Great, Tom!

This time I won't be so shy as to not walk around to your side of the gigantic dinner table. Actually with the buffet, we aren't even having the huge dividing table this year, are we? I am looking forward to actually meeting you, this year!

Garth

Dear Chris, Pat, and Jean,

Thanks so much! I wish you were all able to get to the "Art of the Portrait" conference. I will have to find other ways to meet you.

Garth

John,

I am looking forward to meeting you as well.

Garth

Congratulations and good luck. I am really looking forward to DC now.

All Packed for D.C.!!!!!
 

Well Jane and Iona are packed for the PSOA competition, and I will be driving it in shortly today. It won't be long 'till Saturday's judging now!

It will be great to meet everyone else in the competition and everyone attending. I promise to be overwhelmed. I can't wait!

Wish me (and everyone) LUCK!

Thanks for all the wonderful feedback and support,

Garth

Good luck :thumbsup:

You are a winner anyway it goes,

Allan

Wow!
 

The Portrait Society of America experience was life-changing! I met so many wonderful artists (and celebtrities), many from this Forum. My painting was displayed with the twelve other finalists in the "Lake Anne" exhibition room at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Reston, Virginia, about fifteen miles outside of Washington, D.C. Ther seemed to be about eight hundred conference attendees although my numbers may be off. Supposedly, well over a thousand portraits were entered into their international competition, of which just a baker's dozen made the final cut for exhibition. Accross the board the quality of the finalist's portraits were superb, and it was indeed an honor to be included in their midst. It will literally take me weeks to follow up on all the important contacts that were made in a thousand handshakes. In the end I came out with an Honors Award with a little plexiglas "oscar" to display, a nice check and a complete pochade box from Utrechts.

I'll include some pictures: There were some of Simmie Knox and me, but they did not turn out so well. The first is of my Honors Award; the second was typical of the weekend with hundreds of attendees trying to snap their own souvenir pictures; Third, more of the same; Fourth, the PSOA staff having their group photo in the exhibition room.

There is too much to add than can be contributed in one post, so hopefully I'll expand upon the weekend in a follow up post.

I had a wonderful time!

Garth

Garth was such an amazing guy to meet. His photo doesn't represent his charm and his wit....

I had so much fun tooling around D.C. with him... my sides are still sore from his stories...

I can't wait till Dallas to hang with this new found friend of mine!

Thanks Garth!

P.S. Oh yah, and he's a **** good artist too!!!

Congrats!
 

Garth,

Sorry I have not said so before this, but congratulations on your award!It's a beautiful portrait with lovely color. When I saw it at the conference I felt as though I could reach out and touch her and pat the dog.

Alex

Dear Alex,

Golly, thank you! I am sorry we did not already know each other at the Conference. Beyond your own significant portraits, you have offered up some really useful insights, including those regarding blacks and grays, that I have found quite helpful. I look forward to your posts.

Dear Tony,

Belated thanks! You are a very generous and genuine friend. It was indeed a real treat to get to know you at the Conference. Your intense passion for paintings at the National Gallery was contageous!


On a somber note, since this painting was returned from the PSOA conference exhibition, Jane, the subject of this portrait, lost her husband of many decades, suddenly and unexpectedly. As this is a very difficult time for her and her family, any kind thoughts and prayers extended toward them would be helpful.

Garth