A new gallery in the Mukilteo Art Building has opened in artist Roxanne Jaross' working studio.      Roxanne of Studio 206, Winifred Clark's Trade Beads More,  Vickie Derk's Photography, Rebecca's Curious Glass, and Christine Awad's  Artworkshop  are participating in  "Come to the Muk- Waterfront Wednesdays"  every week through out summer 2010 from 3:00 to 8:00.   June's featured artists in the Studio 206 Gallery are  Barbara Freeman, Janie Olsen  and Bob Hoverter.   To visit Studio 206 and the Upstairs Artists, park on the street next to the Art Building and enter the door on the right.   Visitor's Welcome!

In recent years it's been a pleasure to donate a portrait to the Purrfect Pals Black Cat Auction.  This year's portrait is of Sadie, a shy and petite kitty with long silky hair and big eyes. This photo of the in-progress painting was taken several months ago when Sadie's portrait was in the First Stage: warm toned underpainting on gold gesso. I've promised Sadie's human, Rosie, that I would take photos of the different stages and keep her posted how the painting is coming along.  The following story is Sadie's as told by Rosie. "I got Sadie a couple of year ago from the Seattle Humane Society in Bellevue.  She was about 2 and was a very timid, fraidy cat little girl who had been found wandering in Medina... so I knew she was an upscale girl!  She had been fixed and was in good condition. No one knew what had happened to her.  When I visited she was the most timid of all the kitties in her shared kitty condo room and was hiding behind the furniture where no one could get at her.  I figured she would probably be the last to be adopted compared with all the other cats with such friendly personalities. So, I chose her.  She spent the first couple weeks literally being a little "lump" under the bed covers.  To this day when she goes to the vet, she crawls inside my jacket or shirt or whatever to hide her face and she feels safer that way. But as you can see from her photos, she has become a happy girl and quite a poser!"                            -Rosie Wigutoff..... Sadie's "Mom"

The Red Door Gallery  has opened at 2829 Wetmore Ave in Everett and will be participating in the Everett Art Walks on the 3rd Saturday of every month.

You are invited to the opening of "Honey, I Shrunk the Art" this Saturday, November 14th from 11 am - 9 pm.  Visit Karla Matzke's Fine Art Gallery & Sculpture Park to meet the exhibiting artists, view the small works show featuring 40 artists, and experience a stroll through the wooded sculpture park.                   The Artist's Potluck starts at 5:00, public welcome!   The show will run from November 14th through January 3rd.  Camano Island has become an art destination and Karla's gallery is a stand-out gem!  I am honored to have 5 small drawings and a tiny oil painting included in this year's exhibit.

A Seashell Sketch...       Hold a seashell in the palm of your hand and simply fall under its spell!  Intricate staircases and towers spiral out from the whorl.  Built by a little sea creature for shelter and camouflage, the shell records a freely expanding, continuous pattern of order and growth.

Temperatures are soaring today and working in the basement seems to be the best way to beat the heat. I'm working on a colored pencil drawing of a sunflower just about to bloom.  Here it is "in progress" with endless possibilities to follow.  I can't decide whether to finish it as drawing or use it as a sketch and explore some of those possibilities in paint. Paint is delightfully more flexible then colored pencils! Any hoo, I'm taking a break to sharpen pencils, sip some iced mineral water and check out the mercury on the back deck. Maybe I'll brave the heat and head for the Mukilteo studio.

Make down town Everett your Art destination this week. The Arts Council of Snohomish County's 17th Juried Art Show "Meet the Artists" Reception is this Thursday, July 9th from 5-8.   I'm proud to have one of my oil paintings, Beach Boodle, in this year's exhibit.  Also, Thursday evening check out "Art in Great Spaces"  featuring working artists in 5 Everett store fronts.  My friends, Lyussy Hyder and Ken Rowe, are busy getting their studio at 1302 Hewitt Avenue ready for the first Studio Walk of the summer.  Information about these events and more at  http://www.artscouncilofsnoco.org/index.html

MUKILTEO FARMER'S MARKET  New Location   LIGHTHOUSE PARK (Next to Ferry)   609 Front Street  Every Wednesday 3 pm - 7 pm    June  -  September 2009 June 24th, Music by Ali Marcus   Acustic Guitar  3 pm - 5 pm

Karla Matzke has included several of my paintings and prints in her gallery, Matzke Fine Art and Design, for her Camano Island Studio Tour exhibit this year. Her beautiful gallery stands as a work of art itself, nestled in it's own wooded sculpture park. Matzke Fine Art and Design 2345 Blanche Way Camano Island, WA 98282 360-387-1239 or 360-387-2759 The 11th Annual Camano Island Studio Tour is this weekend; May 8th , 9th, and 10th, 2009.  The hours are from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm daily and the admission is free.

First, I would like you to check out this video about "Charley", and a day in his life: http://gprime.net/video.php/charley       I met Jessica Roper last week in her Seattle home with her two cats, Rudy & Clover, who's portraits I am going to paint. I learned during our visit that Jessica also volunteers as a foster parent for rescued  cats while they wait for adoption. One cat currently in her foster care, Daisy, and her own Rudy, have a neurological condition called cerebellar hypoplasia.       "It is caused when a kitten, either slightly before or after birth, is exposed to the feline distemper (panleuk) virus.  For some reason, the virus causes the development of the cerebellum to stop.  The cerebellum controls balance and coordination, so that is what these cats lack.  The condition doesn't get better or worse with age and the cats live a normal life span. Some cats are more affected than others." "People who live with CH cats (or wobbly cats) swear that they are extra affectionate.  People claim they have "sunny" personalities.  They have no idea that they are different.  Other cats don't seem disturbed by their awkwardness. They aren't "sick", they don't feel sick or dizzy.  They need to be kept safe from hazards such as balconies or the outdoors but other than that they require no special care.  And, you won't find them up on your counters!" -Jessica Roper