On Saturday, May 5th, I had my 30th Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon" (called "Hope Springs Eternal") during the Relay For Life of Greater Portland at Brick South, Thompson's Point, and it was a day I will always remember. First of all, Brick South is an absolutely gorgeous space: high ceilings, wooden beams, exposed brick, beautiful light, shiny floors, etc., etc., etc.! I painted from roughly noon to 8pm, but I arrived early so I could set up my "pop-up" show, which meant I had a little bit of time in between to walk around and check out the area. Here are some pictures!
my space!
my space!
my space!
look at this place!
volunteers working hard
welcome!
greetings from Thompson's Point!
Relayers started arriving around noon, and the actual "Relay For Life" began at 2pm. I painted until 8pm, but things were still going until 10pm! Everyone I spoke to that day was friendly and welcoming (volunteers, workers, relayers), and I even had a couple of very special visitors: Annie Boissevain herself, and her good friend, Ann Dillon! Annie and Ann started the day off by taking a "Survivor's Lap," which was absolutely wonderful to see. YAY!!!
guests of honor!
I had the opportunity to meet and chat with some wonderful, warm, strong people who are committed to defeating cancer...their positive energy filled Brick South all day long and was inspiring to be around.
dino-mite relayers having fun!
I'd like to extend a very special "thank you" to Ellen Russell of the American Cancer Society for allowing me to be a part of this memorable event - I'm grateful! The winner of "Hope In Bloom" was WMPG's very own Katzie Nogel, who I know is going to give my work a very good home...hooray! Thanks to everyone's support, together we were able to raise $118 for Hope Lodge in Boston!
the beginning...
"Hope In Bloom": finished!
the winning ticket!
So...what else is going on, you might ask? Well, I'm thrilled and honored to be involved in kicking off the NEW location of Monarch Massage and Wellness : 41 Main Street, Topsham!!! Thank you, Heather Goulette! Please come to the Open House celebration on Sunday, June 3rd! You guessed it: as part of the festivities, I'll be having my 31st Brushstrokes With Impact (tm) "Paint-a-Thon", which I'm calling "Transformation Time"! I'll painting from 9am to 5pm and raffling off the completed painting at the end of the day; 50% of all raffle ticket sales and 10% of all art sold during the month of June (excluding magnets, but including totes) will be donated to the MidCoast Hunger Prevention Program! In addition to being a wonderful massage therapist and a fantastic yoga instructor, Heather is one of my nearest and dearest friends, so I'm extremely grateful to have my work on display in her beautiful new space. Heather will also be welcoming Darcy Gagne, a new massage therapist who will be joining the practice in July, and the raffle fun doesn't stop with my painting: a 60-minute massage with Darcy and a five-class pass for yoga will also be up for grabs (proceeds will benefit the MidCoast Hunger Prevention Program)! Stop by and be part of the fun!
By the way, Altered Couture is this Saturday, May 19th! Have you gotten your tickets yet? If not, here's the link: https://www.explorefrontier.com/event/the-8th-annual-mid-coast-altered-couture-contest/ . This show often sells out, so you may want to get on it while you can...plus, this year's proceeds benefit Mayo Street Arts, so it's all for a good cause. Not familiar with Altered Couture? Well, our fearless leader, Christine DeTroy, was the subject of an interview featured on the front page of the Times Record's "Ticket" section, and this should answer all of your questions! Here are some pictures of the spread...and I hope to see you there on Saturday night!
