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Most of us enjoy giving (and receiving) gifts that are both meaningful and enduring, but coming up with that treasured gift can be a real struggle. I humbly propose the gift of original art? Whether you’re contemplating a birthday, anniversary, Christmas or Valentine gift, an original work of art could be the perfect solution. The reasons why are many. Each piece, by definition is truly unique. If it’s an original work of art, there’s not another one just like it in the entire world. Given the almost infinite range of subjects, styles and mediums available, you're able to select artwork that is very specific to that special person's unique tastes and interests. To make the gift even more personal, the inspired giver might go a step further and commission an artist to create a piece specifically for their loved one. The choices for subject matter are immense—perhaps a portrait of the recipient or their cherished grandparent, child or pet; perhaps their old family homestead, favorite vacation spot, sports hero, hobby, flower, antique car. See what I mean. A work of art can be very personal indeed. So, the next time you’re wracking your brain, trying to come up with a truly one-of-a-kind and meaningful gift for that awesome person in your life, think art.

I was blessed to teach another oil painting workshop at our art club's gallery in Madill, Oklahoma last weekend. I had to slip the date a week after a quick bout with COVID, but there you go. Just seven students, but that made it more interesting, and it gave me more one-on-one time with each of the students. It's always a challenge to paint quickly and teach at the same time but it was a great group and I really enjoyed myself. The image here shows my setup with the underpainting that I started with. My finished painting is in the landscape section of this website. As usual, I finished it up by putting a couple more hours (maybe three) on it after I took it home. Looks like I'll be teaching another class at the gallery in Gainesville next month. Awesome.