In 2012 I reached two major goals in my art career - achieving Master status with the International Association of Pastel Societies and the Pastel Society of America! Here are the details:

Innocence Lost, 22x16"

Winning an Honorable Mention at the 19th Exhibition of The International Association of Pastel Societies with this very successful painting (it has won 5 awards to date) earned me acceptance into the Master Circle, a significant achievement of which I am immensely proud. To learn more about what this designation means, please click here.

Intermission, 12x12"

This painting won the Maryland Pastel Society Award at the Pastel Society of America's 40th anniversary exhibition at the National Arts Club in NYC, Sep-Oct 2012, thereby helping me achieve the title of Master Pastelist from the Pastel Society of America!

What's more: It was also selected to be part of a PSA show at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, OH, in December- March 2013. Such an honor!

Choices, 12x22"

Choices was selected to be part of the Pastel Society of America's Signature Members Show at the Noyes Museum of Art in NJ, 2012, another big honor!

I was also asked to be a juror of selection for the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club for their 116th Juried Open Exhibition at the National Arts Club in NYC. The CLWAC was established in 1896 and is one of the oldest art organizations in America. I had been thrilled to just get into some of their shows myself, so it came as a complete shock to actually get to be part of the process of selecting the accepted entries from the hundreds of incredible submissions. If you'd like to learn more about this process, please click here for my blog post about what it felt like to be on the other side of the jurying process.

Hot off the Easel

 Under the Boardwalk IX 6x6" $75                                                   Introducing a brand new category I'm calling "Small Treasures"! These very budget friendly unframed pieces include land- and seascapes (often painted "en plein air", a French term for painting outside on location) and semi-abstract pieces that are pure fun to create between my regular portrait and figure work. I'd love to hear what you think of them, so please take a look and leave a comment.

Gift Ideas
The holidays may be over but Valentine's Day is just around the corner and Mother's Day is not far behind, so for a truly unique and unexpected gift for any occasion, consider the gift of art! 
I offer a variety of portraits, to suit all tastes and budgets:
Up Close & Personal:

Iris, 16x8"                     Mari, 16x8"                  Brent, 16x8"

These fun, small captures of every day life are my take on portraiture for today's active families. They look great in groupings of the whole family and can even include the family pet. They also work very well for people who do not like having their picture taken (I happen to be one of them!), since I focus in on only their best features, the ones that most express the personality of the person. Best of all they are all one price ($450) and it includes framing! To see more examples of these and what they look like in groupings, click here.
Traditional:

These heirloom pieces are perfect for many occasions beyond Christmas, such as birthdays, graduations, retirements, Mother's and Father's Day. The prices vary and depend on the size, number of people portrayed, and complexity. You may see a list of commission prices here and more examples here.
Maternity:

I Loved You Before I Knew You, 18x22"       Hands-On Dad 10x18"

The photo sessions for the portraits can be done in your home or my studio, which has complete privacy. We can get as creative as you like with these and even include the Dad and siblings. Adding text such as a nursery rhyme or the baby's name is also another way to personalize your portrait.

Other ideas: I love creating "active" portraits as well, such as the kids surfing or Dad golfing. Portraits don't have to be "stuffy" and old fashioned, let's have some fun with them! A portrait can also be created of that special bridal bouquet or flower arrangement you received as a gift and a painting of your favorite vacation spot will remind you of it year round.
And of course, don't forget that Moni's Kids portraits make great gifts as well, any time of year, by benefitting the recipient as well as the children (see more about Moni'd Kids on the update below).
Gift certificates are also available! 
The possibilities for unique art gifts are endless. It would be an honor and pleasure to work with you to create that special gift. You can pick up a gift certificate from my Camarillo, CA, studio or I can email one to you to print yourself or even snail mail it the old fashioned way. Please, contact me with any questions you may have.