Birthday month - day one

Today is the beginning of my birthday month, and let me tell you how I am celebrating.  At 6pm I will be making my last speech as President of the Board of Directors of the Bigfork Museum of Art & History.  That's right, you're looking at (wait - can you see me?) the soon-to-be EX-President.  Again.  Woo hoo!  That's why I did a happy dance the other day.  I found someone else to take my position.  After several months of intermittent introspection, I have concluded that the most important thing the Museum needs is a dedicated PR person.  The board has talked about this many times, but we can't get anyone to step up.  So I decided I would do it.  But I won't also be the President.  My new "job" officially starts at our next meeting, which isn't until June 21st.  In fact, some of my board members don't even know yet, but I'm pretty sure they don't read my blog so I'm not spoiling my own surprise by writing about it.  Unofficially, I start next week, building some promo for our July gallery show and the plein air fundraising event.  But TODAY.  Today I make my last speech.  We are holding our annual membership meeting during the reception for the members' show and I get to do the talky talky part.  My favorite.  I was going to write out a little speech, but I think I'll just wing it.  I need some notes so I can speak intelligently about the changes we are proposing to the bylaws but, other than that, wingin' it.

I did put two pieces in the members' show - one old and one sort of oldish.  The first is Peanut Butter Sunflower - one of my faves.

The second is called Sugar Pie #3.  Remember back in October when a customer asked me to paint a pumpkin for his wife for her Halloween birthday?  I painted four, and held an informal vote to pick the best one.  He got Sugar Pie #2.  The other three have been sitting on my dining room table since last fall.  I also had an 8" x 8" frame sitting on the table since probably last fall.  Since the pumpkin paper was intended to go on an 8" x 8" canvas, I put it on a panel instead, and smacked it into the frame.  So it's kinda old but kinda new.

I forgot to take a picture before I sent it down the street, so this is the best I could do.  However, it fits in with all my other crappy pictures, so there you go.  I still have the pumpkin I used as a model.  Is there a way to preserve it so it lasts forever?  It's so dang cute.  Which reminds me -- many, many years ago we were gearing up for our first remodel at work.  Our landlord at the time added on to the building for us, and when we dismantled a work table in the back room, we found a pumpkin under the table.  It had become one with the carpet.  Surprisingly, it didn't smell.  But it was pretty gross.  End of story.