Welcome to me! A brief introduction....

Welcome to my first blog...I promise to strive not to be boring or too self-serving in my posts..just to share ideas and thoughts!

The Basics:
Cheryl Parsons - Wife; Mother; Daughter; Sister; Contemporary Still Life Painter; Muralist; Kitchen & Bath Designer; and Volunteer of too many art organizations. My website: http://www.cherylparsons.com/

Live in Herndon, Virginia with my husband, Art Yavelberg and two springer spaniels - Sarah & Remy.  Two sons - Josh Yavelberg, a professor at the Art Institute of Washington, lives in Reston, VA.  And, Evan Yavelberg, owner of Alcove Bar (a craft beer and wine bar) in Gainesville, FL.

My studio is in my home as I like to paint all hours adn enjoy the flexibility of being at home.

The short of it is that I applied for a grant through a French artist foundation to paint in France for a month.  Thinking it was a real long shot, I didn't think too much about it after making the application.  BUT, two days before Christmas I was notified that I was accepted and would have the month of September, 2010 as a guest in their only designated cottage in Dinan Village in Brittany.  Sooo... I have a cottage for the month and the only payment is a choice of one of the paintings I will create during my stay. 

The time is getting close and of course a bit anxious..and excited. After six months of Rosetta Stone and Penslier French lessons...I am probably only at the "J'aimerais à boire du vin." But, at least I will get lots of wine and just be happy they don't understand anything else from me!  This trip will be the longest time I have spent in any one location (traveling) away from family; but looking forward to the opportunity of reflection and expanding my painting skills..since it will be without distractions...such as television especially Fox News.  Art, my hubby, decided that he should not go along since I would be trying to manage his time there (which is true!). So, in order to have a companion who has the same interests, I invited my dear friend, Chris Appleton, a very talented artist that I admire and cherish our friendship.  We have traveled together before and are compatible in our easy going attitudes toward situations and changes.  I'm a morning person and Chris is not!  So I get the fresh hot crossiants first!  Other than that, we are traveling compatible!!  She has every gadget imaginable - IPAD, Kindle, Translater, GPS...etc...so we are well equipped to take on any foreign country as long as they have electricity and we have adapters! 

So the next 19 days is all about getting organized.  I have been saving my pennies for extra spending money and had a fabulous week of completing painting commissions and selling some work. 
          
Sold my signature piece that I had sort-of identified with "Artist's First Tools".  I have this on my business cards as it
is all about my memories of those wonderful boxes of crayons.

Also finished and delivered five fish paintings as a commission.  These were the result of 14 fish paintings that I painted for a restaurant in Reston Town Center - named "Passion Fish".  Actually it was suppose to be a temporary exhibit at Passion Fish, but two weeks after the exhibit opened, they purchased all the paintings.  So, I have painted 19 fish paintings in a year.  The client is building a house on a lake in Ala.  So they are traveling fish!! "Big Red" is below...a coral fish with a big mouth!!

That's all for today!  The studio building is closing and time for me to close down too...later......