It’s not very often we have snow here in the Seattle area! But I awoke to quite a beautiful picture this morning.:

It was a long evening: my husband got rather stuck coming home from work. He left at 5:15 and walked in the door at 10:30 - that was after an hour of us digging our way up our steep driveway. Not my idea of a good time, but I was so relieved to have him home safe and sound that I overlooked my dismay at the weather.

All this snow, of course, got me to thinking about a few things. First of all, the colors of winter. Cool blues, icy whites - beautiful in their own way but not colors I ever paint in. For whatever reason, certain colors just never want to come off my brush in the right way. Does everyone have that problem?

Second, What do other people do with their time when they are stuck indoors? In times of fine weather, it’s easy to think ahead, make tentative plans about what you would do if you were snowed in...make good use of that time in the studio, clean house, whatever floats your boat. Does anyone actually do it? I find myself wanting to sleep, curl up with a hot drink, and read a book. Inactivity seems the most appealing when the reality of bad weather sets in. Still, I have hope that someday I will have a fully cleaned house and studio, plenty of projects to work on and the inclination to tackle my inside to-do list instead of sitting on my butt looking out the window at the crystaline masterpiece Nature has created. Hope is a good thing right? Right! Until then, I am off to make another cup of coffee! Stay warm everyone!

David Shaw has been an artist as long as he can remember. He began drawing at a very young age, always using graphite pencils to explore his artistic talents, never playing with the 64 crayon colors. David’s very English father appreciated his talents, and thought that he should pursue a career in architecture, a notable profession in his eyes. Although he studied architecture for 3 years, and was accepted into a highly regarded university to continue his studies, David decided not to follow his father’s desire, realizing that it just wasn’t what he wanted in his life.

While employed in a sales profession, David never left his desire for expressing his art behind, and attended the renowned Art Center College of Design in California even while working 50 to 60 hours per week. There he honed his drawing skills and began painting in earnest, beginning to explore the world of color and lines beyond those of the sharp graphite pencil.

David and his wife moved to Mill Creek, Washington in 1997, which inspired his latest artistic venture, photography. David has always been a diverse artistic personality, enamored of all things visual. The visual world drives his passion for photography, and continuously spurs David ahead to take chances and risks. He is constantly striving to improve his work, always thinking of new ways to advance his skills. He is a self taught photographer, and uses his keen visual sense to capture amazing and delightful elements in the world of nature. Since David’s wife travels for her work, he has been able to tag along to places such as New Orleans, New York, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he has been able to expand his portfolio to include series of photographs of architecture and historical sites.

David’s passion for perfection has driven him to produce all of his own work, including printing, matting, and framing his photographs. He recently tried printing a photograph onto a large canvas, which was successfully sold at the Mill Creek Arts Alive! show this past fall.

Along with printed art, David is an avid gardener and landscaper, always looking for new plants or colors to add to his Mill Creek garden. With all of these talents, it is no wonder that the City of Mill Creek along with the mayor asked him to join their Arts and Beautification Board for a three year term.

2007 AC Show Dates Announced!

Show dates 2007: July 18 (setup day) thru 22; Holiday show: November 14 (setup day) thru 18.

2006 - Dec 16; 2007 - Jan 27; Feb 24; Mar 24; Apr 28; May 26; Jun 23; Jul 28; Aug 18; Sep 22; Oct 27; Nov 24; Dec 22.

As a follow-up to our panel on creating in series, the program committee is inviting anyone interested in experimenting with a series to create a new one between now and March. At the March 24, 2007 meeting, we will present those series and have a discussion of the experience. So start now and be prepared to share in March.

Through December 19, Julie Scandora is showing paintings at the Dorothy O'Brien Center of Cancer Lifeline (6522 Fremont Avenue North in Seattle). Note from Julie: "I have five large watercolors and six small to medium ones, all in their big meeting room. Since the room is often used for classes, anyone wanting to view the works should call first to make sure the room is available. (Although it does have large windows through which the paintings can be seen.) Artists can check it out as a possible venue for themselves, as well. Phone number is 206-297-2100.

From Julie Scandora: "I'll have five or six of my watercolors in the Walnut Street Cafe, just west of Girardi's off 5th in Edmonds, for the December Art Walk and into January. For December, I also have several paintings in Julia's Gift Gallery on NE 65th in Seattle, a half block east of Whole Foods off of Roosevelt Way NE."

Congratulations to Helen Drummond who sold 10 paintings in a private sale in Bellevue!

There will be an ArtWorks Instructor Open House on Saturday afternoon, 1 - 4 pm, January 6. Our instructors, who will be teaching January through May, will be available to talk to folks about their classes and demonstrate their skills.

Denise Cole says, "I will be opening Cole Gallery and Artists' Supplies at 107 5th Avenue South in Edmonds with a "soft opening" on Dec. 9th. The grand opening will be January 18th (the third Thursday). I will be carrying Artist supplies, with an emphesis on top quality paints, papers, brushes, canvases and more. We will open with a group show featuring Patty Forte Linna, Dianna Shyne, Pepper Peterson, Teresa Vatter, Deborah Deonigi, Janis Graves and myself, Denise Cole. I am in the process of bringing in my art supply invantory and I would love to hear what our local artist community would like to have available. People can email me at Colegallery@gamil.com or call at (425) 697-ARTS."

ArtistsConnect artists continue to be a part of Joan Longstaff’s gallery at 524 Main street in Edmonds. Go check it out!

Jacqui is also participating in a group exhibit, "Visual Ensembles," at Arts West Gallery, 4711 California Avenue SW, Seattle 98116. December 3 - 2006 January 6, 2007. Opening Reception: Monday, December 4, 2006, 6 to 8 p.m.

Delorse Lovelady has 4 watercolor paintings in the miniature show at Kaewyn Gallery, 10101 Main St in Bothell from Nov 29 to Jan 19.

Sue Robertson will be featured artist at Parklane Gallery for the month of December. The show will run from Dec 4 through Dec 31, and the reception will be December 14 from 6-9 p.m. during Kirkland's Art Walk. Directions

at www.parklanegallery.com.