GUS!

We finally have our new puppy!  Meet Gus.  We are so excited to have found our way to him in Jack, Alabama--we got lost for about 45 minutes, but it was worth it when we finally found him. He is 6 weeks old today and very healthy and beautiful and the most precious thing.  He has already gone to work with me today as I taught my last Creative Spirit class for this session.  He did so well.  What joy I've had in all 30 hours that I've had him!  Thank you to Stephanie who took such awesome pictures!  Below are us excited gals with the breeder, Margie from Weepin Oaks Farms.

Fresh Off My Easel

This is a large piece that I was finally able to do. I've had this canvas sitting in my studio for a while now, and all I've been doing lately are smaller pieces. It was time for a big one! I was inspired by some other artists online as I love looking at and studying the works of other great artists. This week I discovered Michael Naples' daily painting gallery online, and loved the growth I've seen his work take the past year since he has painted daily. He had some pears that I loved. Now pears--people know that I have painted them a million times in my past, but I just had to try it with an awesome sense of dramatic light like Michael did in a couple of his paintings. This was done with lots of paint and with a knife in most places, so it has some texture. I finished it off with a satiny gloss varnish. Acrylic on Canvas, 40x30, $1400

This piece will be available at The Commissary Design Warehouse in Birmingham, AL by the weekend. I'm delivering it tomorrow. It will also be available in most sizes as a giclee print on canvas. Just inquire!

I got to paint alot yesterday--yay! A large one I finished is going to the Commissary in Birmingham AL. But the other thing I've been working on are some charcoal drawings for my Dad's latest book. This is the last one, and it's off to the publisher.

My Dad approving it...the messy desk of an author :)

The Dogwood Festival Downtown!

The dogwoods are ready for the festival! April 18th and 19th, come visit downtown Athens and Carole Foret Studio / Gallery and feel the glory of spring! Everyone is celebrating! Live music, kids activities, sidewalk sales, the Tour de Pig bikeride--you just can't miss it!

To see a schedule of most events: Visit HERE....

Joining Kevin Derryberry

Leslie and I will be heading down to Birmingham Thursday for a great cause!  Kevin Derryberry is hosting a golf tournament to raise funds for his awesome ministry, and he is making it a fun time for all who want to participate.  Kevin is an amazing singer and musician using his talents to serve our awesome Jesus through music as well as serving the less fortunate through raising donations for Lifetech and prison ministries.  If you are a golfer you should plan to go.  You know who else is going to be there?--Rick and Bubba!  Yes, the radio duo will be there along with some well-known former Auburn and Alabama football players.  Don't miss it!  Read here for more info....

Oh! Leslie nor I play golf--we will be offering our artistic talents, Leslie will be photographing the event, and I will be offering a couple of paintings to the silent auction!  Look for the paintings that will be auctioned off here on my blog before Thursday!

Workshops Coming Up...

Hey everyone, don't forget about my workshops/event schedule that is always on the right sidebar. Tuesday night of next week is my first Open Studio night where I want to invite any artist to come and draw, paint, sculpt a live model. Make your plans to attend--I invite you! The fee will be $45. Call the studio (256.232.2521) to reserve your easel or your spot. Can't wait!!

Happy Birthday, Carla!

Yesterday was my friend Carla's birthday--her 4? birthday! haha!  We got together for the first time in tooooo long to share a birthday lunch.  We ate at Limestone Bay Trading Co. in beautiful Mooresville, AL--a place where I have been wanting to eat for quite some time.  In the lovely springtime weather we ate outside.  Despite the pollen-filled air, it was really nice, and let me tell you, the food was wonderful!  So fresh and tasty.  The best thing was catching up with Carla and sharing what all we have been doing and HOW we are doing.  It was a warm time. 

The inside of the restaurant, full of charm and Southern hospitality

with homemade jellies and baked goods....mmm!

After that great time, I had a chance to enjoy some sweet time at Starbucks before to pick up my daughter--enjoying a cappuccino and listening to and watching (on my iTouch) the 6th webcast of Oprah and Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth discussion.  Man!  It was great!  I can't tell you what this study has done for me.  I praise God for what the two of them are doing to help us create peace within ourselves and collectively as the world.  I loved the beautiful way Eckhart described the crucifixion of Jesus--endearing me ever much more to my dear Lord...Oh!  Did you see the American Idol contestants sing "Shoud to the Lord??"  What is going on?  God is good...Be blessed!

The Week in Review

The 3-day painting workshop I taught this week was so much fun!  The ladies did a fabulous job on their paintings.  The weather got too chilly to paint outside like we had hoped, but we made up for it inside the studio.  Thank you Michele, Becky, Meg, and Angie for allowing me to spend time with you painting.  Thank you too for the awesome snacks you contributed to our snack stash!  Yummy!

What have I been up to this weekend?  Well, Sister Grace was honored to be the entertainment for the Huntsville American Cancer Society Survivor Dinner to kick off  "Relay for Life" that took place Friday night.  In the picture above, we are with Lindsey Jones, the Alabama junior spokesperson for the ACS.  What in inspiration Lindsey is with her positive attitude after her battle with cancer at her young age left her blind!  She is involved in many activities--ballet, tap, band (snare drums) and Girl Scouts.  Does she let her handicap stop her? She sang a beautiful inspirational song and spoke like she were some adult.  So precious!

There were about 650 people at this dinner, and we were so honored to be a part of a huge group of heroes for the evening.  Thanks to Bennie Jacks and Tricia Motts for asking us to be a part.  To learn more about being a part of Relay for Life for the ACS, click here.

On Saturday morning, I was honored again to be on WAFF 48 talking about my art.  I've been on the set of news stations many times but mostly for Mission Makeover, so it was great to be talking about my art.  Georgi Bragg's Saturday morning news show is awesome, and it was great to finally meet her.  How did it come to be that I was on her show?  My newsletter. She got one that someone forwarded to her several months ago, and it all went from there.  A testament to the power of email newsetters!  Georgi is such an awesome person.  Read more about her here.  Thank you, Georgi!

And today--Sunday, my Dad and I took a little time to go to the Huntsville Museum of Art's Leonardo DaVinci invention exhibit.  Some friend of ours had won awards in a competition celebrating the inventions--they had made inventions of their own.  Marty and Kenny Davis are so smart and creative, and thier inventions were impressive!

If you get a chance, go to the museum and see on view my favorite things I saw today--the illustrations of J. C. Leyendecker.  His art was used for advertisements back in the early 1900's for Kelloggs Cereals as well as the Saturday Evening Post. He may not have been as popular as Norman Rockwell, but I believe he was every bit as talented.  I loved looking at these paintings!

Leslie's Launch Party!

We are officially off and running with a tremendous "kick-off" to launching Leslie's new business Leslie Adair Photography as official photographer here at Carole Foret Fine Art! Last Friday night we opened up the studio for the public to come by and meet her, eat some good food, listen to some good music, enter to win and free photo shoot, and check out all that Leslie and I have to offer! L&G Decor decorated, transforming the studio into a gorgeous venue for a party! Leslie's mother prepared a mouthwatering array of hors d’oeuvres, and we had two cinema displays with scrolling slideshows of Leslie's awesome photography. We had a blast and we are so thankful to everyone that made it happen!

Photography by Stephanie Fenton

Remembering Rocco

My precious, deceased "sweet boy", Rocco would have been 7 this week. We still miss him, but look forward to having a new puppy by the end of this month. These are photos of Rocco at about 10 weeks or so. My husband found them and shared them with me tonight and I just had to share with you.

Check out my SWEET new Art Mugs!!!

Get 'em while they're HOT!!! :)