There are some special things in every artist’s life that are major milestones, shows and awards that correlate with a direction, a change of direction, a voice.  I am so happy to say that the American Tonalist Society has chosen this piece for their annual exhibit at the Salmagundi Club.  I have always considered myself a tonalist, even as I have explored more saturated color relationships.   The artists that I have studied throughout my career – Dwight Tryon, George Inness, Emil Carlsen, Whistler, J Francis Murphy – have been American Tonalists and I could not be more honored to be part of this modern day society.

What is tonalism?  It is a style of painting that focuses on mood over realism.  It is meant to evoke an emotion like a poem does with words, using uniquely chosen limited color and values.  It takes realism to a different direction, more subtle and tempered.  If you are interested in a better description, Christopher Volpe has a great blog post about it here:  https://www.tonalism.com/what-is-tonalism

And on another note!  The very same day that I found out the great news about my acceptance, I received a rejection from another painting society.  One that two weeks earlier I had been inducted as a signature member.  As humbling as that is, it makes the success of the other even sweeter because it shows how incredibly difficult it is to be juried into a high end show.  You take the good with the bad and keep working on getting better and making each piece the best that it can be.  A judge or juror can pick an entirely different show on a different day and that is truly the norm.  We artists must develop a thick(er) skin to keep putting ourselves out there for praise or scrutiny whether it is in a show, on social media, or in a gallery lol!  All in a days work!