Hello art lovers and friends!

After a wonderful summer in Michigan, I'm finally back home in Texas. The Michigan tour took me to South Haven, Ann Arbor, Orchard Lake, Milford, and Northville and also brought a couple of nice surprises along the way. I was honored to receive two awards during the Michigan tour, one at the South Haven Art Fair and another at the Northville Art House Art Market. It was especially meaningful to have my work recognized at two very different points during the tour. Thank you to everyone who stopped by the shows. I loved seeing familiar faces, meeting new collectors, and sharing my work with all of you.

Behind the Scenes

A summer art tour takes a lot of people behind the scenes, and I have quite a few thank-yous to make:

First, a huge thank you to Shawna for taking care of the house, all the "projects," and our furry family while I was away. I missed her so much while we were apart. She also surprised me by cleaning and organizing my studio while I was gone. I had been dreading having to do this, so coming home to a clean, organized studio was an incredible gift! Thank you to my sister Kristy for taking care of Rusty and Buddy at the beginning and end of the trip, and to Lana for hosting us for the night while on our way to Michigan. And thank you to my mom and Rodger for welcoming us and giving us a place to stop and rest on our way home. And a very special thank you to Marita, my friend from my childhood neighborhood, for opening her home to me during my time in Michigan again this year. I'm incredibly grateful for her friendship and hospitality.

The Trip Home

We took our time heading back to Texas. On our way out of the Detroit area toward Michigan City, IN, we stopped to have Buddy's Detroit Style Pizza since Shawna had never had it. We hit an antique store after that before reaching Michigan City. In Michigan City, IN, I photographed a lighthouse, with the buildings of Chicago across Lake Michigan visible, at sunset. It was really cool and beautiful. After Michigan City, we decided to travel parts of the historic Route 66, stopping for some fun photo opportunities along the way.

In Pontiac, Illinois, we found some great Route 66 murals, little painted themed cars scattered around downtown, three swinging bridges across a River, and my home town favorite pizza place, Monical's Pizza. Atlanta, IL, had some wonderful oversized sculptures, and in Lincoln, IL we stopped to see the world's largest covered wagon.

A Special Stop on the Way Home

Our trip home from Michigan took us on back roads. At one point, in Arkansas, I noticed the name of a town that was familiar to me. It was where my grandmother, my mom's mom, whom we called Mommom, had lived before she passed away. What made the moment even more meaningful was that it happened on August 20, which would have been Mommom's 102nd birthday. I asked Shawna if she wanted to go see the house. Of course she wanted to, so we did. I may have scared the current owner a little when I knocked on his door and explained why I was there! I recognized the property because of the large metal barn behind it as it was there when we visited as children. The huge trees that used to stand in the front yard, one of which had a tire swing, were gone. But seeing the place again was pretty special. Sometimes taking the back roads leads you somewhere you never expected to go. This was one of those stops we definitely didn't plan on making, but I'm very glad we did.

There were plenty of other stops along the way, and I'm still sorting through photographs and ideas that may eventually make their way into new artwork.

Featured Artwork: The Ripple Effect

This month's featured piece is a little different from my usual wall artwork, as it is a table that I refinished in a rich turquoise-teal, with concentric circles spanning the surface of the metal top that suggest ripples spreading across water. Inside the wooden base is a custom metal box with plasma-cut openings inspired by stones at the bottom of a river. Inside the box are three color-changing lights, which can run on batteries or electricity. When music is playing, the lights can also respond to the music, creating changing color and movement within the piece. The title, The Ripple Effect, reflects both the physical ripples represented in the metal and the idea that small actions can spread outward and affect the world around us.

Looking Ahead

Now that I'm home, I'm back in the studio and preparing for a busy fall. I'm currently on the waitlist for Cottonwood Art Festival in Richardson, October 3–4. If I'm admitted, I'll share that update as soon as I know. I'll also be at Bayou City Art Festival in Houston, October 9–11, at Memorial Park. The festival runs 10 AM–6 PM each day, with hundreds of artists, live music, food, and plenty to see.

After a summer of traveling, I'm looking forward to spending time in the studio, and seeing many of you again at the fall shows.

Thank you for following along, supporting my work, and making this summer such a memorable one!

Heather Lorelei

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