Dear Friends and Art Collectors,

I’ve pulled out my sweaters already here in North Carolina, where the weather fluctuates from high 80’s to low 60’s and back again. Swimming moves to an indoor pool and holiday merch is already in stores!  After living all of my life Up North, it was bizarre to buy bushels of mums while wearing shorts..

Speaking of “Up North”, we spent a wonderful weekend in NYC viewing the Pastel

Society of America’s 50th Annual Exhibit in the stately brownstone that is the National

Arts Club. I’m pleased to say that my painting hanging in prestigious show was sold to a

lovely lady from the Upper West Side.

Two weeks after that visit I was back in Philadelphia to attend the 1st Annual Pastel

Exhibit of the Philadelphia Pastel Society, a truly lovely show where my portrait was

awarded a ribbon and award. The non-stop rain didn’t hamper the crowds at the reception

and even not being able to see my son (thanks Covid) didn’t stop the fun this whirlwind

weekend provided.

A huge thank you to all of you that came to the RESTAURANTS+ART reception or went

later on to Art In Bloom Gallery to see the show. The donation made to Nourish NC from

the sales of the paintings of the project will make more lunches available to children.

Right now I’m finishing my fall classes and planning my 2023 calendar which is

already filling up fast. I'm considering doing a Zoom workshop again, so please contact me if you're interested.

Time seems to have sped up and it is almost scary to see this year’s end on the

horizon. Is it that after two years of being on pause everything is being rushed again? Or

is it that as I watch two little boys who needed me 24/7 have lives of their own and

people that need them 24/7 that I feel this way?  Is there a reason we get wiser LATER and wish we had some of these answers years ago? There are no do-overs, no “backsies”, like the old games we played. There is only the Now and the realization that while we were rushing around, what was truly important was in front of our eyes the whole time. And always remember, you were always enough.

In gratitude,

Jeri

Pictured: Potted Plants/Queen of Spades, 14x14"