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Dear Friends:
We had the most fun at our Collectors’ Convention at The Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, Virginia, this past weekend. I have so much to tell you, but first I want to share with you a picture I took at my home in Mathews this week. I live on a creek that is part of the Chesapeake Bay estuary, and there are lots of different species of waterfowl that come to visit; but, swans are a rarity!
How relaxing to enjoy my morning coffee in the good company of this trio of swans!
The Convention was kicked off Friday afternoon with an Author Luncheon and Book Signing. In addition to me, there were Merle Good, author of the Reuben series of children’s books; Sharyn McCrumb; Logan Ward; Camelia Elliott; and Dr. Cynthia Long-Lasher. The luncheon and book signing was sponsored by the P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education as a fundraiser for the Foundation’s programs. We are so grateful to have the participation and the support of so many well-respected and talented authors!
The Foundation and I are very grateful to have the support and participation of these fine authors. L. to R.: Merle Good, Camelia Elliott, Sharyn McCrumb, Logan Ward, and Dr. Cynthia Long-Lasher. I loved hearing them speak about their experiences.
I would like to especially thank Merle Good for taking time from his busy schedule to be with us and to allow us to preview his and my latest collaboration Reuben and the Balloon during the luncheon and Convention. The official release date for the book is during my show with The People’s Place Gallery in Intercourse, Pennsylvania, this coming weekend, September 19-20, and it will be available next week from both The Moss Portfolio and your favorite authorized Moss dealer.
Reuben and the Balloon will be officially released this weekend at People’s Place Gallery in Intercourse, PA. For more information, please contact the gallery at 717-768-7171.
Balloons Aloft (above) and Balloon in our Orchard (below) are prints that will be released during People’s Place’s show September 19-20. The prints are also included as illustrations in the book Reuben and the Balloon.
Another new item that debuted at the Convention was my new apron. It became an instant hit, and we have very few left in stock. We are expecting more to arrive in the next few weeks, and we can take orders for them now.
This new apron is sturdily constructed, with an adjustable neck strap (one size fits all) and is perfect for both kitchen use and household chores. It has three deep pockets in the front that are perfect for small tools or even a cell phone. It retails at $40. For more information, please call The Moss Portfolio at 1-800-430-1320. Our model is The Moss Portfolio’s very own Cathy Williams, our gorgeous redhead.
It was wonderful to see so many friends! The Roanoke Valley is one of those rare places where there is a little old and a little new and a lot of good. From the Roanoke Farmer’s Market to St. Andrews Cathedral, Mill Mountain, and The Hotel Roanoke itself, this city has so much to offer. The people are among the warmest and friendliest to be found anywhere in the country or the world. I wish that Roanoke’s new Art Museum of Western Virginia had been open so I could have seen it while we were in town, but it wasn’t ready yet. The exterior finish of the building is glorious; and, its design is lovely and flowing, a reflection of the mountains and streams in and around Roanoke.
Collectors lined up to have me sign their purchases during the Convention.
One of my favorite events during my Collectors’ Conventions is the Costume Parade. This is where collectors dress up and act out characters or scenes in my prints. I especially love the children!
Another fun event is the Framing Competition. My dealers can choose a print to frame for this competition, then both the print and the framework are donated to be auctioned during the Dinner Dance to benefit the Foundation. Above, Mary Ann Warren of Graphics, Etc., in Roanoke won first place for her framing of Viette’s Vista. Below, Laura DeRamus of Canada Goose Gallery in Waynesville, OH, won second place as well as the popular choice vote for her framing of Patriotic Pumpkin Stack.
One of the special paintings I created for the Convention was a depiction of The Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center. I am so proud that the original watercolor is going to have a permanent home there and will be on display.
I was delighted to present the watercolor Hotel Roanoke (as a donation) to Dr. Raymond Smoot, Jr., who is President of the Virginia Tech Foundation, which owns The Hotel Roanoke. The Virginia Tech Foundation administers a P. Buckley Moss Learning Disabilities Scholarship Fund. This photo is courtesy of David Hungate, Photographer with Dominion Images, Roanoke, VA.
I have so many people to thank for their contribution to our fun and successful Convention: the collectors, my staff for coordinating and setting up the event, the staff of The Hotel Roanoke, and our fabulous volunteers, many of whom are members of local chapters of the P. Buckley Moss Society. Where would we be without our wonderful chapters! They wore their chapter T-shirts to the Convention and were a tremendous help. I also want to congratulate Bob Almond and Dell Philpott of the Foundation for the concept and execution of the Authors’ Luncheon. Bob retired as the Foundation’s Executive Director earlier this summer, but the Authors’ Luncheon was his idea and he did the early planning and organizing of it. Come back to us soon, Bob. We enjoy your wonderful ideas! Congratulations, also, to the Society’s Board of Directors President Mary Lou McMillin on another incredible Saturday Night Dinner Dance. Mary Lou, you and your team give the best parties! We all had a ball!
On my way to Roanoke for the Convention, I stopped at the P. Buckley Moss Museum in Waynesboro, Virginia, to see the new quilt display. It is fabulous! The Museum is participating in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia’s September-long Quilt Celebration. “Quilts: Past, Present, & Future” is a month-long celebration of the artistic and cultural significance of quilts in our lives, honoring traditional, historical, and contemporary art quilts. The Museum is extending its display to last through our October Barn Show and Museum Open House, October 10-12. We are very honored to have award-winning quilts on loan from renowned quilt designers Rita Mae Barber and Jinny Beyer, along with several from my own and other private collections. Several are antique and historic. I hope you can come out and see these stunning quilts; they are truly a work of art!
Rita Mae Barber herself visited my Museum to see the quilt display. She is standing beside her self-designed quilt Artistic Trip. Rita Mae organizes the annual Quilter’s Heritage Celebration that I participated in this past March in Lancaster, PA (and will again next year). Rita Mae graciously talked to my Museum staff and guests about how she designed and created this beautiful quilt.
This exquisite quilt, Day Lilies, was designed by Jinny Beyer. Bunnie Jordan and Paula Golden are with the Jinny Beyer Studio and also visited my Museum to see our quilt display. Bunnie is an ASA Quilt Appraiser, and Paula is a quilting instructor. Both ladies gave the staff a tour of the display and lectured on the ages and quilting techniques of some of the quilts. It was very informative!
I was glad to have been at the Museum at the same time this lovely group of Mennonite ladies was giving their quilting demonstration. The pattern is “Tumbling Block.” The quilt will eventually be auctioned at the Mennonite Relief Sale.
My oldest daughter Mary Donnelly made this beautiful star pattern quilt.
It’s been a few weeks since I showed you the first four pictures of my new dog series paintings, so here are four more:
L. to R.: Greyhound, Whippet, Lhasa Apso, White Scottish Terrier
That’s all for now; I have to pack my bags and the car for People’s Place’s show. Friday afternoon there will be a drawing for a hot air balloon ride with Merle and me. Three lucky winners will get to go up with us Saturday morning. What fun! I hope to have some good pictures to show you next week.
Love,
Pat
The Moss
Portfolio
74 Poplar Grove Lane
Mathews, VA 23109
(800) 430-1320
©P. Buckley Moss 2005