in  flip flops hiking down this ridge to get a great shot... SCARY...

We saw a  rainbow every day of the trip.  It rained everyday at four in the afternoon for about ten minutes.. then went back to clear skys and rainbows.

Day One... my booth shot.  Trying to get the hang of it.  It is nerve racking to think of placement for each painting and only have so much room and betting that someone will love a piece as much as you do. 

My tent is the best of both worlds... the mountains and the beach... WHY would you live anywhere else is what I keep asking myself.  Side one.. MOUNTAINS

Shot Two... BEACH BABY!!

The view from my tent was amazing... Mountians in each direction you could look... Could not have asked for better conditions for this show really. 

Frisco... this is where I will be the second weekend of August...Another Howard Alan Event.... can not WAIT to see it up close again.

I have 28 paintings to bang out between now and next Wednesday.. I will try to post daily my progress and  will also try to FORCE myself to blog during the show this time..   teeehee.. dicipline,,, not my favorite FOUR letter word at ALL!!!

Happy Creating!!

Love Kathleen