From the North Star State to North Carolina

Downstairs at Rita’s, 7 x 9½" watercolor

Here’s where I slept most nights on my recent visit to Minnesota. Rita and I go all the way back to a design conference in 1980 at Lutsen, Minnesota where she and my business partner Rick met and began a four-year romance. Rita learned and owned a computer before I did, so soon after graphic design made the leap from drawing board to desktop, I spent hours with her and an occasional client in this sub-level space. Not much trace of a computer now, as Rita has retired from that business.

Seems I’ve acquired the habit of painting most of the places I stay when I’m on the road. I missed, however, painting my accommodations last Friday night in New Bern, NC. During the town’s Friday ArtWalk, I painted in front of Carolina Creations Fine Art & Contemporary Craft Gallery where my North Carolina Meets French Impressionism show now hangs. Artist owners of Carolina Creations, Michael and Janet, graciously put me up for the night in their nifty studio guest room.

Here I was, beginning a painting in front of Carolina Creations. That's not paint on my palette; that's cheese for my palate. Photo compliments of artist Michaelé Rose Watson.