Head In The Clouds at "Sky: A National Juried Exhibition"

I was honored to be one of over 75 artists selected to exhibit a piece from my Aero Series at the Bedford Gallery in picturesque Walnut Creek, CA. The opening was Sunday, March 9th and the crowd of sky lovers was out in full force for the gala!

What a great space and tremendous crowd!

Closing in on my painting...

Loved the tableaux they created with these pieces. My painting,  "Aero No. 8", is on the lower left.

Rachel capturing the moment :)

Was thrilled to meet family living in the East Bay for the very first time at the show (From L-R: David,  Rick, Maria, Mark, and little Marky)

So proud to be part of this excellent show.

Such great interpretations and techniques to capture the beauty and majesty of the skies. Congratulations to all the artists, the jurors, and the Bedford Gallery for a first class event.

Inside The Artist Studio: Shauna Finn

Meet Shauna Finn (www.shaunafinn.com).

Shauna's studio is in Jersey City, NJ just across the Hudson. We met at the International School of Art in Umbria, Italy during the summer of 2001. A Southern California native, Shauna made her way East to study at the New York Academy of Art shortly after I relocated to California from NYC in 2003. The dramatic evolution of her work since getting to NY has been amazing to watch. Her style and technique echo classical teachings, but her subject matter and concepts are purely contemporary.

What a space! If you're gonna have windows, they must be floor to ceiling.

A perfect setup to work big.

My personal favorite.

Thank you, Shauna, for kicking off a great series of studio visits in NYC. Keep up the fantastic work.

Inside The Artist Studio: Howard Gladstone

Meet Howard Gladstone (www.howardgladstone.net).

Howard is a talented painter, sculptor and filmmaker. His current studio is located at the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Of all the artists I know, I have known him the longest. He was the monitor of my first sculpture class at the Art Student's League of NY in January 2001. He was as generous then as he is now with his knowledge. And patient. Very patient...especially with a fledgling sculptor like me who had no shortage of questions as I was just starting my creative journey.

Howard's use of color in his landscapes…vibrant, striking hues, is remarkable.

Howard's Studio. Artist John Chandler stopped by for a visit, too.

Hard to believe it was almost 13 years ago that Howard helped me get started. Many thanks for that and the visit!

Hopping the N Train back to Manhattan.