Adventures in New York and Pennsylvania
These past two weeks have been an exhilarating whirlwind! My travels kicked off with a spontaneous visit to New York City, specifically to the AKC Museum of the Dog. There, I experienced the extraordinary traveling exhibit, "Honoring the Point," dedicated to the artistry of sporting dog paintings. Many featured artists and paintings were longtime inspirations for my digital painting journey, making this exhibit particularly meaningful and incredibly moving to experience firsthand.
After immersing myself in sporting dog history, I found myself sprinting (quite literally!) through The Met to catch the John Singer Sargent exhibit. Sargent's mastery of light, color, and especially his handling of landscapes provided endless inspiration—though I confess to obsessively photographing grass, my perpetual artistic nemesis!
Leaving New York energized and inspired, I headed to Pennsylvania for an exciting three-day workshop that I co-hosted alongside the talented Judy Reinford. Sponsored by my trusted print lab, Loxley Colour, we explored cutting-edge techniques in AI-assisted compositing, digital painting, and acrylic embellishments. The workshop brought together a vibrant group of artists, sparking incredible creativity, camaraderie, and skill development.
My journey wrapped up at the annual convention of the Professional Photographers of Ohio, where I stepped into my role as PPO president. It was both humbling and exciting to lead the banquet awards ceremony and present my dear friend Jeff Rose with the esteemed PPA National Award. During one of our one-day workshops, pet photographer Lisa Asp of Tangerine House of Design in Minneapolis, MN, photographed my boys, Rook and Lager! Additionally, I was honored to receive trophies for my Animal Portrait and an AI Fusion painting, adding a delightful highlight to an already remarkable trip.
