Chair and Oaxacan Rug
Watercolor 18"x24" $1,500
Award of Excellence, Circle Arts, Lyon, France

 This image was composed in the winter at the beginning of 2020. I have lived and worked in Mexico for 30 years and have always loved the rich, vibrant colors the indigenous women of Mexico use in their weavings. I was  in total isolation and working on this piece connected me to the women who weave these beautiful works of art in the open air markets of Oaxaca, Mexico. Working on this piece brought back my connection to a world full of light and color. I sent the piece to a friend who suggested I enter the piece with Circle Arts, an arts organization in Lyon, France. I knew nothing about them and submitted the piece to the on line catalog exhibition. Then, I forgot about and continued to work on other images creating a series of Still Life paintings. A month later I  received notice that the piece has been accepted and was very, very pleased. I continued to work. Then I received another notice that the piece received an Award of Excellence. Again I was very, very pleased and excited. I  later learned from my niece, who actually looked at their site that there were 863 Artists who submitted 5-6 pieces each. I submitted this one piece. I am continually humbled and grateful for the award and the joy painting this piece gave to me during a very, very dark winter.