Wind At My Back

Every year my wife and I enter various competitions in the creative arts building at the Erie County Fair (Hamburg, NY). We've been doing it for close to 15 years now, and love it every year. It's a pleasure to see such great art and craft work by our neighbors, and I'd be lying if it isn't a thrill to see a ribbon on your work. This year our craft work didn't collect any ribbons, but I was pretty surprised to find that not only did "Sweet Breeze" breeze into port flying a bright blue flag, but a green one as well. The green denotes a special prize, usually from one of the sponsors of the competition ("Autumn Camper" from a few years ago received a green from Hyatt's art supplies). And a first for me was a ribbon -- blue no less -- (AND a green) for a photograph taken at the Fair last year.

If you get a chance to attend the Fair this year, please stop by and see all of the great work from your friends and neighbors, and if you have a creative bent, PLEASE pledge to participate next year. You'll be glad you did!!!

Etsy Spotlight: Sweet Breeze

We spend a lot of time by the water, more and more as Buffalo's waterfront is transformed from a post-industrial waste zone into a crowd-packed zone balanced between fun and nature. I saw this sailboat zipping along the mouth of the Buffalo River one day in July and knew it would make a great woodcut. It's one of my favorites. Done in various shades of blue and yellow, with a subtle rainbow roll background, it really captured the light at that moment.

I love painting water, and boats. The irony, of course, is that I get easily, terribly seasick!