springtime scoop

It's the last day of April...this month has flown by! Here's what's going on with me!

My 29th Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" (entitled "VANtastic 3!") took place on Saturday, April 21st, and once again, I was back at the Tontine Mall! It was a gorgeous, sunny day (and it was Record Store Day, too), so people were out and about...and a bunch of them decided to stop by and say hello! This month's charity was ArtVan, and this was my third time (so far!) supporting this very worthy cause. Here are some pictures from the day!

the "pop-up" show

the beginning

raffle ticket fun

artists supporting artists!

"First Tulip In Amsterdam" : finished!

the winning ticket!

Yes, Hollylane Jones in North Carolina was the winner of "First Tulip in Amsterdam," and now she's considered an "official" collector, since she won "Seeds of Love" back in February! I'm thrilled to say that I also sold two other paintings that day, one of which is heading to its new home in Australia! In case you were wondering, tiny paintings fit very nicely inside luggage. Thanks to everyone's support, together we were able to raise $185 for ArtVan (bringing the running total for money raised so far to roughly $4600)! Hooray! 

"Joyful Hearts" : SOLD!

"Tomato Love" : SOLD!

Another fun thing that happened in April was the Scoop-A-Thon at Gelato Fiasco to benefit the Brunswick Area Teen Center at People Plus. For the past several years, I've done face painting during the Scoop-A-Thon, but this year, I was asked to be a "celebrity scooper"! It was interesting being on the other side of the counter at Gelato Fiasco, and let me tell you- it's not as easy as it looks! There is a definite order of operations for scooping gelato due to food allergies and concerns about cross-contamination, and my fellow "celebrity scoopers" and I made sure to follow those guidelines to a T. After spending an hour behind the counter, I can honestly say I came away with a new respect for the speed, the wrist technique, the proportion skills, and the always cheerful dispositions of the professionals wielding those red and black handled serving spoons on a daily basis. I haven't heard what the total raised that day for the Brunswick Area Teen Center ended up being, but I bet it will be posted soon! 

the first "celebrity scooper" crew of the day!

My 30th Brushstrokes with Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" is coming right up, and I'm pretty excited about it...I'm calling it "Hope Springs Eternal," and it's happening on Saturday, May 5th! The location and the time slot are both a little different: I'll be setting up at the Brick South building at Thompson's Point, and I'll be there during the Relay for Life of Greater Portland! I'll be setting up my easel and painting from roughly 12 noon to 8pm, and at the end of the day, the completed 8" x 8" acrylic painting will be raffled off, and 50% of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Hope Lodge in Boston. Raffle tickets can be purchased in person for $5 each or 3 for $10. I will also have a "pop-up" show of my art that day and 10% of all my art sales (excluding magnets, but including totes) from this show will be donated to Hope Lodge in Boston. If you'd like to support this cause (and visit me that day), please check out the event page on Facebook for more information! Why Hope Lodge, you might ask? Here's a little statement I put together to explain: 

In June 2017, Annie Boissevain was diagnosed with Stage 4 Sézary Syndrome, an extremely rare form of cancer involving her blood cells, lymphatic system, and skin cells.

Annie faced a long and complicated treatment plan that included campath injections three times a week, followed by TSEB (Total Skin Electron Beam Therapy) and then a stem cell transplant. Mass General Hospital in Boston is one of the few hospitals where Annie was able to receive the Campath injections, and although her home, her friends, and her dog are all in Maine, it was essential for Annie to stay close to MGH.

Patricia Boissevain, Annie’s sister, lives in western Massachusetts. Patricia is a long-time cancer survivor, and was determined to do all she could for her sister. After going through a testing process, it was determined that she was a match to donate and transplant stem cells to Annie.

The transplant took place in November, and in December, Annie and Patricia went to Hope Lodge in Jamaica Plain. Hope Lodge provided a “home away from home” for both sisters, with a caring staff, comfortable housing, a convenient location, transportation to and from the hospital for treatments, laundry and kitchen facilities, an art room, a yoga room, and an overall supportive environment. Hope Lodge offers all of these things and more at no cost to its residents, thanks to donations from individuals, organizations, and the American Cancer Society.  

Both Annie and Patricia are now home, and Annie is in remission. Annie wouldn’t have been able to receive the top-quality treatment at Mass General and have the physical, emotional, and artistic support of her sister, Patricia, if it hadn’t been for Hope Lodge. I’m grateful for the opportunity to support Hope Lodge in my own way through my Brushstrokes with Impact ™ “Paint-a-Thon”.