What a Time She Had!

"Buddy"

ACEO Original Colored Pencil Drawing

2.5 x 3.5"

SOLD

I just returned from Bethesda, MD (which I fell in love with) and the CPSA International Show and Convention, where I won "The Fantasia Pencil Company Award for Excellence" for my piece "The Aviators"! I am so honored and happy to have been included in the company of so many excellent, creative people. I kept waiting for someone to walk up and say that a mistake had been made and that Wanda Bartow Drucker had won, not Rhonda Bartoe Tucker. But there was my image up on the screen and my name on the winners list. Speechless was I. Good think we didn't have to make one. Yikes!

During the convention, I had the privelege of taking a class from Linda Lucas Hardy, who taught her technique of working on sandpaper, and from Robert Guthrie, who taught his technique of working on Mylar. I learned a lot from these two talented artists and teachers, who both, by the way, just happened to snag two of the most prestigeous awards of the show. I can't wait to incorporate some of their methods into my work; you'll see it here first!

The week ended with the artists' reception on Saturday night at the Mansion at Strathmore Gallery. With its combined beauty and rich history, its sure to be one of the highlights of my career to say "My work was displayed there once." If you are ever in Bethesda or the DC area, make a stop there.

My family traveled with me and were quite happy to jump on the Metro to DC and visit all of the national monuments and museums in the area. All of us were also able to spend some time with a brother and sister-in-law and our two beautiful nieces. So, all in all, it was quite a trip for both my body and soul!

(Happy Birthday, Dad! Love you!)