Happy New Year!

A new year. Clean slate. Fresh approach. And a concentrated effort to spend at least the first week or so not making a mistake when I write a check by putting 2011 in the date. I'm always big on resolutions, even though statistics show that most of them don't stick beyond a couple of weeks. Still, they are worth a try, and worth the thought that goes into them. I've learned not to include things that have to happen daily, like exercise. Time has a way of interfering with those. But the ones like journaling more, painting plein air more, creating a mailing list of clients, researching new and different possibilities for my work- those are very likely to be kept and achieve positive results. I took a great online course by a lady named Jan Carley, Inner Coach of Barbershop who wrote a book called Harmony from the Inside Out. I read her book last summer and subscribe to her online newsletter from her website (see http://www.innercoachofbarbershop.com). As a result, I am finding new ways of possibility thinking from how to move forward with my singing as well as my art. The presentation is fresh and fun, and I urge my friends to check out Jan's site. And think about some achievable resolutions!

Above is a new painting with my rekindled interest in transparent watercolor. The Operation Arctic Care mission that took place in Kotzebue, Alaska that I attended through the Air Force Art Program in 2010 will inspire numerous paintings even though I was only there for a couple of days. More to come!

Studio sale!

  Spent a good part of yesterday updating the website with sale items. It's time to make room for new inventory. In the meantime, our Sweet Adelines chorus, Grand Olympics, got through our annual fundraiser show, I illustrated a children's book for a friend to give to her family for Christmas, and am working on the pieces I plan to submit to the Coast Guard Art Program. Speaking of military art programs, last month the Air Force asked me to go to Beale Air Force Base north of Sacramento to document some events that were going on with the 9th Reconaissance group. I met some amazing artists and returned with a ton of research material to use for the paintings I will submit to the program next year along with inspiration from the likes of Stephen Gardner, Michael Backus, Scott Gandell, Bob Cooley and a cool fellow named Winston! Meantime, the pieces that are on sale can be found by going to the website www.PriscillaMessnerPatterson.com and clicking on the "Open Gallery" link. When I check it, it comes up fine. Hopefully it will for you, too! 

Demo at the County Fair!

Did a demo at the Clallam County Fair last Friday night. It was fun to have so many people stop by and say hello. This composition came about after a trip to Kiana, Alaska with the Air Force Art Program last spring. We were there to document Operation Arctic Care, a program where our men and women in the reserves spend their duty time providing medical care to people in the villages. The 2010 program, based in Kotzebue (33 miles north of the Arctic Circle) was sponsored by the Air Force and included 12 villages. I was able to visit two- we were flown out via Blackhawk helicopter. While we were in Kiana, the mail/commuter plane came in, and as in all rural Alaska villages, when the plane comes in, everyone turns out for the event. The passengers are going to Kotzebue and beyond- if they are travelling beyond, they have to go through "Kotz," hop on the jet and go to Anchorage via Nome. So this is my interpretation of a busy scene when the mail plane comes to Kiana. I loved getting so much done in one night, but today am working on another piece that has lots of rivets......

Where have I been?????

Well, where have I been? Everywhere, I guess. May brought the annual American Society of Aviation Artists Forum, held this year in Pensacola, Florida. We celebrated 100 Years of Naval Aviation along with the 25 year anniversary of ASAA. It was a great time to reconnect with aviation artist friends from all over the world. Part of my duties as education chair were to organize a Youth Drawing Session. We had nearly as many helpers, for which I am grateful, as we did students. In June, my husband and I drove down to Vancouver, Washington where we met up with two of my sisters and their families. There we enjoyed a visit to the Pearson Air Museum at Fort Vancouver. Those little known places are certainly treasure troves and I hope they have lots of visitors to spread the word about aviation in the Pacific northwest. In July I attended Barbershop Harmony College in Tacoma with my quartet, Loonie Tunes. One of the other quartets in our Chorus also attended and we had a great time taking classes and learning more about our hobby of barbershop singing with a Sweet Adelines chorus. I continue to take voice lessons with a fantastic coach and participated in a student recital. We have plans for another get together closer to Christmas.

As for painting, I have three pieces in the Clallam County Fair next weekend and am scheduled to do a demo on Friday evening, August 19 from 4-7 PM. The idea for this composition came from a trip to Kiana, Alaska with the Air Force Art Program in April of 2010. While we were there the commuter flight came in. As is normal in Alaska villages, when the mail plane shows up, the town turns out to see who arrived from town and to send off travelers. The canvas is 24x36- Let's see how much I can get done in the three hours I am there. My biggest fear is getting a wet oil painting back to the car without having someone run into me with cotton candy or ice cream. Well, we can't be afraid of those things, can we?

H65 for Port Angeles

H65 for Port Angeles is available as a matted and framed print. Only one in stock! Overall size is 11"x22" and price is $125 + $15 S/H.

New Arctic Care 2010 Print

The new Operation Arctic Care 2010 print is available and ready for purchase. It is a limited edition of 100 signed and numbered prints on good quality photo paper and shows the northwestern portion of Alaska with 12 images to commemorate the 12 villages where the mission took place. Price is $35 (including postage within the continental US) for one print. Some have requested more than one, and I can get up to three in one tube for one $5 mailing charge if they are going to the same address. The size is 16x20, so it can be framed in a standard size. My profound thanks to the US Air Force Art Program for inviting me on this mission and to all of our men and women in the military who dedicate their expertise to help others.

For ordering information, please contact me through this blog or at priscillapatterson@ wavecable.com.

A new print?

Finally finished the painting that shares my memories of Operation Arctic Care in Kotzebue, Alaska last spring. I was only there two days, and there was so much going on, it was difficult to select just 12 images for the 12 villages that were actually visited by our service men and women on the medical teams. There will be more paintings to come on an individual basis, but for now, this montage will be scanned and printed once it is dry. More information on the number in the edition as well as the price will follow. Meantime, I am teaching beginning drawing through Peninsula College. This short "blitz" of basics will be followed by six weeks of using water soluble oil paints (not acrylic- water soluble OIL) followed by three weeks of figure drawing basics. After that, spring will be in full bloom and I hope to get out and do some plein air painting.