Catalog Surprise

When a friend came to visit, she brought along the 2016 Grand Marais Art Colony catalog she had just received in the mail.  We enjoyed a great week last summer in Grand Marais while I was taking a class with Liz Sivertson and she thought it would be fun to explore the summer 2016 possibilities.

She had reviewed all of the choices upon receiving the catalog, so we spent a good deal of time discussing the new formatting of their catalog, the new and unusual courses being described,  new  instructors to the Colony program, etc., etc.  We both discovered early in our exploration that Liz was not included in any of the course offerings for this year, much to my disappointment! 

Front cover of the Grand Marais Art Colony course catalog.

A few days after our initial conversation, I looked through  the 33 page catalog once again, hoping to discover a clever, off-the-wall title for a zany class Liz was offering in some new context....but no luck.  Once again, my friend and I discussed the tremendous differences in the information presented in this new format, but both decided there weren't classes that jumped out, screaming, "....pick me, pick me....I am designed for you!!"

We left our Grand Marais discussion there, and went on to explore more tropical environs.  The catalog became one of several items collecting dust on the end-table, and our visit continued on.

Several week later, when I was in the collect-and-throw mode, I came across the catalog, and decided to give it one more look before sending it to the great receptacle in the garage.  Just as I closed the back cover, I happened to see the picture below.....

Back cover of the Grand Marais Art Colony course catalog.

Imagine my surprise when I announce to the room, (since I was the only one home at the time,)  "HEY....that's my painting!"

Low and behold, there on the back cover was a small painting I had been working on at the close of the workshop last summer..  Of course my next comment (again to the room, ) was, "....of all the paintings I completed that week,  THAT is the one they picked to feature on their cover......"  During week I complete more than 10 paintings.  All were either 16" X 20" or 12" X 24".  I brought along two 8" X 8" pieces of masonite.....in the event that I might try to capture some quick images.

I wanted to do this 'quick paint' before leaving to capture the memory of a scene I had enjoyed on my drive from the Twin Cities to Grand Marais.  As I drove through a highly forested area, there were many deer along the sides of the road that had been hit by vehicles.  Once you see one of the massive bodies within feet of your car, you become keenly aware of the slightest movement anywhere.  Sure enough, it wasn't ten miles down the road from the first collision site that I spotted the neck and head of a deer peering out of the tall grass on the side of the road.  The only part of her that moved were her ears which twitched to ward off landing (and biting) flies.  She appeared to be trying to blend in with the trees and grass that surrounded her.

I had seen this behavior several times while driving through the country roads where we lived in Michigan, as well.  It always makes me wish the deer could read the well displayed signs plastered all over the sides of the road, "Caution, deer crossing!"  Of course, I suppose their signs would need to read, "Caution, humans wielding massive speeding machines that can smash you to Smithereens!"

Quick sketch with paint the evening of arriving in Grand Marais.

The small painting I did very quickly in my sketch book the day I arrived (see above) captured the image as I remembered it, but I wanted to push it a little further and perhaps use it later for a card. .......