P. Buckley Moss e-newsletter

Dear Friends:

It was a perfect day for the P. Buckley Moss Museum’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt this past Saturday; not too hot, not too cold, and no rain, wind, or snow! The Museum had a full house, with nearly 300 people, and everyone had a great time.

Pictured above are some of the nearly 300 participants in the Museum’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Here, they are gathered to be entertained by Steve the Magic Guy.

The local troop of American Heritage Girls helped the Museum staff again this year and were indispensible in seating people, crowd control, and keeping the squirrels away from the Easter eggs. Our Easter Bunny was Jimmy Coleman, who was wonderful with the children, and between him and Steve the Magic Guy (Steve Pittella) everyone had a ball. Steve had the children laughing and screaming with delight, and their favorite trick was when he produced a live dove named Snow White out of a bunch of scarves.

The local American Heritage Girls were the Easter Bunny’s special helpers again this year.

Steve the Magic Guy (Steve Pittella) had the children laughing and screaming with delight.

The Museum’s next event will be this weekend when it hosts the Annual Exhibition and Convention of the Virginia Chapter of the World Organization of China Painters. The event dates are April 13-14. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the Museum at 1-800-343-8643 or 540-949-6473.

I celebrated Easter by having dinner with my daughter Patty, her friend Mary, my granddaughter Chiara, & her friend David Swisher. Chiara and David came over just for the day and went back to Waynesboro after dinner. It was nice to be able to spend a little time with just them. When the whole family gets together, we can be quite a noisy bunch; and, I sometimes feel like I didn’t really talk to any of them. So, smaller groups can be good.

Clockwise from top: Patty, me, David, and Chiara. Not pictured is Mary (who took this picture).

I also worked in my yard over the weekend and cleaned up the magnolia tree cones and leaves that had dropped. I love my huge magnolia tree; but, if I don’t clean up those cones, they will sprout new little trees all over. I can’t wait until it blooms later this summer. The blooms are divine!

On my John Deere tractor/mower hauling a load of magnolia tree cones to the brush pile. Patty is unloading.

I’m so proud of my hardworking grandson Picco Gabellieri, whose project was selected to represent Game Art and Design in the category of Game Environment in the annual The Best of Ringling Show! Picco attends the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, and this is quite an honor. Congratulations, Picco!

My daughter Becky, who lives in Cortona, Italy, with her family, has told me that they’ve had snow in the mountains where my granddaughters Sofia and Michela go to Scout Camp. Instead of separate Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, the boys and girls in Italy participate in Scouting together. At first, I thought it was strange, but now I see that having boys and girls participate together makes them very well-adjusted and comfortable with each other. Sofia and Michela love it. I’m currently working on a painting to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting in America.

On Thursday, April 19, I’ll be giving a talk at Gloucester Arts on Main, located at 6580 Main Street, in historic Gloucester Courthouse, Virginia, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event is open to the public and will include an exhibit of my work, including some new things I’m working on and some that I plan on taking to our Collectors’ Convention in Iowa this July 20-21. I’ll talk about my work and will be happy to answer questions. Attendees may bring in two previously purchased items for me to sign. I love being with fellow artists and friends, and I hope they ask lots of questions.

I’m looking forward to my spring Museum Open House and Barn Show the weekend of April 27-29, when we’ll release my latest painting of Bushong Farm, located in the Shenandoah Valley outside the village of New Market. The famous Battle of New Market was fought all around Bushong Farm on May 15, 1864. I have featured Bushong Farm in two previous print editions, Summer at Bushong Farm and Valley Homestead.

Homage to the Past will be released as a giclée on paper during my Museum Open House and Barn Show, April 27-29. For more information, please contact the P. Buckley Moss Museum at 1-800-343-8643 or 540-949-6473.

Thursday, April 26, is the opening of the P. Buckley Moss Invitational Art Show at the Museum, which will include the work of art students from the surrounding counties and cities. The art show is co-sponsored by the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education. I’m looking forward to this very much. It’s always so interesting to see what young artists are doing.

Love,
Pat

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