P. Buckley Moss e-newsletter

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Dear Friends:

Last Tuesday I attended the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida's Women of Distinction Luncheon and launched my newest poster and print edition to benefit Girl Scouts. The annual luncheon honors women who have achieved success in their chosen fields and who serve as role models for girls and young women. I have been involved with the Girl Scouts, in one form or another, for most of my life, and I have deep respect for the opportunities the organization provides to girls and young women. It was truly an honor for me when I was recognized as a Woman of Distinction in 2003.

My Girl Scouts of the USA Poster (above) and Girl Scouts of the USA giclée on paper (below) both feature the birthplace of Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low, located in Savannah, Ga. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of both the poster and the print will benefit the Girl Scouts.

The Girl Scouts of West Central Florida's 2010 Women of Distinction, L. to R.: Maruchi Azorin Blanco, M.B.A., founder and owner of Villa Rosa Distinctive Linens; Susan Churuti, Vice Chancellor of the St. Petersburg Deanery of the Diocese of Southwest Florida; me, holding the framed poster; guest speaker Ariane de Bonvoisin, CEO and founder of First30Days, a New York City-based media company focused on guiding people through all types of changes; Seretha Summers Tinsley, co-founder of Chain of Lakes Achievers, an achievement center dedicated to empowering youth through tutoring and teaching leadership and life skills; and Carol Morsani, whose commitment to the arts and sciences earned her the Philanthropist of the Year Award in 1997 from the National Society of Fund Raising Executives.

My friend Mary Wyatt Allen and I visited The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, last Wednesday, and we really enjoyed their "In Search of Norman Rockwell's America" exhibit. It was absolutely great! The exhibit pairs the work of Norman Rockwell with images by award-winning photojournalist Kevin Rivoli. About twenty years ago, Kevin Rivoli began photographing images of family, community, patriotism, milestones, rites of passage, and people enjoying simple pleasures. It was not until many years later that he realized their similarity to Rockwell's work in terms of mood, subject, and composition. The Ringling Museum's pairing of Rockwell's work with Rivoli's photographs shows that the idealistic America Rockwell saw through his eyes and conveyed in his paintings is still alive and well today. I admire them both for being positive.

I love the view from my window that overlooks the park across from my house. I can see the park and the people, the boats in St. Petersburg Harbor and Tampa Bay beyond, and even the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. This past weekend, there was a parade past my house for St. Petersburg's Honda Grand Prix. The race is held five blocks from my house; but, the house and the windows are pretty soundproof, so I hardly heard it unless I went outside.

Everyone came to the park to welcome the Grand Prix drivers. By the time the drivers came by my house, it was dark; so, I didn't get a good picture of them to share.

I'm very lucky to have the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts within walking distance of my house. In fact, they are having a Fernando Botero exhibit right now, with several of his magnificent statues outside that I can see from my house.

Aren't these statues fun! They are by Latin American artist Fernando Botero. I had my picture taken with one so you can appreciate how large they are.

I truly enjoyed the Botero exhibit. It is important to see and understand how people think and paint differently. All Botero paintings are, as you can see from the picture below, "Botero." When you see a P. Buckley Moss painting, it is a "Moss." It is fun for an artist to see a painting that is uniquely his or hers and not a copy of someone else's.

My painting For Our Sins, paintings by Fernando Botero on exhibit at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, and my painting My All. The paintings by Botero depict, L. to R., Eve, Adam, and a crucifixion. When you look at my two crucifixions, you can tell they were created by the same artist, even though they are different from one another. When you look at the three Botero paintings, you can tell that they were created by the same artist; and, you can also tell that they are not mine.

I have one week left in Florida before returning to Virginia for a few weeks before heading to Italy for a month. I love all three places and am blessed that I can work in and enjoy each one. Right now, I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends in Virginia when I'm in Waynesboro for my April 23-25 Barn Show and Museum Open House. See you soon!

Appalachian Spring will be released during my April 23-25 Barn Show and Museum Open House in Waynesboro, Va. For more information, please contact the Museum at 1-800-343-8643.

Happy Easter, and happy Easter to our soldiers!

Love,
Pat

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